MEDIA REACTION REPORT - Moussaoui Trial

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SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - Moussaoui Trial
Nuclear Proliferation Economic Patriotism France: Political
Crisis
PARIS - Tuesday, April 04, 2006

(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

Moussaoui Trial
Nuclear Proliferation
Economic Patriotism
France: Political Crisis

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

"Death Penalty Applicable to Moussoui" reads Le Figaro's
headline, echoed on a front-page sidebar in Liberation:
"Moussaoui Could Get Death Penalty. Inside, Le Figaro reports
that Moussaoui is "getting closer to the death penalty" while
in a separate report entitled "The Frenchman's Trial Sheds New
Light on 9/11" one can read: "Khalid Sheik Mohamed's testimony
shows how simple Al-Qaeda's means were compared to the
cumbersome machine of American bureaucracy." In Liberation
Pascal Riche makes it clear that "although Moussaoui could
incur the death penalty, the final verdict is not in yet."
(See Part C)

Today's lead story continues to be the social crisis over the
CPE. Although another day of protest is scheduled for today,
commentaries are focusing more on the political fallout of the
crisis than on the social repercussions. France Soir
headlines: "A Demonstration What For?" But Liberation
headlines with a play on word on the CPE: "Corteges Pour un
Enterrement" literally translated it reads: "Marches for a
Burial" to "urge the right to give up the CPE completely."
Meanwhile right-of-center Le Figaro titles: "CPE: The Last
Round?" and recalls on its front page that the conflict began
January 16. Le Monde carries a poll showing that 71% of the
French consider that President Chirac's televised intervention
Friday evening on the CPE has "radicalized the movement" and
54% demand that the CPE be withdrawn despite Chirac's proposed
modifications. The front page of Le Monde says that since UMP
president Sarkozy has decided to take charge of the CPE issue,
PM Villepin is de facto "cast aside." For Le Figaro, Chirac is
trying to attenuate the "Sarkozy Phenomenon." (See Part C)

Popular right-of-center France Soir announces on its front
page: "Electronic Passports Are on Their Way." "After many
twists and turns the electronic passports are finally going to
be issued in France. But these passports are indeed electronic
and not biometric. which will not be available until April

2009. For those who want to travel to the U.S. and who have a
passport issued between October 26, 2005 and April 1, 2006,
they will have to apply for a new electronic passport and pay
60_ or obtain a visa from the American Embassy which is costly
and tedious."

In Le Monde Francois Heisbourg (advisor for the Foundation for
Strategic Research) pens an op-ed on nuclear proliferation
entitled: "The Nuclear Club Must Remain Closed." (See Part C)

Economic news are dominated by the Alcatel-Lucent merger which
leads Le Figaro to carry an editorial entitled "Nationality:
Citizen of the World" while the EU examines France's "economic
patriotism" approach in the context of the new `Bolkestein
directive.' Liberation carries an op-ed on France's economic
patriotism which tries to explain "why France sends out an
image of a protectionist state with nationalistic tendencies."
For Patrick Lamm in Les Echos "the fact that the merger was
finalized so quickly is a good sign, even if the mix of
cultures raises questions about the future." Like the rest of
today's commentators, Lamm writes: "This is a merger that will
keep at bay those who accuse France of economic patriotism."
(See Part C)

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

Moussaoiu Trial

"Jury Says Moussaoui Can Be Executed"
Pascal Riche in left-of-center Liberation (04/04): "During the
second phase of the trial, the prosecution should have no
problem in making the balance tip in favor of the death
penalty. The outcome seems to fit with Moussaoui's death wish
and his desire to die as a hero for the cause. It appears that
the jury, despite the defense's unheeded caution, has opted
for letting him be a martyr."

Nuclear Proliferation

"The Nuclear Club Must Remain Closed."
Francois Heisbourg (advisor for the Foundation for Strategic
Research) in left-of-center Le Monde (04/04): "One of three
things which have kept at bay nuclear proliferation has been
the NPT. But the NPT is threatened at its core by the Iranian
crisis. Iran is central, strategically and geographically to
the region. If it were to step outside the international
system of non-proliferation, it would break the logic of the
treaty. Meanwhile, the American-Indian agreement confirms the
Bush administration's lack of concern for the multilateral
arrangements that provide a framework for the international
system."

Economic Patriotism

"Nationality: Citizen of the World"
Gaetan de Capete in right-of-center Le Figaro (04/04): "Is the
political class so absorbed with the CPE that it has nothing
to say about the Alcatel-Lucent merger? As the future of one
of France's major companies is about to be sealed, no one is
even wondering about the consequences of such a deal.
Forgotten are Danone, Suez and Arcelor. The true feat for the
CEO of Alcatel may indeed be that he has achieved a merger
between equals without triggering the kind of psychodrama we
are so good at. The truth is that the package is a masterwork
in diplomacy: the
company's head office will be in Paris, the CEO is the
daunting Patricia Russo, an American through and through. But
what will be the nationality of the new group? The group will
probably be a citizen of the world. Serge Tchuruk has in fact
invented the stateless company, which espouses the contours of
globalization. What this merger does is to ridicule the notion
of economic patriotism, first by showing that if it is a
worthy deal, sensitive issues can easily be resolved, as is
the case with Alcatel's satellites and Lucent's defense
activity. The merger is also an example of how to handle
political marketing."

"A One Way Street"
Pascal Aubert in right-of-center La Tribune (04/04): "The
silence is deafening. No one has piped up about economic
patriotism. This indifference leaves one speechless. It is as
if in France emotion were a one-way street reserved only for
losers. Conquering CEOs who brandish our national flag in the
global market do not deserve the same attention. Tchuruk
should expect neither acknowledgment, nor congratulations or
encouragement. He should consider himself happy that the
merger has not triggered reactions from our national censors.
Outside the cuts in personnel, there seems to be nothing else
in the deal that might raise anyone's hackles. Patricia Russo
has even decided to learn French! This is an example in
capitalism, which does not upset our nationalistic sensitivity
and could serve as a case study."

France: Political Crisis

"An Anti-model"
Pierre Haski in left-of-center Liberation (04/04): "Whatever
the outcome of the conflict over the CPE, the final days of
the `French model' . are near. Despite and because of his
efforts, Villepin has in fact raised the question of method:
the CPE will be remembered as the anti-model of social
reform."

"Villepin's Woes"
Bruno Jeudy in right-of-center Le Figaro (04/04): "Yesterday
Villepin lunched with his Polish counterpart who has worst
woes than him. While France is not facing the dissolution of
Parliament, Villepin would frankly like to get on with other
things. It is clear than in the CPE battle pitting Villepin
against the UMP leader Sarkozy, Villepin has lost a bundle.
Sarkozy has taken over Villepin's beacon employment program
with the firm intention of quickly resolving the crisis,
including by repealing the legislation. Privately, Villepin
concedes he has lost a set, but he has not given up winning
the match." STAPLETON