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 002253 
 
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 - Saddam Hussein's Trial 
Transatlantic Relations Middle East U.S. Immigration Policy 
PARIS - Thursday, April 06, 2006 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
Iraq - Saddam Hussein's Trial 
Transatlantic Relations 
Middle East 
U.S. Immigration Policy 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
Right-of-center weekly L'Express interviews Assistant 
Secretary Dan Fried on the Transatlantic Alliance. The title 
 
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reads: "I Would Like More France in NATO." AS Fried explains 
NATO's role "which remains faithful to what it has always 
been." but he also points to article 5 which was invoked on 
September 12, 2001: "It is clear that the fight against 
terrorism is part of NATO's mission. France voted in favor of 
article 5." AS Fried also insists on the fact that "more NATO 
does not mean less Europe." and recalls that "President Bush 
has reiterated his wish for a powerful Europe." AS Fried also 
comments on "the EU's successful expansion" adding that 
"Turkey's membership concerns the Europeans." AS Fried 
concludes on the successful elections in Ukraine and states: 
"We want to have good relations with Moscow. but we have 
certain reservations about democracy in Russia." 
 
Left-of-center Le Monde carries an analysis announced on the 
front page: "How Paris and Washington Have Renewed Their Ties" 
while the inside two-page report is entitled: "France-U.S.: 
The Story of an About-Face." Ambassador Stapleton is 
mentioned. (See Part C) A separate piece in Le Monde notes 
that the Iranian nuclear issue is one of the "privileged areas 
of Franco-American cooperation" adding that while France's 
efforts within the EU3 to negotiate with Teheran have failed, 
the "transatlantic relationship has not been affected." Le 
Monde says that during the negotiation period with Iran "The 
French played the good cop and the Americans played the bad 
cop. Because there are no diplomatic relations between 
Washington and Teheran, Europe played the middleman." One 
unnamed source in Paris says, "Teheran sees the Americans 
through Europe." On the subject of the new cooperation between 
the U.S. and India on a civilian nuclear program Le Monde 
quotes a French official who says, "France paved the way for 
the U.S. In Washington, however, French diplomatic 
contributions in this area are kept under wraps. because the 
Bush team has yet to sway Congress to make the legislative 
modifications necessary to facilitate Indo-U.S. nuclear 
cooperation and to publicly boast of the active support of 
France would be damaging." 
 
The Le Monde editorial is devoted to "Saddam Hussein's 
Crimes." (See Part C) Le Figaro reports that "protest against 
Ibrahim Jaafari" is rising. The Iraqi vice president has asked 
PM Jaafari to resign in order to avoid a political crisis. 
"Jaafari's remaining in his position is the principal obstacle 
to the formation of the government. George Bush suspects that 
Jaafari is allowing Iran to have a dangerous influence on the 
Iraqi political and military scene." 
 
The "supposed" recognition of Israel by Hamas, elicits a 
report in Liberation clarifying the confusion: "It was a 
linguistic quid-pro-quo," says Liberation, which is turning 
into "a diplomatic quid-pro-quo." According to Liberation, 
"Zahar signed a text in English a bit quickly, missing the 
real meaning of what he was signing because of poor English." 
Le Figaro carries instead a report on "the Hamas proposal for 
two states." 
 
Columnist Alexandre Adler titles his analysis in Le Figaro 
"Middle East: Major Policy or Impasse" (See Part C) 
 
La Croix devotes its lead story and editorial to immigration 
issues in the U.S. which are "dividing America." (See Part C) 
 
Once again front pages and editorials are devoted to the 
continuing social and political crisis surrounding the CPE 
legislation. Left-of-center Liberation headlines "A State of 
Unreason" alongside a picture of Chirac standing between 
Villepin and Sarkozy and adds: "With an impotent Chirac, the 
rivalry between Sarkozy and Villepin is paralyzing the 
executive branch, while the unions are demanding a withdrawal 
of the legislation." The analysis inside is ruthless, calling 
Sarkozy: "the gravedigger, Villepin "a swank" and saying that 
"for Chirac, the end (of his presidency) will also be failed" 
in reference to his failed election. Le Figaro's editorial 
reiterates the need for "a change in mentalities" in France 
emphasizing that "despite the students' `real concern for 
their missed classes and imminent exam period, they continue 
to block universities and to demonstrate: this is proof of how 
deep is their concern, while it shows that the crisis goes far 
beyond the CPE." Le Parisien, which headlines: "Flexibility, 
Should We Fear It?" carries the results of a poll indicating 
that 61% of the youth polled is ready to accept takings risks 
in their careers. But says Michel Onfray, a philosopher: "The 
French are viscerally opposed to liberalism." The political 
crisis elicits reports about Villepin's statement yesterday at 
the National Assembly when he said "he would draw the 
necessary lesson from this crisis." While some in the 
opposition read a sign that he could step down into his words, 
his supporters deny this categorically. France Soir headlines: 
"Can He Stay?" while La Tribune headlines: "Villepin Ties His 
Fate to the CPE." 
 
