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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 001507 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR FR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - Iraq 
Iran Islam in Europe Bush Administration and Abortion 
PARIS - Thursday, March 09, 2006 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
Iraq 
Iran 
Islam in Europe 
Bush Administration and Abortion 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
Although social strife continues to be a lead story, "The 
Ethnic Partition of Iraq" (Le Figaro) and Europe's new stance 
towards immigration, in particular from the Muslim Arab world, 
are major international stories, to which one must add the 
bomb attacks in India, the Moussaoui trial, Iran and the Bush 
administration's "pro-life" policy, which Liberation expounds 
on at length, in light of the anti abortion legislation passed 
in South Dakota. Radio commentator Bernard Guetta agrees with 
Liberation and sees the legislation as reaching farther than 
just South Dakota. (See Part C) 
 
Le Figaro and Liberation devote major stories to Denmark and 
the Netherlands' new legislation to control its Muslim 
immigration: while Le Figaro reports that "Europe would like 
to close its doors to immigration" and that Great Britain 
"wants to pick and choose its immigrants" Liberation notes 
that in the Netherlands, the assassination of Pim Fortuyn has 
"opened the door to populist and xenophobic (immigration) 
policies." The editorial in Le Figaro is entitled "Muslim 
Immigration in Question." (See Part C) 
 
An op-ed in Liberation analyzes Iran's "hidden agenda" and the 
international community's "double standards" in the nuclear 
crisis with Iran. (See Part C) 
 
Le Figaro carries a commentary by UK Foreign Secretary Jack 
Straw entitled "Darfur: Our Patience Has Its Limits." "The 
only people who have the power to stop (the massacres) are 
those who sit at the negotiating table in Abuja. They must 
stop the bargaining and posturing and get down to bringing 
peace to Darfur, including through a ceasefire, and help bring 
those responsible for atrocities to justice. The Sudanese 
ministers. are sitting at the negotiating table, but the 
leaders of the rebel movements are absent. If they truly want 
a negotiated solution, they need to go to Abuja. The 
international community will not leave unpunished those who 
are guilty of gross violations of human rights or who block 
the peace process.  We know who they are. The UK will not at 
all feel uncomfortable in denouncing the guilty parties and 
neither does it exclude having the United Nations declare 
itself in favor of heavier sanctions, if the parties continue 
to drag their feet. The International Criminal Court, with the 
full support of the Security Council, plans to undertake 
investigations against those responsible for war crimes and 
violations of human rights in Darfur. It will not hesitate. to 
look where responsibilities lie. The patience of the 
international community has its limits." 
 
Le Monde reports that the FBI knew, prior to 9/11, that 
members of al-Qaeda were training in the U.S. Eric Leser, 
writes: "The witness for the prosecution, FBI agent Michael 
Anticev. tended to reinforce the defense's stance more so than 
help the prosecutor. He confirmed that the American government 
knew much more than Zacarias Moussaoui about al Qaeda's plans 
prior to 9/11." Le Parisien mentions Abou Bofana, the 
"surprise witness" who corroborates the prosecution's position 
that Moussaoui was planning an attack on the White House. 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
Iraq 
 
"Ethnic Partition in the Making in Iraq" 
Georges Malbrunot in right-of-center Le Figaro (03/09): 
"Slowly but surely the ethnic partition of Iraq is in the 
making in several sensitive regions of Iraq. It is not yet the 
grand scale ethnic cleansing of the Balkans. For months now 
American officials have been haunted by a scenario of doom: 
mixed population areas emptying and turning into Shiite or 
Sunni citadels, and security forces exclusively controlled by 
Shiite forces facing an Islamic/nationalist guerrilla with the 
prospect of guaranteed confrontation. Washington is paying the 
price of its post-war policy, which consisted in punishing the 
Sunnis and favoring the Shiites and the Kurds. Today, the race 
is on to beat the clock and a civil war with devastating 
consequences for the Middle East. To douse the fires of 
religious discord, the Americans are ready to go back on their 
dogma. with power being handed to tribal groups. This is a 
useful buffer against the threat of civil war, and too bad if 
it is a return to the old Saddam methods." 
 
