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 002187 
 
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 - Moussaoui Trial 
Nuclear Proliferation Economic Patriotism France: Political 
Crisis 
PARIS - Tuesday, April 04, 2006 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
Moussaoui Trial 
Nuclear Proliferation 
Economic Patriotism 
France: Political Crisis 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
"Death Penalty Applicable to Moussoui" reads Le Figaro's 
headline, echoed on a front-page sidebar in Liberation: 
"Moussaoui Could Get Death Penalty. Inside, Le Figaro reports 
that Moussaoui is "getting closer to the death penalty" while 
in a separate report entitled "The Frenchman's Trial Sheds New 
Light on 9/11" one can read: "Khalid Sheik Mohamed's testimony 
shows how simple Al-Qaeda's means were compared to the 
cumbersome machine of American bureaucracy." In Liberation 
Pascal Riche makes it clear that "although Moussaoui could 
incur the death penalty, the final verdict is not in yet." 
(See Part C) 
 
Today's lead story continues to be the social crisis over the 
CPE. Although another day of protest is scheduled for today, 
commentaries are focusing more on the political fallout of the 
crisis than on the social repercussions. France Soir 
headlines: "A Demonstration What For?" But Liberation 
headlines with a play on word on the CPE: "Corteges Pour un 
Enterrement" literally translated it reads: "Marches for a 
Burial" to "urge the right to give up the CPE completely." 
Meanwhile right-of-center Le Figaro titles: "CPE: The Last 
Round?" and recalls on its front page that the conflict began 
January 16. Le Monde carries a poll showing that 71% of the 
French consider that President Chirac's televised intervention 
Friday evening on the CPE has "radicalized the movement" and 
54% demand that the CPE be withdrawn despite Chirac's proposed 
modifications. The front page of Le Monde says that since UMP 
president Sarkozy has decided to take charge of the CPE issue, 
PM Villepin is de facto "cast aside." For Le Figaro, Chirac is 
trying to attenuate the "Sarkozy Phenomenon." (See Part C) 
 
Popular right-of-center France Soir announces on its front 
page: "Electronic Passports Are on Their Way." "After many 
twists and turns the electronic passports are finally going to 
be issued in France. But these passports are indeed electronic 
and not biometric. which will not be available until April 
¶2009. For those who want to travel to the U.S. and who have a 
passport issued between October 26, 2005 and April 1, 2006, 
they will have to apply for a new electronic passport and pay 
60_ or obtain a visa from the American Embassy which is costly 
and tedious." 
 
In Le Monde Francois Heisbourg (advisor for the Foundation for 
Strategic Research) pens an op-ed on nuclear proliferation 
entitled: "The Nuclear Club Must Remain Closed." (See Part C) 
 
Economic news are dominated by the Alcatel-Lucent merger which 
leads Le Figaro to carry an editorial entitled "Nationality: 
Citizen of the World" while the EU examines France's "economic 
patriotism" approach in the context of the new `Bolkestein 
directive.' Liberation carries an op-ed on France's economic 
patriotism which tries to explain "why France sends out an 
image of a protectionist state with nationalistic tendencies." 
For Patrick Lamm in Les Echos "the fact that the merger was 
finalized so quickly is a good sign, even if the mix of 
cultures raises questions about the future." Like the rest of 
today's commentators, Lamm writes: "This is a merger that will 
keep at bay those who accuse France of economic patriotism." 
(See Part C) 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
Moussaoiu Trial 
 
"Jury Says Moussaoui Can Be Executed" 
Pascal Riche in left-of-center Liberation (04/04): "During the 
second phase of the trial, the prosecution should have no 
problem in making the balance tip in favor of the death 
penalty. The outcome seems to fit with Moussaoui's death wish 
and his desire to die as a hero for the cause. It appears that 
the jury, despite the defense's unheeded caution, has opted 
for letting him be a martyr." 
 
Nuclear Proliferation 
 
"The Nuclear Club Must Remain Closed." 
Francois Heisbourg (advisor for the Foundation for Strategic 
Research) in left-of-center Le Monde (04/04): "One of three 
things which have kept at bay nuclear proliferation has been 
the NPT. But the NPT is threatened at its core by the Iranian 
crisis. Iran is central, strategically and geographically to 
the region. If it were to step outside the international 
system of non-proliferation, it would break the logic of the 
treaty. Meanwhile, the American-Indian agreement confirms the 
Bush administration's lack of concern for the multilateral 
arrangements that provide a framework for the international 
system." 
 
Economic Patriotism 
 
"Nationality: Citizen of the World" 
Gaetan de Capete in right-of-center Le Figaro (04/04): "Is the 
political class so absorbed with the CPE that it has nothing 
to say about the Alcatel-Lucent merger? As the future of one 
of France's major companies is about to be sealed, no one is 
even wondering about the consequences of such a deal. 
Forgotten are Danone, Suez and Arcelor. The true feat for the 
CEO of Alcatel may indeed be that he has achieved a merger 
between equals without triggering the kind of psychodrama we 
are so good at. The truth is that the package is a masterwork 
in diplomacy: the 
company's head office will be in Paris, the CEO is the 
daunting Patricia Russo, an American through and through. But 
what will be the nationality of the new group? The group will 
probably be a citizen of the world. Serge Tchuruk has in fact 
invented the stateless company, which espouses the contours of 
globalization. What this merger does is to ridicule the notion 
of economic patriotism, first by showing that if it is a 
worthy deal, sensitive issues can easily be resolved, as is 
the case with Alcatel's satellites and Lucent's defense 
activity. The merger is also an example of how to handle 
political marketing." 
 
"A One Way Street" 
Pascal Aubert in right-of-center La Tribune (04/04): "The 
silence is deafening. No one has piped up about economic 
patriotism. This indifference leaves one speechless. It is as 
if in France emotion were a one-way street reserved only for 
losers. Conquering CEOs who brandish our national flag in the 
global market do not deserve the same attention. Tchuruk 
should expect neither acknowledgment, nor congratulations or 
encouragement. He should consider himself happy that the 
merger has not triggered reactions from our national censors. 
Outside the cuts in personnel, there seems to be nothing else 
in the deal that might raise anyone's hackles. Patricia Russo 
has even decided to learn French! This is an example in 
capitalism, which does not upset our nationalistic sensitivity 
and could serve as a case study." 
 
France: Political Crisis 
 
"An Anti-model" 
Pierre Haski in left-of-center Liberation (04/04): "Whatever 
the outcome of the conflict over the CPE, the final days of 
the `French model' . are near. Despite and because of his 
efforts, Villepin has in fact raised the question of method: 
the CPE will be remembered as the anti-model of social 
reform." 
 
"Villepin's Woes" 
Bruno Jeudy in right-of-center Le Figaro (04/04): "Yesterday 
Villepin lunched with his Polish counterpart who has worst 
woes than him. While France is not facing the dissolution of 
Parliament, Villepin would frankly like to get on with other 
things. It is clear than in the CPE battle pitting Villepin 
against the UMP leader Sarkozy, Villepin has lost a bundle. 
Sarkozy has taken over Villepin's beacon employment program 
with the firm intention of quickly resolving the crisis, 
including by repealing the legislation. Privately, Villepin 
concedes he has lost a set, but he has not given up winning 
the match." STAPLETON