The electronic media, Le Figaro and Le Parisien report on 
research efforts between France and the U.S. for a vaccine 
against Chikungunya. 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
Iraq - Saddam Hussein's Trial 
 
"Saddam's Crimes" 
 Left-of-center Le Monde in its editorial (04/06): "The 
`Anfal' operation was one of the worst crimes of the Saddam 
era. The indictment for genocide marks a turning point in the 
legal proceedings against the former Iraqi dictator, even if a 
number of uncertainties persist as to the fate of the accused. 
Since the beginning of the trial, `only' the massacre in 
Doujail had been invoked. The others were considered to be too 
sensitive politically as they involved foreign powers (who 
supported Saddam? Who provided him with the weapons and gas?) 
For the Doujail massacre, Saddam Hussein could be executed. 
The general prosecutor would like to see Saddam Hussein hanged 
if he is found guilty, without waiting for the verdicts in the 
other cases. The Iraqi president. would like to see Saddam 
Hussein tried for `all of his crimes.' The partisans of a 
swift execution are taking into account the current situation 
in Iraq, namely the guerilla insurgency and would like to put 
a stop to the atmosphere of impunity that reigns. They want to 
turn the page. The others are thinking first and foremost 
about justice. The latter is the more preferable of the two." 
 
Transatlantic Relations 
 
"France-U.S.: The Story of an About-Face" 
Nathalie Nougayrede and Sylvie Kauffmann in left-of-center Le 
Monde (04/06): "Iraq separated them. The Syrian-Lebanese 
question, and now Iran, has brought them together. But without 
the old enthusiasm. At Evian in June 2003. the handshake 
between Chirac and Bush, under the concerned looks of their 
advisers, was forceful. Three years after the beginning of the 
Iraq war, the U.S. Ambassador to France, Craig Stapleton says 
the relationship between the two men is `normal.' Philip 
Gordon of the Brookings Institute qualifies the situation as 
an `about-face.' How did it come about? Each side tends to 
claim responsibility for the successful turnaround. But the 
story of the Franco-American rapprochement is a story guided 
by reason and necessity. and by shared interests. After 
President Bush's second election, and because of the 
difficulties in Iraq, diplomacy takes over. Soon after 
Secretary Rice took office, she came to Paris and gave a 
 
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speech, which was a resounding success. These days, the Elysee 
feels `it is in' and considers that it can play the 
intermediary between the U.S. and the Arab countries. Can one 
talk of the great `reconciliation?' The French side does not 
clamor this on every rooftop. Public opinion is clearly anti- 
Bush. And if the U.S. considers France its best ally in the 
fight against terrorism, it is because this is an issue where 
they share the same interests. On the U.S. side, there are few 
illusions about how deep French anti-Americanism goes. One of 
the areas of `non-convergence' mentioned by the Americans is 
the role of NATO. But Washington appreciates France's support 
in the formation of a new Iraqi government, while it hopes for 
more. The tone is one of expectation: while `Condi' Rice 
visited Paris on March 30th, it was only for a couple of 
hours. But she went to Baghdad with Jack Straw: Iraq does 
indeed create close ties." 
 
U.S. Immigration Policy 
"Open or Close" 
Dominique Quinio in Catholic La Croix (04/06): "The scope of 
the debates and demonstrations on immigration in the U.S. is 
unprecedented since the Vietnam war. The American government 
is seeking to control immigration even if it means damaging 
the U.S.'s image, which is also the hallmark of its national 
identity, as a land that is open and ethnically diverse. This 
issue may be American, but a great many countries, including 
France, are faced with the same problem: an ageing population, 
unskilled job opportunities that remain vacant even if there 
is high unemployment and a growing anxiety with regard to the 
integration of immigrant populations. Governments are torn 
between the need to find laborers abroad and the fear of not 
being able to control their flow. This is the reason for 
`selective immigration.' Which serves only the interests of 
the northern countries disregarding the needs of the south." 
 
Middle East 
 
"The Middle East: Major Policy or Impasse" 
Alexandre Adler in right-of-center Le Figaro (01/06): "The new 
idea in the Orient is no longer the search for peace or the 
acceptance of limited conflicts, but rather the bitter 
rediscovery of closed off identities as evidenced by an Arab 
Middle East . where the triumph of Hamas, in Palestine, has 
already produced an irreparable shock. Israeli abstentions (in 
the recent vote) and the dispersed voices of the `folksy' or 
tribal parties is the counterpart to the upsurge of integrism 
in the opposing camp. As the first exalt an interminable jihad 
. the (Israeli) rejection of a `major policy' means that they 
accept the logic of the endless temporary, based on the 
eternity of the balance of power and pragmatic individualism. 
Is it forbidden to hope that the example of Boutros-Ghali . 
could lead to the sowing in Israel of a quickening urge to 
find original solutions which would bring together Israelis 
and their Arab neighbors, but by the worst method: fatwa and 
political suicide?" STALPETON