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

031136Z Mar 06

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 001339 
 
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 - President Bush to India 
PARIS - Friday, March 03, 2006 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
President Bush to India 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
The "folly" of the French public reacting to the threat of 
Avian Flu leads several dailies to bemoan France's "hysterics" 
as their cover stories. 
 
But today's lead international story is the nuclear deal 
signed by the U.S. with India. Le Figaro headlines "American 
Green Light to Nuclear India" and calls the agreement 
"historic." Bruno Tertrais of the Foundation for Strategic 
Research is interviewed in Le Figaro: "The difference in 
treatment can be explained by two sets of differences, 
political and legal. Iran has signed the NTP, India has not. 
And France and the U.S. consider that for the time being, 
India's ambitions are in accordance with their own." 
Liberation notes on its front page: "India in the Nuclear 
Club" and interviews a regional expert on "America's interest 
in India:" "The U.S. considers India a natural ally and the 
White House secretly rejoices over its growing international 
role. whereas with China, relations are more constrained. The 
U.S. is afraid that China might want to marginalize America's 
role in Asia. But the nuclear agreement with India is not part 
of a plan against China. It is not in the interest of either 
the U.S. or India. The U.S. government is convinced that the 
balance of economic power is shifting towards Asia." Several 
editorials in regional outlets comment on this "historic" 
deal, on double standards, Pakistan and Iran.  (See Part C) 
 
Agence France Presses wires report President Chirac welcomed 
the U.S.-India civilian nuclear cooperation agreement signed 
on Thursday.  He sees it as representing "progress for non- 
proliferation" and for "the fight against global warming." 
 
Le Monde, reporting on the most recent Council of Europe 
report on CIA renditions, points to its "reserved" 
conclusions. "Without being able to confirm the existence of 
the CIA's secret detention sites in Europe, which the 
Washington Post had posited in November 2005.... the report 
denounces the lack of control on foreign secret agents in 
Europe."  In France, a judicial inquiry has been opened to 
investigate whether a CIA plane transited the Bourget airport 
in July 2005. 
 
Agence France Presse wires briefly report that Interior 
Minister Sarkozy met with U.S. Attorney General Gonzales to 
discuss the war on terror as well as biometric passports.  The 
two men raised "transatlantic relations, bilateral 
cooperation...in intelligence matters on terrorism and various 
forms of trafficking," said a member of Sarkozy's office. 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
President Bush to India 
 
"Goodbye Nehru." 
Olivier Picard in regional Les Dernieres Nouvelles D'Alsace 
(03/03): "Calling the nuclear deal between Indian and the U.S. 
`historic' is not out of place. This is indeed a spectacular 
rapprochement between America and a former non-aligned nation. 
The agreement signals the pragmatism which is marking the 
start of this new century. The White House is ready to make 
concessions in order to establish its new international order 
in this region of the world. The fact that it also helps to 
promote American products is obviously a plus. These 
advantages are well worth closing one's eyes to the fact that 
India has not signed the NPT, whereas Iran and North Korea 
have. The Bush administration is not hearing comments about 
nuclear double standards. But how will President Bush be able 
to keep Pakistan from demanding similar treatment?" 
 
"Counter Model" 
Patrick Sabatier in left-of-center Liberation (03/03): "In 
signing this historic agreement, President Bush has killed two 
birds with one stone. He is reminding all that in nuclear 
matters, double standards are the rule. We can and we must 
grant India what we refuse Iran and Pakistan. In so doing, he 
has granted India a special role as the counter model to 
China.   While India shares China's demographic development, 
it has assets which China does not have, such as civil 
liberties. In the battle between totalitarianism and democracy 
on the road to power and prosperity in Asia, the choice is in 
favor of the Elephant, as everyone waits for the Dragon to 
slough its skin." 
 
"India's Appeal" 
Jean-Marcel Bouguereau in regional La Republique du Centre 
(03/03): "If India is so appealing it is because it is 
becoming one of the world's major powers, and is a newly 
arrived member of the UNSC. But mostly it is the only nation 
that can in time be a counterweight to the Chinese 
dictatorship, which America mistrusts so completely. India, 
contrary to China, is a stable democracy, and by signing 
yesterday's historic agreement with the U.S. it has taken one 
more step towards its dreams of power." 
 
"Double Standards?" 
Joseph Limagne in regional Ouest France (03/03): "New Delhi 
has the bomb, but has not signed the NPT; Iran which has 
signed it, does not have the bomb yet. India has not made 
improper use of the bomb, and continues to deserve its 
reputation as the world's largest democracy, while Iran's 
stance raises serious doubts. It is good that India has ceased 
to be a rogue state and accepts its nuclear program to be 
scrutinized. But this small step in one direction carries its 
own perverse consequences: Pakistan is demanding the same 
treatment. And while Pakistan may be an American ally in the 
fight against terrorism, it does not offer the same security 
as India in nuclear issues. And of course Iran and North Korea 
will soon join the chorus using the argument of double 
standards." 
 
"From India to Iran" 
Jean-Christophe Ploquin in Catholic La Croix (03/03): "George 
¶W. Bush is going all out to counter China's growing power. 
India is part of Washington's strategy to counter Chinese 
military and economic expansionism. Yesterday's agreement 
appears to be a good thing for both parties as well as for 
France, which hopes to sell several nuclear reactors to India. 
And Iran is among the nations that will feel encouraged by the 
agreement." STAPLETON