Iran 
"The NPT and Its Indispensable Paradoxes" 
Jean-Francois Daguzan in left-of-center Liberation (03/09): 
"The dispute with Iran, and the U.S. and French technological 
offers recently made to India are blurring the picture and 
send us back to the old notion of double standards. There are 
strong clues pointing to Iran having cheated. It is up to Iran 
to prove it is not moving towards proliferation and to accept 
the IAEA's inspectors. Until proven otherwise, and in 
accordance with the `politically incorrect' stance of FM 
Douste Blazy who denounced Iran's `clandestine nuclear 
program,' we must continue to believe that Iran has a hidden 
agenda. But what we are each offering Iran and North Korea is 
to return to the old individualistic stance. The tension which 
is holding together the treaty is fragile, and every movement 
can either be perceived as positive or negative. Just when the 
international community seems ready to enter into a tug of war 
for the common good, Israel, Pakistan and India should also 
make a step forward." 
 
Islam in Europe 
 
"Muslim Immigration in Question" 
Yves Threard in right-of-center Le Figaro (03/09): "An 
electoral poster in Vienna of a veiled woman and asking `Is 
this Our Future?' could well apply to several European 
countries. Beyond the populist use of these issues by extreme 
right groups and their posturing, the fact is that all of 
Europe is looking at its Muslim immigration and asking itself 
questions, albeit without saying it too crudely. This was a 
crucial issue in the legislative elections in The Netherlands, 
and in Great Britain where chosen immigration is making 
inroads, in Denmark, Italy and Spain. And of course in France. 
Everywhere the old fear is triggering the same knee-jerk 
reaction of closing oneself to the rest of the world. 
Globalization re-enforces nationalism. Turkey's EU membership, 
the Muhammad caricatures, the riots in France, illegal 
immigration, the wearing of the Muslim scarf and criminal acts 
with racial overtones: every time Islam is in the line of 
fire. Doubts are raised about whether Islam is compatible with 
our values. If we want to stop radicalization, xenophobia and 
intolerance, we must act urgently. Because the trend is 
spreading dangerously: it is no longer the prerogative of a 
limited few. Chosen immigration, which is being encouraged by 
the EU Commission, has yet to demonstrate its advantages. But 
it will not resolve everything: many Muslims living in Europe 
are nationals of their countries. We must revive secularism. 
It is the best antidote to hysteria between communities. It is 
the engine for integration. As is learning the language of the 
host country, and respecting its laws." 
 
Bush Administration and Abortion 
 
"Crusade" 
Patrick Sabatier in left-of-center Liberation (03/09): "It 
would be a mistake to ignore a law banning abortion voted in a 
rural and distant American state. and not only because the 
vote, which came on the eve of International Women's Day, adds 
provocation to stupidity. This anti-abortion law does not 
concern South Dakota alone. It targets all of the U.S. For the 
past thirty-three years, anti-abortion lobbyists have tried to 
reverse America's abortion legislation. They think their hour 
is near. They are betting on the replacement of liberal or 
moderate Supreme Court justices by the Bush administration 
with conservatives. If the Supreme Court were to reverse the 
abortion legislation, it would have repercussions worldwide. 
When it comes to morals and culture, the wind often blows from 
the U.S. onto our shores. President Bush, spurred by the 
`Christian right' is already waging an anti-abortion crusade 
worldwide. He is making anti-abortion legislation a condition 
for aid to poor and developing countries. This crusade will 
intensify if the right to abortion was questioned in the U.S." 
 
"An American Crusade Against Abortion" 
Bernard Guetta on government-run France Inter radio (03/09): 
"Governor Rounds has signed a legislation that goes well 
beyond the boundaries of his state. He has launched a national 
battle. in the hopes that the Supreme Court will reverse the 
1973 Roe versus Wade decision." STAPLETON