Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PARIS3677
2006-06-02 10:16:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Paris
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 003677
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR INR/R/MR; IIP/RW; IIP/RNY; BBG/VOA; IIP/WEU;
AF/PA; EUR/WE /P/SP; D/C (MCCOO); EUR/PA; INR/P; INR/EUC;
PM; OSC ISA FOR ILN; NEA; WHITE HOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE; DOC FOR
ITA/EUR/FR AND PASS USTR/PA; USINCEUR FOR PAO; NATO/PA; MOSCOW/PA;
ROME/PA.
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR FR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - Iran
PARIS - Friday, June 02, 2006
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:
Iran
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:
Domestic politics, with Presidential hopeful Segolene Royal on most
front pages, lead today's news. Her program to curb delinquency in
troubled neighborhoods and schools has elicited much criticism, both
from her Socialist Party colleagues and from the right, which
accuses her of hunting in Sarkozy's grounds.
Iran and the Vienna meeting are today's major international story
with positive reactions to the U.S. offer of talks with Iran. Le
Figaro titles a small front page item: "Nuclear: Iran Alone Against
the World." Inside, Maurin Picard's article is entitled "The World
Sticks Together Against Tehran" while in Liberation's "Between
Washington and Tehran, It Is A Fool's Game" Pascal Riche reports
that "Iran has rejected the conditional offer for dialogue made by
Washington." Riche voices the opinion that "most analysts, who
consider Bush's maneuver to be preparations for more economic
sanctions." But in Le Figaro political analyst Pierre Rousselin
titles his column: "The West Has Finally Adopted a Strategy Against
Iran's Nuclear Challenge." (See Part C)
Le Parisien interviews Therese Delpeche, researcher at the Center
for International Studies and Research (CERI),who says: "The U.S.
initiative is a major surprise, which shows that the Department of
State is in the lead, not the Pentagon. Iran's initial response is
regrettable. Let us hope it will evolve... Iran's nuclear program
makes sense only if it has military ambitions, and no sense if it is
strictly commercial... The ball is NOW in Iran's camp... The U.S.
offer demonstrates that everything was done to avoid a
confrontation, even if a strike, in the event Tehran rejects the
offer, is neither inevitable nor impossible."
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:
Iran
"The World Sticks Together Against Tehran"
Maurin Picard in right-of-center Le Figaro (06/02): "After three
years of fruitless negotiations, the recent intense diplomatic
agitation seems to signal hope that the crisis is at a turning
point... A previous offer was rejected by Iran because it was
missing a commitment from the U.S. This was crucial for Tehran,
which was looking for assurance that Washington would not try to
topple the Islamic regime. With Washington announcing that it would
take part in the negotiations, the tables have been turned. This is
indeed a historic opening after 26 years of conflict. The Russians,
the Chinese and the Europeans have saluted this unprecedented
gesture. But Iran, after having shown signs of softening, is again
adopting a harsh stance, saying 'it will not discuss its legitimate
and unalienable rights.'"
"Between Washington and Tehran, It Is A Fool's Game"
Pascal Riche in left-of-center Liberation (06/02): "Europe applauded
as one the American decision to play the multilateral game. Yet Iran
has not made a gesture to take the extended hand, saying that while
it is open to dialogue with America, it rejects preset conditions.
And so the question remains: will the American initiative succeed?
In the U.S., few believe it will. Most American analysts believe the
maneuver is not so much intended to soften Iran as to prepare for
new economic sanctions. President Bush has no other choice, to
implement such sanctions, than to prove to his European allies,
Russia and China, that Iran has no intention of making any effort...
Washington's 'hawks' do not much like the idea of talking with a
nation which supports terrorism, wants to dominate the Middle East
and destroy Israel. But this time they have not interfered,
believing there is little chance the offer will work... President
Bush's priority is to avoid finding himself stuck between the
Charybdis of a nuclear Iran and the Scylla a new military
intervention... In order to save himself from having to choose
between two impossible choices, the President asked his Secretary of
State to 'think about a third option,' the first phase having begun
yesterday in Vienna."
"The West Has Finally Adopted a Strategy Against Iran's Nuclear
Challenge"
Pierre Rousselin in right-of-center Le Figaro (06/02):
"Understanding that he was engaged in a sterile attitude, President
Bush has made an opening to Iran... This spectacular gesture, which
the Europeans have been asking for, puts the ball in Iran's camp: if
rejected, Iran will have to explain. This is essential, because from
the start of the crisis, Iran has been scoring points in public
opinions in the region, where the U.S. is seen as a troublemaker,
especially after the war in Iraq... But the final objective of the
negotiations has yet to be defined. Herein lies the biggest unknown,
which in turn will guide the outcome of the crisis. The West wants
an assurance that Iran will not acquire the bomb; but the Iranians
are slightly more ambivalent and the bartering they have in mind
will go beyond the nuclear issues... But Condoleezza Rice has made
it clear that her offer is limited to the nuclear question. Her
offer is nevertheless the result of five years of intense debate
within the Bush administration... The western offer to Iran is
gaining in subtlety. If negotiations begin, these would be similar
to those the U.S. held with North Korea, alongside South Korea,
Beijing and Moscow. Considering the seriousness of the Iranian
challenge, all diplomatic means must be exploited to put an end to
Iran's blackmail." STAPLETON
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR INR/R/MR; IIP/RW; IIP/RNY; BBG/VOA; IIP/WEU;
AF/PA; EUR/WE /P/SP; D/C (MCCOO); EUR/PA; INR/P; INR/EUC;
PM; OSC ISA FOR ILN; NEA; WHITE HOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE; DOC FOR
ITA/EUR/FR AND PASS USTR/PA; USINCEUR FOR PAO; NATO/PA; MOSCOW/PA;
ROME/PA.
