MEDIA REACTION REPORT - WTO Ministerial in Hong Kong

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SIPDIS


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SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - WTO Ministerial in Hong Kong
Iraq Climate Change Conference
PARIS - Monday, December 12, 2005

(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

WTO Ministerial in Hong Kong
Iraq
Climate Change Conference

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

Ambassador Stapleton signs an op ed in Saturday's Le Figaro
entitled: "We Need France in a New Agreement on Trade." "The
U.S., the EU and other trade partners share a common goal to
strengthen multilateral trade and economic growth. France,
which has rightly reaffirmed the importance of
multilateralism, needs to share in this new cycle. for the
sake of world prosperity."

The WTO and the Hong Kong Ministerial are today's major front
page and editorial stories. For Le Figaro as well as
Liberation, failure is in the cards. An op-ed in Liberation
points an accusing finger at France and its agricultural
demands: "What will France get? Our image will be tarnished
even more and we will be made to pay for this later, in other
negotiations." (See Part C) Liberation interviews WTO
Secretary General Pascal Lamy: "We have a 55% chance of

SIPDIS
succeeding in Hong Kong. The fundamental issue that divides
WTO members is whether agriculture is an economic activity
like all others or whether outside factors make it different."
A poll in Liberation shows that 52 percent of the French fear
globalization.

The Kyoto protocol and the end of the Montreal conference are
also a major story. Liberation titles its report: "To keep
from being isolated, the U.S. promises to negotiate, but makes
no promises." Le Figaro announces on its front page: "The U.S.
Does Not Bend in Montreal." Le Monde quotes former President
Clinton on its front page: "I Like Kyoto." (See Part C)

The tenth anniversary of the Dayton accords elicits several op-
eds. In Le Figaro, former FM Michel Barnier pens an opinion
piece stressing that "the Balkans are definitely in Europe"
while in Liberation writer Sylvie Matton denounces the Dayton-
Paris accords as "`inept,' like all peace treaties signed
`under gunfire.'" She faults Richard Halbrooke and points to
"the collective responsibility of western and UN officials" in
the genocide of Srebreniza.

Le Figaro reports on the U.S. efforts to train the Iraqi army
in a story by correspondent Adrien Jaulmes writing from Camp
India. A report in Le Journal du Dimanche on the French
hostage Bernard Planche underscores his "taste for American-
sounding acronyms." According to Le Journal du Dimanche, his
humanitarian company, Aaccess, has a namesake in Cleveland,
"but its activities are not related to Iraq and no one in this
Arab-American association appears to know Planche." Le Journal
du Dimanche also reports on Kurdistan, "autonomous and far
from the war, where Christians and Muslims live in peaceful
cohabitation and where the economy is picking up." The
article is entitled "When Peace Reigns in Iraq." Gilles
Delafon titles his political column "Iraq: for Better or
Worse." (See Part C)

Communist l'Humanite carries a picture of Angela Davies on its
front page and a two-page interview inside in connection with
her latest book, `Abolition Democracy,' and her trip to France
this week. She discusses the Bush administration and the
Patriot Act. A side bar notes the L.A. Times article on
Saturday about a Bill to amend the legislation conferring
automatic U.S. citizenship to anyone born in the U.S.

In domestic news, a poll in Le Journal du Dimanche shows that
36% of respondents pick Interior Minister Sarkozy as their
favorite UMP candidate for the 2007 presidential election, 19
percent pick Villepin, and only one percent picks Chirac.

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

WTO Ministerial in Hong Kong

"Threats on Free Trade"
Nicolas Barre in right-of-center Le Figaro (12/12/): "The
chances of moving free trade along in Hong Kong are
practically nil. This failure is doubly worrisome. The
objectives of the Doha Round were set just after 9/11 and the
aim was to lift the poorest nations from extreme poverty. The
urgency resided in fighting resentment through progress. Hence
the name `development cycle.' Failure in Hong Kong would also
be terrible news for developed nations. Those who raise the
specter of free trade have short memories. They have forgotten
the motto of `trade rather than war' that was used after the
Second World War against protectionism. Since then, free trade
has progressed while wars have regressed. There is no need to
prove the beneficial aspects of open markets. Yet, failure is
on the horizon. For the U.S., the EU is the perfect fall guy
with its agricultural subsidies, which are hampering an
agreement on industrial goods and services. The Europeans for
their part point a finger at emerging agricultural nations and
at the U.S., which has everything to gain from the EU
subsidies' system being dismantled. But it matters little who
the guilty party is in the end. If Hong Kong fails, everybody
loses."

