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

101044Z Apr 06

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 002343 
 
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; USMISSION USOSCE. 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR FR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - Iran Hamas Iraq 
Europe - French Political Crisis 
PARIS - Monday, April 10, 2006 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
Iran 
Hamas 
Iraq 
Europe - French Political Crisis 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
Front pages overwhelmingly see President Chirac as being on 
the front line as he faces the moment of truth to resolve the 
CPE (youth employment plan) crisis. After meeting early this 
morning with the President, PM Villepin gave a press 
conference at 10:30 local time. He announced the "withdrawal 
of article 8" which in essence is the withdrawal of the CPE, 
and announced a new set of measures to help youth employment, 
which should result from negotiations between the government 
and the unions. Before the announcement Le Figaro'e editorial 
entitled "A State of Emergency for the Right of Law" raised 
the problem of "who is at the helm."  (See Part C) PM Villepin 
will be on the 8PM TF1 newscast. 
 
International news is dominated by Hamas and Iran. The weekend 
editorial in Le Figaro envisions a "strategy towards Hamas" 
while Monday's Le Monde titles its editorial: "Hamas 
Punished." (See Part C) Both Le Figaro and Liberation report 
on the U.S. press reports that the Bush administration is 
planning air strikes against Iran. (See Part C) Le Figaro 
notes that according to a report drafted by American officials 
in Baghdad and made public by the New York Times, "the 
situation in Iraq is much more dire than the Bush 
Administration lets on." (See Part C) 
 
La Croix's Question of the Day is devoted to Hamas: "Can Hamas 
govern without international aid?" Judeh Markous, the Tourism 
Minister of the Palestinian Authority says: "Without such aid, 
the region is going towards a catastrophe. The international 
community must respect our democratic choice. The government 
is not set against negotiating with Israel. But before that it 
must receive some assurance that it will be treated fairly. If 
Israel clearly says it is ready to grant us our rights, we are 
ready to negotiate." 
 
Le Journal du Dimanche carries a full-page report based on an 
interview with Huthayfah Azzam, the son of the man who 
invented global Jihad and Al-Qaeda. His first target is to get 
Zarkaoui to relinquish his role as leader of the Iraqi 
resistance. 
 
In economic news, Airbus's difficulties are front-paged in La 
Tribune: "BAE Systems has sacrificed Airbus on the altar of 
its American expansion" adding: "BAE's announcement came at 
the same time as the Pentagon's decision to begin the 
production of the F-35, a project coordinated by Lockheed 
Martin and subcontracted to BAE." 
 
Les Echos carries a full-page interview with the Director 
General of the WTO Pascal Lamy. Asked if he thinks that the 
trade negotiations have a chance of succeeding between now and 
April 30, Lamy answers: "The principal actors in the trade 
negotiations: the U.S., the EU and the G20 all have a thorn in 
their sides. The U.S. needs to make an effort on farm 
subsidies, the EU on customs and the G20 on tariffs applied to 
importing industrial products." 
 
Harlan Watson, senior climate negotiator for the Department of 
State, is interviewed in Saturday's Le Figaro under the title 
"'No more censure' by NASA on the climate."  Questioned about 
allegations NASA scientists were prohibited from giving their 
personal opinions on climate change, Watson says, "From what I 
understand, from now on, scientists can say what they want as 
long as it is presented as their own point of view. John 
Marburger (scientific counselor to the White House) has 
presented his apologies and stated that this will not be 
repeated. There will be no more censure." Asked about Kyoto, 
he says, "The U.S. can only accept to sign a treaty on the 
condition that China and India accept precise objectives. 
However, the emerging countries are very clear on this point: 
constraining obligations. are unacceptable in their eyes. The 
next Administration will be free to change its opinion." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
Iran 
 
