EMBASSY PARIS PRESS OUTREACH ON MISSILE DEFENSE

UNCLAS PARIS 001034 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/PPD, EUR/WE, EUR/RUS, INR, R E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PARM KPAO MNUC MARR IR FR RU SUBJECT: EMBASSY PARIS PRESS OUTREACH ON MISSILE DEFENSE REFS: A) STATE 30480 B) PARIS 922 Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. -------------- - PUSHING BACK ON FRENCH MEDIA CHARACTERIZATIONS -------------- - ¶1. (SBU) Embassy Paris reached key media audiences March 16 with an exclusive print interview for DOD U/S for Policy, Ambassador Eric Edelman, as well as a press roundtable featuring U/S Edelman and Missile Defense Agency Director LTG Henry Obering. French press coverage on the USG's missile defense plans has focused on three key points: -- The U.S. and Russia are at odds over the proposal, and their public feud is causing concern and division among European countries; -- Russia's opposition to the USG missile defense plan is more political than strategic; and -- The USG's proposed missile defense system is as yet ineffective. -------------- MAKING A STRONG CASE -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Left-of-center Le Monde's senior diplomatic correspondent (and former Moscow correspondent) conducted the interview with U/S Edelman, with her questions focusing on the extent of U.S. consultations with others on missile defense. We expect her article and the full interview to appear in the March 17 edition of Le Monde. ¶3. (SBU) U/S Edelman and LTG Obering emphasized the USG's history of regular consultations with Russia, the NATO Allies, and the specific countries who have agreed to host MD sites. They made clear that the threats emanate primarily from Iran, and that the ten interceptors and radar array to be based in Poland and the Czech Republic would be defensive and not offensive (in fact, they have no warheads). U/S Edelman and LTG Obering also expressed their surprise at the Russian reaction, and noted that consultations at the NATO-Russia Council and other talks had been going on for a year. They stressed that the interceptors were neither aimed at Russian missiles, nor represented an attempt to "encircle" the Russians. The U.S. system could fit into the NATO theater missile defense system, should the Allies reach consensus to include it, but the USG would continue with its bilateral actions for the meantime, and it would complement NATO efforts in any case. They indicated that there was no need to expand the system, and that the current budget was not programmed to do so. The media roundtable attracted French and international media including wire services (Agence France Presse, Spanish EFE, Reuters),dailies (Les Echos, La Croix, LeFigaro, LeMonde),weeklies (Defense News, Nouvel Observateur, Time Magazine) and broadcast outlets (BFM-TV, CNN-I, Radio France International, and Russia Today TV). -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶4. (SBU) With U/S Edelman's and LTG Obering's well-placed media interventions, we expect that weekend press on the topic will make the points we would like to see -- and help buttress GOF inclinations at least not to put roadblocks in the way. STAPLETON