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 001199 
 
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 GWOT - Guantanamo - 
Bagram Iran 
PARIS - Monday, February 27, 2006 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
Iraq 
GWOT - Guantanamo - Bagram 
Iran 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
The aftermath of the slaying of a young Jewish man, Ilan 
Halimi, and yesterday's silent march that brought out tens of 
thousands, including France's top politicians across the 
political spectrum, is one of today's front-page stories. The 
other is the Suez-Gaz de France merger in order to fend off a 
hostile takeover by Italy's Enel. Le Figaro sees the merger as 
a "surprise privatization" which has led to protest from 
unions, but also from Italy's government, which is accusing 
France of "protectionism." Le Figaro comments on the 
government's decision: "This is a good surprise. France, which 
claims to be liberal and European, when speaking in Brussels, 
is extremely lukewarm at home about privatization, mainly 
because it wants to keep unions happy." 
 
Avian Flu is spreading with new cases of swans infected with 
the H5N1 virus in the same region of France where there were 
ducks and turkeys were previously diagnosed. President 
Chirac's visit to the Salon de l'Agriculture is widely 
reported, along with his message to "eat chicken." As more 
cases of Avian Flu are diagnosed, France's officials reiterate 
that "eating poultry is safe." Le Figaro details France's plan 
to fight against Avian Flu explaining the role of each 
national health agency. In its reporting on the chicungunya 
epidemic in Reunion, the other health-related top story, Le 
Figaro quotes Health Minister Bertrand about the cooperation 
between France and the University of Maryland in developing a 
vaccine against the virus. 
 
 The New York judge's ruling that the Pentagon must reveal the 
names of detainees in Guantanamo is reported in Le Figaro, in 
an introduction to a major report on the modernization of 
Guantanamo. (See Part C) Iran's preliminary agreement with 
Russia is today's other main international story. (See Part C) 
 
The editorial in Les Echos reflects on the "binary" view of 
the White House in seeing the war against terrorism as a 
battle between Good and Evil. (See Part C) 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
Iraq 
 
"Bush and the Binary System" 
Right-of-center Les Echos in its editorial (02/27): "The 
American intervention in Iraq has had as its principle effect, 
up to now, to destabilize the power relationship between 
Sunnis and Shiites in the region. The risk that the southern 
half of Iraq and the oil fields of Basra and of the Gulf 
falling under Iranian Shiite influence is now very serious for 
the Sunni camp. Samarra (site of the attack on the Shiite 
mosque) could become the founding act of a civil war in Iraq, 
which no one could predict the outcome and which we fail to 
see how it could be managed by the American army. It could 
equally open the door to a partitioning of the country into 
three parts. In Washington, people must admit that binary 
thought has its limits. In Tehran, they have known that for a 
long time and are rubbing their hands." 
 
Iran 
 
"Glimmer of Hope in Nuclear Crisis" 
Delphine Minoui in right-of-center Le Figaro (02/27): "The 
agreement for a joint venture between Tehran and Moscow on 
uranium enrichment brings a glimmer of hope to an otherwise 
stalemated crisis. The Russian proposal for Iran to enrich its 
uranium on Russian soil is meant to alleviate the 
international communities' concerns about Iran acquiring the 
atomic bomb. But nothing proves that Tehran will give up 
uranium enrichment on its territory. The Russians are playing 
a key role in the diplomatic pas-de-deux between Iran and the 
international community, with a personal interest in resolving 
the crisis. Sanctions against Iran could indeed put a damper 
on a number of economic partnerships between Russia and Iran. 
First among them, the nuclear plant in Bouchehr, where the 
Russians are supervising the construction of two nuclear 
reactors, presumably `commercial' nuclear reactors, and 
despite the annoyance this has caused in Washington." 
 
GWOT - Guantanamo - Bagram 
 
"Guantanamo, a Fortress of the Absurd" 
Philippe Gelie in right-of-center Le Figaro (02/27): "Four 
years after Guantanamo opened, 409 detainees remain, although 
they have been transferred to more modern installations. While 
the officials here insist on the improvements which have been 
made here, it is also clear that compared to a visit made in 
2003, the changes observed prove that Guantanamo is here to 
stay. What has not changed in Guantanamo is the absurdity 
surrounding the base. Absurd not because the fortress has no 
reason for being - some detainees are proven Jihaddists - 
absurd because the detention has its own laws which escape 
common sense. The concept of `error' has not arrived here yet, 
despite a few liberated inmates. While the U.S. General in 
charge reiterates that all inmates `are here for a reason,' 
none is here for a good reason: `a reason' that only the law 
could determine. The absence of light at the end of the tunnel 
erases every effort by the U.S. Military to give a `positive 
image' of this `model prison.'" 
 
"A Second Guantanamo in Bagram" 
Pascal Riche in left-of-center Liberation (02/27): "There is 
worse than Guantanamo: it is the U.S. base in Bagram, outside 
Kabul. Initially meant as a center for triage of prisoners to 
be dispatched elsewhere, Bagram has become a permanent 
detention center. Some 500 prisoners, Afghans for the most 
part, are detained in conditions which are much worse than 
those in Guantanamo. A situation until now undisclosed, but 
reported in the New York Times, and which emphasizes that 
contrary to the detainees in Guantanamo, those in Bagram 
cannot contest their detention before a U.S. court and have no 
legal representation. The number of detainees here has been 
steadily growing, since the U.S. has been under fire about its 
Guantanamo detention center conditions." STAPLETON