Cablegate: Media Reaction Report - Iraq, Ira, Asia-Pacific
This 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 005228
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; USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE.
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR FR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - IRAQ, IRA, ASIA-PACIFIC
PARTNERSHIP
PARIS - PARIS - JULY 29, 2005
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:
1.IRAQ
2.IRA
3.ASIA-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:
AMBASSADOR STAPLETON HELD HIS FIRST FRENCH PRESS ROUNDTABLE
YESTERDAY. CONSERVATIVE LE PARISIEN AND CATHOLIC LA CROIX RUN
RATHER POSITIVE PROFILES OF HIM, BOTH FOCUSING ON HIS FAMILY
AND PERSONAL CONNECTION TO PRESIDENT BUSH. AFP'S STORY ZEROED
IN ON HIS COMMENTS "APPROVING" ECONOMIC PATRIOTISM.
THE IRA'S FAREWELL TO ARMS LEADS INTERNATIONAL STORIES. PRIME
MINISTER VILLEPIN'S COMMENT ON ECONOMIC PATRIOTISM TOPS FRENCH
DOMESTIC STORIES, AND MAURICE LEVY PROVIDES A SCATHING
ANALYSIS OF REASONS FOR FRANCE'S DECLINE ON LEFT-OF-CENTER LE
MONDE'S FRONT PAGE. SEVERAL US-RELATED STORIES APPEAR TODAY,
INCLUDING ABOUT THE NEW ASIA-PACIFIC CLIMATE CHANGE AGREEMENT
AND NASA IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE PROBLEMATIC DISCOVERY LAUNCH.
IRA'S DECLARATION TO END ARMED STRUGGLE IS REPORTED IN ALL
NEWSPAPERS WITH HEADLINES SUCH AS "IRA, A FAREWELL TO ARMS"
FOR CONSERVATIVE LE PARISIEN OR "IRA LAY DOWN ITS ARMS" FOR
RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO. LEFT-OF-CENTER LIB ATION DEVOTES
AN EDITORIAL TO THE SUBJECT. (SEE PART C)
NASA'S STORY IS REPORTED IN ALL PAPERS AS WELL. "HOUSTON, WE
HAVE A PROBLEM" HEADLINES LEFT-OF-CENTER LIB ATION,
CONSERVATIVE FRANCE-SOIR READS "DISCOVERY, A BLOW" AND RIGHT-
OF-CENTER LE FIGARO SAYS "COLUMBIA'S SPECTRE DARKENS NASA'S
FUTURE."
IN A LONG OP-ED, PASCAL BONIFACE, DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE
FOR INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGIC RELATIONS IN PARIS, TALKS
ABOUT "THE (IRAQ) WAR GIVES CREDIBILITY TO AL-QAEDA." (SEE
PART C)
YESTERDAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT OF AN ASIA-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP
AGAINST GLOBAL WARMING IS REPORTED IN SEVERAL NEWSPAPERS. FOR
CATHOLIC LA CROIX "THE UNITED STATES CREATE AN ALTERNATIVE
KYOTO PROTOCOL" WHILE LEFT-OF-CENTER LIB ATION HEADLINES "AN
AMERICAN PLAN B TO BYPASS THE AFTER-KYOTO" (SEE PART C)
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:
WAR IN IRAQ
PASCAL BONIFACE IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIB ATION "IF THE WAR IN
IRAQ DID NOT CREATE TERRORISM, IT HOWEVER DEVELOPED IT. THIS
WAR, LED IN THE NAME OF THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM, HAS IN
FACT NOURISHED IT, AND THIS IS ACTUALLY WHAT OPPONENTS TO THIS
CONFLICT FEARED . DO WE NEED TO REMIND GEORGE W. BUSH THAT HE
OFTEN JUSTIFIED THE IRAQI WAR BY ASSERTING THAT IT WAS BETTER
TO FIGHT THE TERRORISTS THERE THAN TO SEE THEM ATTACK THE
WESTERN WORLD? . THE ABSOLUTE PRIORITY GIVEN TO A MILITARY
ANSWER ONLY ENDED IN MORE VIOLENCE AND ATTACKS. AND WE ARE
GOING TO BE ASKED, BECAUSE OF THE ATTACKS, TO HARDEN THE
MILITARY RESPONSE? HERE LIES THE TRAP . IF WE WANT THE TRIUMPH
OF WHAT WE ARE, THEN WE NEED TO DO THINGS THAT CORRESPOND WITH
WHAT WE PROCLAIM AND WE MUST STOP WITH PRINCIPLES THAT CHANGE
WITH THE WIND. ESSENTIALLY, WE SHOULD NOT BY OUR ERRORS,
FACILITATE OUR ENEMIES' TASK."
IRA
"CLEARED HORIZON"
G ARD DUPUY IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIB ATION "SINCE THE SO-CALLED
GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENTS, THE CONTEXT OF VIOLENCE IN NORTHERN
IRELAND HAVE CHANGED A LOT; SEPTEMBER 11 HAS DEFINITELY
CHANGED THE POLITICAL USE OF EXPLOSIVES, AND THE BRILLIANT
ACCELERATION OF THE IRISH REPUBLIC CAN ONLY FACILITATE A
RECONCILIATION BETWEEN THE TWO PARTS OF THE ISLAND. IRA'S
GESTURE CAN CLEAR THE HORIZON EVEN IF MOST OBSERVERS REMAIN
CAUTIOUS AS FOR THE RAPIDITY OF THE PROGRESSES TO COME."
"IRA ANNOUNCES ITS FARWELL TO ARMS"
JACQUES DUPLOUITCH IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (07/29)
"UNREALISTIC UNTIL RECENTLY, THE FAREWELL TO ARMS AND THE END
OF THE IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY AS SUCH ARE BECOMING REALITY .
IRA MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH HISTORY. UNIONIST NORTHERN
IRELAND REFUSES TO BE AT THE EVENT.
ASIA-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP
"AN AMERICAN B PLAN TO BYPASS THE AFTER-KYOTO"
CHRISTIAN LOSSON IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIB ATION (07/29) "ON
WEDNESDAY, TOGETHER WITH FIVE OTHER LARGE COUNTRIES, THE
UNITED STATES LAUNCHED A PLAN AGAINST GLOBAL WARMING: THE ASIA-
PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP FOR A CLEAN DEVELOPMENT AND CLIMATE"
CENTERED ON THE USE OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES." BAD NEWS: THE PLAN,
WHICH WILL BE REVEALED IN NOVEMBER, HAS NO QUANTIFIABLE
OBJECTIVES OR DATES BY WHEN GREENHOUSE GAS WILL BE REDUCED. A
KIND OF 100% LIGHT PLAN, WITH THE LOOK OF AN ALTERNATIVE TO
THE KYOTO PROTOCOL THAT THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION AND AUSTRALIA
REFUSED TO RATIFY. BUT THAT LOOKS LIKE AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN
POLLUTING FRIENDS, WITH A BACKGROUND OF FIGHT FOR GEOPOLITICAL
INFLUENCE."
"THE UNITED STATES CREATES AN ALTERNATIVE KYOTO PROTOCOL"
NADIA HADJ-BOUZIANE IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (07/29) "BY SIGNING
AN ALTERNATIVE AGREEMENT WITH CHINA AND INDIA, THE UNITED
STATES BYPASSES THE KYOTO PROTOCOL WHILE TRYING NOT TO LOOK AS
A COUNTRY UNCONCERNED WITH THE STAKE OF THE PLANET THAT IS
THREATENED BY GLOBAL WARMING."
STAPLETON