Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PARIS824
2006-02-08 16:51:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Paris
Cable title:  

FRANCE: DHS SECRETARY CHERTOFF'S JAN. 25 MEETING

Tags:  PGOV PTER FR CVIS 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHFR #0824/01 0391651
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 081651Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4041
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUCNFB/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RUEAWJA/DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 000824 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/WE-SBALL, EB-TRA-MATTINGLY, S/CT-KONTOS, CA
DHS OPS CENTER FOR SEQUEIRA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2016
TAGS: PGOV PTER FR CVIS
SUBJECT: FRANCE: DHS SECRETARY CHERTOFF'S JAN. 25 MEETING
WITH INTERIOR MINISTER SARKOZY


Classified By: AMBASSADOR CRAIG STAPLETON FOR REASONS 1.4 (A) AND (D)

-------
SUMMARY
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 000824

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/WE-SBALL, EB-TRA-MATTINGLY, S/CT-KONTOS, CA
DHS OPS CENTER FOR SEQUEIRA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2016
TAGS: PGOV PTER FR CVIS
SUBJECT: FRANCE: DHS SECRETARY CHERTOFF'S JAN. 25 MEETING
WITH INTERIOR MINISTER SARKOZY


Classified By: AMBASSADOR CRAIG STAPLETON FOR REASONS 1.4 (A) AND (D)

--------------
SUMMARY
--------------


1. (SBU) Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff met
French Minister of the Interior Nicholas Sarkozy for the
first time in Paris on January 25. Sarkozy was accompanied
by Diplomatic Advisor David Martinon, National Police
Director General Michel Gaudin, and Director of the MOI
Office of Public Liberties and Judicial Affairs Stephane
Frascatti. Secretary Chertoff was accompanied by Ambassador
Craig Stapleton, DHS Deputy Chief of Staff Chad Beaudreux,
DHS Office of International Affairs Director for European and
Multilateral Affairs Dennis Sequeira, and Econoff
(notetaker).

--------------
Sarkozy "The American"
--------------


2. (C) After greeting the Secretary, Mr. Sarkozy offered an
extended discussion of his pro-American views, noting that he
had come in for criticism in France and had even been
attacked as "Sarkozy the American." He believed in the
friendship between France and America, and said we could
expect continuing, strong cooperation with France on security
matters. He hoped to visit the U.S. in the Spring or the
Fall of 2006 if the complicated political situation in France
permitted, making reference to the contest between himself
and Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin to succeed President
Jacques Chirac in the 2007 Presidential elections. Though he
believed the war in Iraq had been a mistake, he had opposed
using the veto at the U.N. against an ally, and was convinced
that France needed to help the U.S. to extricate itself from
a very difficult situation there. If elected president in
2007, he said, he would be America,s "best friend."


3. (C) Sarkozy said his number one priority was to stop
terrorists before they committed crimes. He had expelled
violent imams. He was criticized from the left for being too
tough, but he believed he had not been tough enough. He had
not tolerated demonstrations against Iraq in front of the

American Embassy, or Iraqi or Palestinian flags carried by
marchers on the Champs-Elysees. He was a friend of the U.S.,
and a friend of Israel. He joked that he would make a good
candidate in the U.S. elections. In response to a comment
from Secretary Chertoff, Sarkozy also described his
zero-tolerance approach to public disorder in the "powderkeg"
of French suburbs. In 25 nights of riots, 12,000 French
police made 5,200 arrests, without a single death.

--------------
C/T Cooperation
--------------


4. (C) Secretary Chertoff recalled from his time at DOJ
immediately after 9/11 that U.S. and French C/T cooperation
had been extremely close. He believed that both countries
had similar approaches, and did not favor negotiation with
terrorists. He congratulated Sarkozy on France,s new C/T
legislation, and noted that we needed to succeed in Iraq: a
failed state would be a disaster for everyone. There were
reasons for optimism, but the Secretary noted his concern
about the challenge of jihadists returning from Iraq. He
hoped to encourage the exchange of information with France to
better track the "next generation" of terrorists, and noted
that France,s new C/T law provided new authority to the GOF
to collect data.


5. (C) Sarkozy responded that he was enthusiastically in
favor of this. Nonetheless, the GOF had the impression that
they provided the U.S. with more than they got in return.
The Secretary noted that the Terrorist Screening Center had
developed a proposal for sharing watchlist information, and
that he would like to see it move ahead. If there were
specific issues on information sharing that needed to be
addressed, he would do so. DGPN Gaudin said he believed
recent discussion between DHS and the DST had laid the
groundwork for future cooperation. Secretary Chertoff also
noted that the U.S could help by offering to share its
experience with PNR data collection and analysis.

--------------

VWP/CSI
--------------


6. (C) Secretary Chertoff raised the issue of France,s
non-compliance with U.S. standards for biometric passports,
which came into effect October 26. He explained that he had
committed to meet this deadline, and was not in a position to
modify it, since it had been established by Congress. He
hoped the French would be able to produce biometric passports
soon; this would eliminate the considerable problems caused
by the increased French need for visas. Over the longer
term, he hoped that passports with interoperable chips would
provide even greater security. He also noted U.S. concern
over lost and stolen passports in France. We needed to be
able to identify and track these, and this would be a
consideration in the February review of France,s eligibility
for the VWP. Sarkozy noted that he had done more than anyone
to push biometric passports at the EU level; production in
France had been stymied because of a conflict with a
"left-wing" union. Sarkozy said that he had ordered the MOI
to begin production of VWP compliant e-passports, though he
did not expect this to begin before May. Secretary Chertoff
also requested Sarkozy's assistance in encouraging the MFA to
come to a quick decision on the status of Container Security
Initiative inspectors stationed in France. The minister said
he would call them about this issue.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


7. (C) Secretary Chertoff's visit was a welcome occasion for
him to meet his French counterpart, a leading contender for
the French Presidency in 2007. The meeting strongly
reaffirmed the importance of Franco-American cooperation on
C/T, while also alerting Sarkozy to our concerns about
biometric passport production, the Visa Waiver Program, and
CSI.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm

Stapleton