MEDIA REACTION REPORT - President Bush - Energy

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SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - President Bush - Energy
Policy Islam - Controversy Over Caricatures
PARIS - Thursday, February 09, 2006


(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

President Bush - Energy Policy
Islam - Controversy Over Caricatures

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

Front pages are overwhelmingly devoted to the inquiry of the
judge whose inexperience led to innocent parents being jailed
in connection with a child pornography trial. The inquiry is
part of a broader investigation into alleged shortcomings in
France's judicial system. The caricature controversy
continues, with several editorials and op-eds still debating
about the pros and cons of the West's stance on freedom of the
press and the Arab-Muslim world's "manipulation" of the issue
to its own ends. Le Figaro devotes a full page to the ongoing
uproar over the publication of the drawings with an article
entitled "Chirac Denounces the Provocations." A separate
report: "The U.S. Accuses Damascus and Teheran of Inciting
Violence" states Secretary Rice has accused these two
countries of manipulating the crowds of rioters and using them
for their own designs. The article also says that President
Bush, who was meeting with King Abdallah of Jordan yesterday,
condemned the violence but also called for the media to be
more responsible. Radio commentator Bernard Guetta analyzes
President Bush's attitude towards Denmark, "despite Denmark's
engagement in Iraq." Serge July in his editorial in Liberation
comments: "Freedom of expression is not an acquired right."
(See Part C)

President Bush's new energy policy elicits two contradictory
op-eds. For Alexandre Adler in Le Figaro, France's Areva
company "may well come out a winner" of this new American
energy policy. But for Jacques Amalric in Liberation, the
President's new policy is nothing more than a "conjuring act."
(See Part C)

Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy in an op-ed in Le Figaro,
defends his immigration bill, contending that `choosing its
immigrants' does not mean `a brain drain for France.' "France
cannot remain outside the worldwide flux of intelligence and
competences. Neither France nor its European partners can be
satisfied with a situation where the developed nations' elite
massively moves to the U.S. and Canada while the European
continent welcomes under-qualified immigrants. My plan is to
favor mobility, not brain drain, and the temporary immigration
of qualified personnel, who will later return to their home
countries with a positive experience. To achieve this plan
France must work together with the EU."

The WTO ruling on GMOs is reported in Le Figaro, which points
out that while the U.S. and Canadian governments have declared
themselves to be satisfied by the verdict, the European
Commission "has minimized the consequences of the decision"
since tractability and labeling of GMOs effectively ended the
moratorium. La Croix reports "a first victory" for the United
States and Canada. But adds: "The European Union could,
however, well ignore the decision and decide to pay the
penalties in lieu of changing the moratorium." La Croix also
points out that the WTO decision is likely to be appealed.

Liberation carries a small item relating that "the tourism
industry has sent a letter to PM Villepin complaining about
the delay in providing the proper passports needed to travel
to the U.S., `a catastrophic and unique situation in all of
Europe,' which will lead to a loss of business estimated to
about 500 million euros."

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

President Bush - Energy Policy

"America Prepares the Post-Oil Era"
Alexandre Adler in right-of-center Le Figaro (02/09):
"President Bush's State of the Union address could be a major
turning point in the oil strategy game. His speech is nothing
less that an open declaration of war against OPEC. The geo-
strategic consequences are immense: oil monarchies will lose
much of their income. The U.S. car industry will be a big
loser, so will the Anglo-American oil lobby in Washington. But
there will be three other winners in this redistribution of
the cards: Russia is the most obvious, China the second, and
finally. the third winner is simply France, thanks to its
electro-nuclear program. And Areva is the best positioned
company, as well as the most effective, as proven by the
numerous contracts its has been landing in the U.S."

"Independence Yes, Energy Savings, No"
Jacques Amalric in left-of-center Liberation (02/09): "At
first glance the President's stance on energy was saluted. But
upon looking more closely, it is clear that his policy is
nothing more than a conjuring act. in which the method of how
to reach the goal was ignored. American (And European) oil
companies can continue to bank on healthy results for the next
twenty to thirty years."

Islam - Controversy Over Caricatures

"America and the Caricatures"
Bernard Guetta in government-run France Inter radio (02/09):
"Denmark is a very close U.S. ally. And freedom of the press
is a basic and sacred right in the U.S. Hence the White House
should have gone to bat to defend Denmark. But this is hardly
the case. Since the beginning, Washington has been overly
cautious. denouncing the violence but respecting the
indignation felt in the Arab-Muslim world, almost as if the
White House wanted to remain neutral. Domestic policy weighs
heavily on this line of conduct: President Bush owes his
victory to the Christian right. But foreign policy is also
guiding the President in his stance. In Iraq, he cannot take
the risk of uniting Shiites and Sunnis against the U.S.
through the appearance that the U.S. is condoning the
caricatures. The U.S. has precious allies in the Arab Muslim
world. and it does not want to destabilize them further by
giving the impression it is on the side of the evil doers.
Last but not least, the U.S. wants to keep the moderate
Muslims on its side. The U.S. is beginning to see the
difference between Islamists and Jihaddists, between terrorism
and radicalism, and it is clear that President Bush's caution
stems from a desire to safeguard the future."

"Caricatures"
Serge July in left-of-center Liberation (02/09): "Freedom of
expression is not an acquired right: we must remain vigilant
in order to protect it. But freedom of expression is not
limitless, as some would have it: it cannot include insults
based on religion or ethnic affiliations. According to the
Constitution, one can make fun of the Muslim religion, but not
of the Muslims themselves, because of their beliefs. The
distinction is not easily understood in certain Muslim
countries. The decision of the weekly satirical paper, Charlie
Hebdo, to carry the drawings of an `international drawing
contest on the Holocaust' launched by an Iranian daily sends a
clear message to the Islamists: you are doing what you have
condemned Europe for."

"Fanatics Without Borders"
Alain Finkelkraut in left-of-center Liberation (02/09):
"Islamic radicals are daunting enemies: in their eyes, there
are no innocents. Was Bin Laden only the starter course?
Iran's nuclear bellicose stance, added to the success of the
Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine yesterday, and in Egypt
tomorrow, and to the demonstrations we are witnessing in the
Arab-Muslim world, warrant such a question." STAPLETON