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 000179 
 
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 - Iran Bush Iraqi Policy 
Middle East - Israel and Palestinian Elections 
PARIS - Wednesday, January 11, 2006 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
Iran 
Bush Iraqi Policy 
Middle East - Israel and Palestinian Elections 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
Domestic social and economic stories dominate today's front 
pages, but Iran, President Bush's Iraqi policy and the 
political situation in Israel are all top international 
stories. 
 
Le Figaro headlines: "Bush and Chirac's Warnings to Iran." In 
his report Alain Barluet comments: "Iran's latest initiative 
brings the prospect of the UN getting involved closer." "Iran 
Pursues Its Nuclear Challenge" is the headline of Liberation, 
which adds: "Western warnings have gone unheeded." In her 
article Veronique Soule writes: "The West's higher level of 
protest is equal to the level of its impotence" while the 
editorial is entitled "Escalation." (See Part C)  Bruno 
Tertrais of the Foundation for Strategic Research, analyzes 
the situation: "Tehran's strategy is to confuse the West, in 
order to have the widest margin of maneuver possible. I am 
convinced Iran is interested in the bomb. But I do not believe 
it has already made the decision to build it. This is a major 
test for the West and the NPT: if Iran were to withdraw from 
it, the treaty would not survive. Others would follow. The 
concern is even greater because of the regime's rhetoric. The 
strategy of the carrot and the stick used till now is not 
effective because the carrot is not sufficiently appealing, 
and the threat not terribly worrisome. The regime's attitude 
has been encouraged by the fact that the West has not 
implemented its threats. We must adopt a harsher stance." 
 
Popular right-of-center France Soir entitles its report: "On 
the Road to the Bomb." Inside, the article quotes U.S. 
Ambassador to the IAEA, Gregory Shulte, also quoted by Le 
Figaro: "The Iranian officials have proven their contempt for 
international concerns and international diplomacy." 
 
Liberation carries a report on the Asia Pacific "partnership 
for clean development and the climate," which opens today in 
Sidney. Denis Delbecq writes: "According to the Americans, 
technology rather than a change in behavior will save the 
planet." He entitles his report: "No Sunshine at the Other 
Climate Summit" and begins: "The lead word here is, `change 
nothing.'" 
 
The threat of an Avian flu epidemic continues to elicit 
concerned reports in light of the cases diagnosed in Turkey. 
In La Croix Denis Sergent interviews Christophe Paquet, 
Director of the Institut Sanitaire: "The risk level for France 
has not changed and remains the same despite the numbers of 
new infectious sites found in Turkey. For the time being there 
are no cases of the virus having been transmitted by humans." 
 
La Croix and Le Figaro report on Latin America's angry 
reaction to the wall between the U.S and Mexico. In La Croix 
Gilles Biassette quotes Vincente Fox: "This wall is shameful. 
Such walls are part of another century." Le Figaro reports on 
the economic impact to Latin America, "which in 2004 received 
over 45 billion dollars from relatives working in the U.S. 
More than the combined amounts in international investment and 
cooperation aid." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
Iran 
 
"Escalation" 
Patrick Sabatier in left-of-center Liberation (01/11): 
"Resumption of the EU-3 talks with Iran have been compromised 
by Tehran's latest decision. The Mullah's regime has chosen 
escalation in small steps taken in a fog which obscures their 
ultimate goal. This attitude added to the President's recent 
declarations on Israel make it impossible to imagine this is a 
form of strategy for negotiation. In addition to its 
aggressive stance, Iran has also hidden the nature of its true 
activities in Natanz. Once caught, Iran did not adopt a 
cooperative attitude: now, the level of the West's confidence 
in Iran is just about nil. The Mullahs will continue to 
maneuver to obtain the bomb so long as they feel they can 
avoid confrontation and sanctions; this could be fatal for 
Iran. The only thing that might bring them around is an 
agreement between the members of the international community 
to bring Iran before the UNSC." 
 
"Bush And Chirac Warn Iran" 
Alain Barluet in right-of-center Le Figaro (01/11): "Iran's 
challenge to the West has elicited a wave of condemnation from 
around the world. The White House has warned Iran against `a 
serious escalation,' saying that `uranium conversion 
activities would be considered a new violation of Iran's 
agreement with the Europeans.' As for Chirac, he warned Iran 
and North Korea in his traditional New Year speech when he 
said: `both countries would be making a major mistake in not 
accepting the hand that we are extending to them.' Tehran's 
obvious deafness could lead the IAEA to bring the issue before 
the UNSC, a step towards sanctions against Iran. With this 
prospect getting closer, the West is showing increasing signs 
of discomfort, which explains that their warnings have become 
more vigorous." 
 
Bush Iraqi Policy 
 
"The Shady Zones of Bush's Iraqi Policy" 
Philippe Gelie in right-of-center Le Figaro (01/11): "As 
President Bush continues give the same speeches, military, 
political and economic truths on Iraq are beginning to filter 
out. President Bush is repeating the same arguments about the 
war on terror, democracy and the Iraqi example. His rhetoric 
has become so repetitive that the American public and media 
have stopped listening. Yet one can infer important truths 
from what the President is not saying. President Bush no 
longer talks about his allies in Iraq. This may be because the 
alliance is breaking up. Similarly, in order not to attract 
attention to deserters, the Pentagon has decided to not take 
disciplinary action against them. And despite the need for 
transparency, the (budget) accounts for the war remain 
unclear. As for what has been accomplished on the ground, the 
achievements are not as important as planned. Twenty-five 
percent of the budget has been eaten up by security needs. And 
no new funds for reconstruction will be presented in the next 
budget. Leon Fuerth's political deal about democratic support 
in exchange for the truth is indeed revealing." 
 
Middle East - Israel and Palestinian Elections 
 
"Israel Bends to Rice on Palestinian Elections" 
Patrick Saint Paul in right-of-center Le Figaro (01/11): "The 
controversy within the Israeli government about allowing 
Palestinians to vote in East Jerusalem . was settled after a 
phone conversation between Ehud Olmert and Secretary Rice. and 
a compromise was reached. The U.S. has remained firm because 
it does not wish the Palestinian elections to be postponed. As 
for Ehud Olmert, he does not want to start on the wrong foot 
with Washington, Israel's principal ally. He has therefore 
given in to U.S. pressure, even at the cost of looking `soft' 
and ready to compromise Israel's sovereignty over Jerusalem in 
the eyes of the Israeli right." STAPLETON