MEDIA REACTION REPORT - NORTH KOREA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000878

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR INR/R/MR; IIP/RW; IIP/RNY (FRANK); BBG/VOA; IIP/WEU;
AF/PA; EUR/WE (DEBORAH MENNUTI)/P/SP; D/C (MCCOO); EUR/PA
(BERBENA); INR/P; INR/EUC; PM; OSC ISA FOR ILN; NEA; WHITE
HOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE; DOC FOR ITA/EUR/FR AND PASS USTR/PA
(ANN LUZZATO); USINCEUR FOR PAO; NATO/PA; MOSCOW/PA; ROME/PA;
BRUSSELS/PA; USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR FR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - NORTH KOREA
PARIS - FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2005


(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

NORTH KOREA

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

THE FRONT-PAGE OF RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO ANNOUNCES
SECRETARY OF STATE RICE'S ROUNDTABLE YESTERDAY IN LUXEMBOURG

SIPDIS
WITH SEVERAL EUROPEAN EDITORS AND JOURNALISTS AS "WASHINGTON'S
TRANSATLANTIC CREDO." THE FULL TRANSCRIPT IS CARRIED ON PAGE
THREE, WHERE THE INTERVIEW'S TITLE IS A QUOTE FROM SECRETARY
RICE: "WITH EUROPE, WE CANNOT AGREE ON EVERYTHING."

ALTHOUGH FRENCH SOCIAL ISSUES AND THE EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION
ARE MAJOR FRONT-PAGE STORIES, THE INTERNATIONAL PAGES FOCUS ON
THE NEW THREAT FROM NORTH KOREA. LE FIGARO, LIBERATION AND LA
CROIX DEVOTE EXTENSIVE ANALYSES TO THE REALITY OF NORTH
KOREA'S NUCLEAR STATUS AND HOW PYONGYANG IS USING NUCLEAR
THREAT AS A BARTERING TOOL (SEE PART C). IN LEFT-OF-CENTER
LIBERATION BRUNO TERTRAIS OF THE FOUNDATION FOR STRATEGIC
RESEARCH CALLS NORTH KOREA'S ATTITUDE "THE SURVIVAL WEAPON OF
A PARANOID REGIME."

A SEPARATE ARTICLE IN LE FIGARO ON NUCLEAR ISSUES RETRACES THE
ANTAGONISM BETWEEN THE U.S. AND MOHAMMED EL-BARADEI OF THE
INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY.

LE FIGARO'S REPORT ON THE NATO DEFENSE MINISTERS MEETINGS IN
NICE IS ENTITLED: "NATO HARD-PRESSED TO MOBILIZE AROUND IRAQ."
"WHILE REACHING A CONSENSUS OVER AFGHANISTAN WAS EASY, IT IS
MUCH MORE DIFFICULT WHEN IT COMES TO IRAQ. NEVERTHELESS THE
NICE MEETING TOOK PLACE IN A MORE PEACEFUL TRANSATLANTIC
ATMOSPHERE, AFTER THE HARSHNESS PROVOKED BY THE WAR IN IRAQ."

FRENCH DEFENSE MINISTER MICHELE ALLIOT-MARIE IS QUOTED: "THAT
EVERYBODY SHOULD LOVE ONE ANOTHER IS FUNDAMENTAL, BUT THAT
EVERYTHING SHOULD BE FORGOTTEN, NO. I DO NOT THINK WE MUST
FORGET, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THESE PERIODS OF TENSION HAVE FOR A
LONG TIME BEEN PART OF OUR TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS. OUR
ABILITY TO OVERCOME THE DIFFERENCES WE HAVE AT TIMES IS WHAT
MAKES OUR RELATIONSHIP STRONG."

RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO CARRIES AN OP-ED ENTITLED "BUSH-
SHARON SUPERSTARS?" BY JEAN D'ORMESSON OF THE FRENCH ACADEMY.
D'ORMESSON BELIEVES THE FRENCH "HAVE A TRADITION OF WRONGLY
ASSESSING U.S. PRESIDENTS. THE WORLD MISS-READ PRESIDENT BUSH
AND THE FRENCH WERE AT THE HEAD OF THE CLASS. IF PRESIDENT
BUSH MANAGES TO ACHIEVE ANYTHING AKIN TO APPEASEMENT IN IRAQ
AND BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS, HE WILL GO FROM BEING
AN OUTCAST TO A GREAT MAN. EVERYTHING SEEMED LOST FOR SHARON
AND BUSH. THEY ARE BACK IN THE FOREFRONT OF HISTORY."

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

NORTH KOREA

"PYONGYANG'S ATOMIC THREAT"
ARNAUD DE LA GRANGE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (02/11):
"THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE NORTH-KOREANS ARE AS DIRECT AND ON
THE OFFENSIVE. THE TONE AND THE MOMENT PICKED FOR THIS
ESCALATION HAS SURPRISED EVERYONE. THE MAIN QUESTION IS
DECIPHERING WHAT THESE MASTERS OF BLACKMAIL HAVE IN MIND.
ACCORDING TO THINK TANKER BRUNO TERTRAIS, `IT IS EITHER A
CONTINUATION OF THE NORTH KOREAN STRATEGY OF BLOWING HOT AND
COLD, OR IT IS A STRATEGIC DECISION AFTER CONCLUDING THAT
NEGOTIATIONS ARE LEADING NOWHERE.' THE WEST'S WORST NIGHTMARE
IS SEEING NORTH KOREA BEGIN TO EXPORT NOT ONLY DANGEROUS
EQUIPMENT BUT ALSO FISSILE MATERIAL TO DANGEROUS COUNTRIES.
ARE THE NORTH KOREANS PARANOID OR VERY SKILFUL DIPLOMATS?"

"DEADLY CYCLE"
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE PLOQUIN IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (02/11): "A
DANGEROUS SCENARIO SEEMS TO BE TAKING SHAPE IN EAST ASIA. THE
AFFIRMATION MADE BY NORTH KOREA THAT IT IS AN ATOMIC REGIONAL
POWER COULD HAVE PROLIFERATION CONSEQUENCES: SOUTH KOREA AND
JAPAN, WHO ENJOY AMERICA'S PROTECTION, MAY BEGIN TO WANDER IF
THIS IS ENOUGH. BOTH COULD CONSIDER THEY NEED TO ACQUIRE AN
ATOMIC ARSENAL IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH A BALANCE OF TERROR. ALL
EYES ARE ON THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION, WHICH IS AT ODDS WITH A
SITUATION IT HAS NO CONTROL OVER."

"NORTH KOREA'S BLACKMAIL"
BERNARD GUETTA ON GOVERNMENT-RUN FRANCE INTER RADIO (02/11):
"THE PROBLEM OF NORTH KOREA IS SO REAL THAT NO GOVERNMENT
CONTESTS THE SERIOUSNESS OF WHAT IS AT STAKE. THE ECONOMIC
ISOLATION OF PYONGYANG IS SUCH A NIGHTMARE THAT THE ONLY
POSSIBLE SOLUTION IS TO NEGOTIATE. THE U.S. KNOWS THIS. BUT IT
IS NOT EASY TO NEGOTIATE WITH A COUNTRY THAT WANTS EVERYTHING
AND INTENDS TO GET IT. NORTH KOREA ALSO WANTS TO BE TREATED
PROPERLY, TO BE LISTENED TO, AND TO BE TALKED ABOUT. THIS IS
THE MESSAGE IT HAS JUST SENT. IT IS AN ANSWER TO PRESIDENT
BUSH WHO INCLUDED NORTH KOREA IN THE LIST OF `TYRANNIES.' NOW
THE TWO COUNTRIES ARE IN A GAME OF RECIPROCAL DETERRENCE. ONE
WAY OR ANOTHER NEGOTIATIONS WILL HAVE TO RESUME. BUT THERE IS
AN ADDED DIFFICULTY: CHINA ALONE CAN HELP TO GLUE THE PIECES
BACK TOGETHER. AND THE CHINESE WILL NOT DO IT FOR FREE: THEY
HAVE THEIR PRICE." LEACH