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR FR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - Iran
PARIS - Friday, June 02, 2006
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:
Iran
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:
Domestic politics, with Presidential hopeful Segolene Royal on most
front pages, lead today's news. Her program to curb delinquency in
troubled neighborhoods and schools has elicited much criticism, both
from her Socialist Party colleagues and from the right, which
accuses her of hunting in Sarkozy's grounds.
Iran and the Vienna meeting are today's major international story
with positive reactions to the U.S. offer of talks with Iran. Le
Figaro titles a small front page item: "Nuclear: Iran Alone Against
the World." Inside, Maurin Picard's article is entitled "The World
Sticks Together Against Tehran" while in Liberation's "Between
Washington and Tehran, It Is A Fool's Game" Pascal Riche reports
that "Iran has rejected the conditional offer for dialogue made by
Washington." Riche voices the opinion that "most analysts, who
consider Bush's maneuver to be preparations for more economic
sanctions." But in Le Figaro political analyst Pierre Rousselin
titles his column: "The West Has Finally Adopted a Strategy Against
Iran's Nuclear Challenge." (See Part C)
Le Parisien interviews Therese Delpeche, researcher at the Center
for International Studies and Research (CERI),who says: "The U.S.
initiative is a major surprise, which shows that the Department of
State is in the lead, not the Pentagon. Iran's initial response is
regrettable. Let us hope it will evolve... Iran's nuclear program
makes sense only if it has military ambitions, and no sense if it is
strictly commercial... The ball is NOW in Iran's camp... The U.S.
offer demonstrates that everything was done to avoid a
confrontation, even if a strike, in the event Tehran rejects the
offer, is neither inevitable nor impossible."
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:
Iran
"The World Sticks Together Against Tehran"
Maurin Picard in right-of-center Le Figaro (06/02): "After three
years of fruitless negotiations, the recent intense diplomatic
agitation seems to signal hope that the crisis is at a turning
point... A previous offer was rejected by Iran because it was
missing a commitment from the U.S. This was crucial for Tehran,
which was looking for assurance that Washington would not try to
topple the Islamic regime. With Washington announcing that it would
take part in the negotiations, the tables have been turned. This is
indeed a historic opening after 26 years of conflict. The Russians,
the Chinese and the Europeans have saluted this unprecedented
gesture. But Iran, after having shown signs of softening, is again
adopting a harsh stance, saying 'it will not discuss its legitimate
and unalienable rights.'"
"Between Washington and Tehran, It Is A Fool's Game"
Pascal Riche in left-of-center Liberation (06/02): "Europe applauded
as one the American decision to play the multilateral game. Yet Iran
has not made a gesture to take the extended hand, saying that while
it is open to dialogue with America, it rejects preset conditions.
And so the question remains: will the American initiative succeed?
In the U.S., few believe it will. Most American analysts believe the
maneuver is not so much intended to soften Iran as to prepare for
new economic sanctions. President Bush has no other choice, to
implement such sanctions, than to prove to his European allies,
Russia and China, that Iran has no intention of making any effort...
Washington's 'hawks' do not much like the idea of talking with a
nation which supports terrorism, wants to dominate the Middle East
and destroy Israel. But this time they have not interfered,
believing there is little chance the offer will work... President
Bush's priority is to avoid finding himself stuck between the
Charybdis of a nuclear Iran and the Scylla a new military
intervention... In order to save himself from having to choose
between two impossible choices, the President asked his Secretary of
State to 'think about a third option,' the first phase having begun
yesterday in Vienna."
"The West Has Finally Adopted a Strategy Against Iran's Nuclear
Challenge"
Pierre Rousselin in right-of-center Le Figaro (06/02):
"Understanding that he was engaged in a sterile attitude, President
Bush has made an opening to Iran... This spectacular gesture, which
the Europeans have been asking for, puts the ball in Iran's camp: if
rejected, Iran will have to explain. This is essential, because from
the start of the crisis, Iran has been scoring points in public
opinions in the region, where the U.S. is seen as a troublemaker,
especially after the war in Iraq... But the final objective of the
negotiations has yet to be defined. Herein lies the biggest unknown,
which in turn will guide the outcome of the crisis. The West wants
an assurance that Iran will not acquire the bomb; but the Iranians
are slightly more ambivalent and the bartering they have in mind
will go beyond the nuclear issues... But Condoleezza Rice has made
it clear that her offer is limited to the nuclear question. Her
offer is nevertheless the result of five years of intense debate
within the Bush administration... The western offer to Iran is
gaining in subtlety. If negotiations begin, these would be similar
to those the U.S. held with North Korea, alongside South Korea,
Beijing and Moscow. Considering the seriousness of the Iranian
challenge, all diplomatic means must be exploited to put an end to
Iran's blackmail." STAPLETON