MEDIA REACTION REPORT - Iraq - Alleged Massacre in Haditha

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SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - Iraq - Alleged Massacre in Haditha
Afghanistan
PARIS - Tuesday, May 30, 2006


(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

Iraq - Alleged Massacre in Haditha
Afghanistan

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

While domestic stories and the Indonesian earthquake dominate most
front pages and commentaries, the surge in violence in Afghanistan
gets wide coverage in today's media. A political analysis on the
Taliban and Pakistan's manipulations to use them to control
Afghanistan is penned by Le Figaro's Adrien Jaulmes. The report is
titled "A Surge of Anti-Americanism in Afghanistan" while in
Liberation a report is entitled "Kabul Up in Arms After American
Blunder. (See Part C)

Liberation titles "Haditha, a Cold Blooded Massacre Covered Up by
the Marines." The report carries a half-page photograph of the
alleged victims in body bags. Inside the report, correspondent
Pascal Riche writes: "It is impossible not to think about My Lai,
and the repercussions in public opinion...," which is a direct
quote from the Human Rights Watch Marc Garlasco as reported in Le
Figaro's article on "Washington's turmoil after the Marines' blunder
in Iraq." (See Part C)

Communist l'Humanite devotes a full-page report to the flight of the
Iraqi elite from Baghdad and 'the new government's need to react
rapidly before the country breaks down in a civil war." The
journalist goes so far as to say: "In Baghdad, where communities
lived side by side, a system of ethnic cleansing by another name is
slowly settling in."

Reporting on a TV documentary on Iraq's casualties to be aired this
evening and titled "When AMERICA Doubts," Sophie Rostain in
Liberation comments: "The documentary is devoted to an AMERICA in
the grips of doubt, and it is a good thing it is being shown.
Because President Bush's war is first and foremost that: soldiers
who are dying and their families' pain and doubts... As one listens
to America's youth: 'enlisting would be great. Plus, the army pays
for my education...' one wonders what is worse: the widow's doubts
about the war... or the young man who is certain he must serve his
country without thinking." Reporting on the same documentary, La
Croix's Gilles Biassette writes: "By letting people air their
doubts, the documentary emphasizes the belated and painful
questioning of certain truths which to date had been accepted
without qualm... But it also stresses that for the majority of
Americans, the war is a far away business which does not touch their
everyday lives. Leaving the bereaved families alone to deal with
their loss."

Le Monde notes the Iranian President's interview in the German
weekly Der Spiegel in which he warns Europe that: "aligning with the
U.S. will lead to the EU's total loss of influence in the Middle
East." Joschka Fischer, former foreign minister for Germany, pens an
op-ed on Iran in Saturday's Liberation, which originally appeared in
English with Project Syndicate. Fischer believes nuclear Iran poses
a serious problem for European security and that the U.S. and Europe
must quickly find a way to dissuade Iran from going nuclear. "But
this initiative can only succeed if the U.S. administration goes
along with the West and sits down at the negotiating table with
Iran."

Le Figaro carries an op-ed penned by FM Douste-Blazy on the European
Constitution, entitled "No, France's Voice in Europe Has Not
Disappeared," as part of a series one year after the failed vote on
the EU Constitution: "France's voice continues to be expected,
desired and respected..." After enumerating France's commitments to
Europe, financial and political, the FM also lists France's
technological European projects, such as Galileo, Iter and Quaero.
"Our country plays a leading role in fighting illegal immigration,
and has made proposals to fight terrorism, including by reinforcing
joint EU criminal legislation... We have also led proposals for a
true foreign and defense policy which will allow the EU to play its
true role on the international scene." The FM reiterates that the
"failed vote last year on the EU Constitution "does not mean the end
of the idea of Europe." He concludes that it is up to "us to
transform an imposed Europe into a wanted and harnessed Europe."
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:
Iraq - Alleged Massacre in Haditha

"A Cold-Blooded Massacre"
Pascal Riche in left-of-center Liberation (05/30): "The story which
began as a rumor and has ended up on the front page following an
inquiry into the facts, may well end up as a vast scandal, because
the massacre of these 24 civilians was initially covered up by
officers. It is therefore impossible not to think of My Lai... and
as the ex-hawk turned dove John Murtha has pointed out, this is a
scandal 'worse than Abu Ghraib...' The investigation has now
unearthed proof that the civilian victims were shot point blank...
What has Congress up in arms is the role played by the higher
officials and whether they helped to cover up blunders committed by
their men."

"Washington Up in Arms Over Marine Blunder in Iraq"
Jean-Louis Turlin in right-of-center Le Figaro (05/30): "When
President Bush said last week that the scandal of Abu Ghraib was the
'biggest blunder' made by U.S. troops in Iraq, and later added 'so
far' he may have already known that the Pentagon was putting
together proof about another incident... To quote Congressman
Murtha, 'it will be worse than Abu Ghraib,' if indeed it is proven
that innocent civilians were not tortured, but actually murdered...
And Haditha could indeed be worse than Abu Ghraib if it is also
proven that the higher ups covered up the truth."

Afghanistan

"The Taliban Once Again Instrumentalized by Pakistan to Control
Afghanistan"
Adrien Jaulmes in right-of-center Le Figaro (05/30): "The return of
the Taliban... also means the return of Pakistan on the scene... The
Taliban offensives are growing in intensity with groups, which are
increasingly well armed on the Pakistani side by Pashtun tribes.
Officially, the Afghan authorities fault Islamabad for negligence,
and unofficially they accuse them of interference. But faced with
Pakistan's double game, Kabul finds itself hampered by its American
ally's ambivalent stance of trying to maintain its alliance with
Islamabad in order to find Bin Laden... With Kabul having trouble
controlling areas outside the zones manned by the international
force, and the Americans ready to pull out part of their troops,
Pakistan's interference represents a real threat for Karzai... As
long as the Americans and ISAf are present, the chances of a
victorious Taliban offensive are slim... But the Taliban are
exploiting the growing animosity towards the Americans in the
Pashtun population... The deployment of NATO forces, their varying
military effectiveness and their operational capabilities, which are
inferior to the U.S., offer the Taliban a new opportunity to regain
ground. As long as Islamabad will encourage, or at least tolerate,
having its secret police recruit and train Taliban on its territory,
Afghanistan will remain under the threat of being destabilized by
the students in religion. But as long as Islamabad remains
indispensable to Washington in its search for Bin Laden, it also
protects itself from all pressure."

"A Surge of Anti-Americanism in Afghanistan"
Arnaud de la Grange in right-of-center Le Figaro (05/30):
"Apparently American soldiers have a hard time dealing with the 'war
after the war' in Afghanistan as in Iraq... The violence and
demonstrations of anti-Americanism are the worse since the fall of
the Taliban regime... and are taking place in a very tense
atmosphere. This new surge in Taliban violence is not a good omen
for the NATO forces, which must deploy their troops in southern
Afghanistan soon... But the American military wants to read into
this renewed violence a sign for hope as it would point to the
result of improved cooperation between the Afghan, the Coalition and
the NATO forces, thus being able to hunt down rebels in their most
entrenched strongholds. But this optimism is not shared by most
western governments whose troops are being deployed in Afghanistan."
STAPLETON