This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

091237Z Feb 06

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000840 
 
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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR FR
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