"Words and Actions"
Jean-Michel Helvig in left-of-center Liberation (12/12):
"Globalization frightens everyone: everyone else's gains is
seen as a threat. If one adds electoral posturing by a
minority with a majority impact, it is not surprising to hear
everyone talking about failure in Hong Kong. The structural
mechanisms of economic inequalities have been exposed and have
emphasized the gap between words and actions of wealthy
nations. The weaker elements in this battle are not totally
powerless: they have a certain capacity for harm. Progress
will be impossible unless everyone adapts."

"A Commercial Three-Card Monty"
Francoise Crouigneau in right-of-center Les Echos (12/12):
"Hong Kong was supposed to crown five years of negotiations.
Instead, and at best, it will look like a game of commercial
three-card Monty with global dimensions. Everyone hopes to
avoid the worst: a wake for the Doha Round. Once again all
eyes are on agriculture. The U.S. has made tempting promises
to reduce its subsidies in order to shift attention on the EU.
but without any guarantees that they will be adopted in
Congress. France meanwhile needs to keep its eyes on
negotiations within negotiations: alongside Hong Kong, there
is the CAP and the British rebate. The foursome, U.S., EU,
Brazil and India, is the dominant force. But China is not far
behind, ready to align with whoever serves best its own
national interests. One thing is certain: no one will gain
from a disagreement in Hong Kong. Failure in Hong Kong would
weaken even more the multilateral dynamic, which is already
suffering from too many bilateral agreements, and deprive the
WTO of its credibility. The anti-globalization movement should
be aware that by shouting `sink the WTO' it is shooting itself
in the foot. The WTO, while needing to reform, remains the
only institution able to regulate international trade."

Iraq

"For Better or Worse"
Gilles Delafon in right-of-center Le Journal du Dimanche
(12/12): "On Thursday, Iraq will be facing one of the most
important political tests of its history. The elections will
determine its future but could also, paradoxically, trigger
the civil war everyone fears. The stakes are enormous. So much
so that it is triggering a confrontation between Iraq, Iran
and the U.S. Serving as background to this confrontation is
control for the world's largest oil reserves, which are
located in Shiite dominated regions near Iran. Security issues
make up the major theme of the elections: suicide attacks are
on the rise and half a dozen foreigners have been kidnapped in
the past few days. The new Iraqi army is accused of torturing
its Sunni prisoners and Shiite candidates are being
assassinated. Logically, the elections should be won by the
Islamic pro-Iranian Shiites. The danger lurking is that
Baghdad will fall into the hands of Tehran's Ayatollahs, thus
upsetting America's plans. But there is a chance that the
Islamic Shiites will not succeed, because other alliances,
such as an alliance between the Kurds, disappointed Shiites
and secular Sunnis could form. The problem is that such an
alliance could trigger a different type of unrest. On
Thursday, the Iraqis will hold the key to their future, for
better or worse."

Climate Change Conference

"The U.S. Stays on the Outside"
Caroline Malet in right-of-center Le Figaro (12/12): "The
surprise end to the Montreal Conference came with the U.S.
giving its green light to the final text. It is a fact that
former President Clinton's address was like a thorn in the
U.S. representatives' side which served to isolate the U.S. a
little bit more. Clinton deconstructed the Bush
administration's logic, and came after two previous attacks,
from the Canadian Prime Minister and from President Chirac.
Montreal leaves the door ajar for the U.S. to step in."

"Criticism of the U.S. by the U.S."
Herve Kempf in left-of-center Le Monde (12/12): "The Bush
administration continues to play its role of bad boy in the
climate change negotiations. But this attitude, which has been
isolating Washington, is increasingly being criticized inside
the U.S. A stunning illustration was given by former President
Clinton, who tore down each of the Bush administration's
arguments. With this address, former President Clinton sets
himself up as the leader of an American movement to fight
climate change." STAPLETON