"Bush Ready to Strike Iran" 
Laurent Mauriac in left-of-center Liberation (04/10): "On 
Thursday, John Bolton threatened Iran with economic sanctions. 
Unofficially, other options, military for the most part, are 
also under study. At least according to the New York Times. 
and despite the author's (Seymour Hersh) renowned hostility to 
Bush. According to officials quoted by the NY Times and the 
Washington Post, the U.S. Air Force is drafting a list of 
possible targets. including nuclear strikes on Natanz. While 
the White House has not denied these accusations, it has 
insisted that it prefers to go down the diplomatic road. What 
exactly does President Bush want? In the past he has 
reiterated that a military attack cannot be completely 
disregarded. According to Hersh's Pentagon sources, Bush wants 
to topple the Iranian regime. And what do the Europeans think 
of all this? After two years of diplomacy, the negotiations 
between Iran and the EU-3 have failed. But says a French 
diplomat: `For us, a military option is out of the question.' 
What are the risks of the U.S. approach? According to two 
experts, James Dobbins of the Rand Corporation and Ray 
Takeyeh, of the Council on Foreign Relations, `the U.S. should 
realize that threatening Iran. can only strengthen the more 
reactionary forces in the country.' The concordance of views 
in the two articles, the Post and the Times, would indicate 
that the Bush administration is opting for deterrence and 
hopes to influence Iran by using threats. But the Iranian 
regime, which is betting on a divided international community, 
could rejoice if three separate camps were to emerge: a 
bellicose U.S., an accommodating Russia, and between the two, 
a Europe using the carrot and the stick with obvious 
difficulty." 
 
"New American Threats on Iran" 
Delphine Minoui in right-of-center Le Figaro (04/10): "The 
debate over the use of force against Iran has surfaced anew. 
Two major American papers state that a military option, 
including targeted nuclear strikes, are being considered by 
the Bush administration in case the diplomatic option fails." 
 
Hamas 
 
"Hamas Punished" 
Left-of-center Le Monde in its editorial (04/10): "In 
announcing, together but separate, the suspension of their aid 
to the Palestinian Authority, the Americans and the Europeans 
want to pressure the Palestinian government, led by Hamas, to 
recognize the State of Israel, give up violence and accept the 
peace process as defined in Oslo. Hamas was democratically 
elected, and as the Americans have said, such elections can 
sometime give undesirable results. But the Palestinian 
Authority is being maintained alive through an IV of financial 
aid administered by the international community. To cut this 
aid means to add hardship to the Palestinian population. This 
is why the Americans, like the Europeans, are not touching 
what is earmarked as `humanitarian' aid. There is also the 
risk that Hamas turn to other financial sources, such as Iran. 
But the West needs to consult and to agree on its 
declarations. They cannot continue to finance a movement which 
is still on the list of terrorist groups, and which has not, 
to date, given any reason to be removed from it. Western 
policy cannot resign itself to this `punishment.' It should 
engage in discreet contacts with the new Palestinian 
government to negotiate with Israel. And the new Israeli 
government must give up unilateral decisions in favor of a 
negotiated solution. The Europeans and even more so the 
Americans, have the power to convince them, if they so 
desire." 
"A Strategy for Hamas" 
Pierre Rousselin in right-of-center Le Figaro (04/08): 
"Neither Washington nor Brussels has still been able to define 
a clear strategy in the new configuration born of the January 
elections in the Palestinian legislative council. In 
appearance, the objective aims to make Hamas evolve, hoping 
that it will become a moderate movement capable of living in 
peace side by side with Israel. Otherwise said, one is asking 
Hamas to stop being Hamas. It is based on an illusion. Hamas 
itself has a strategy. It consists in winning time to garner 
all the benefits that its electoral triumph can bring it. At 
the hour when, in the U.S. and in Israel, some dream of 
precipitating the failure of a Hamas government, it is time 
for Europe to define a true strategy vis-a-vis the Palestinian 
Authority. How far is one willing to go to counter the 
Islamists? What incentives can one offer to push them truly to 
change?" 
 
Iraq 
 
"U.S. Report Sounds the Alarm in Iraq" 
Arnaud de La Grange in right-of-center Le Figaro (04/10): "It 
would appear that between Baghdad and Washington there is much 
lost information. A report drafted by U.S. officials in Iraq 
seems to be giving a picture of the situation which is much 
more dire that the one delivered by the Bush administration. 
The report also states as fact the country's division into 
ethnic and religious entities. It also sends out a warning 
about religious armed conflicts in parts of Iraq categorized 
as peaceful by U.S. officials. This unofficial analysis agrees 
with the view adopted by Hosni Mubarak on Saturday and who 
states that `Iraq is in the grips of a civil war.' Mubarak 
also warned that Iran's influence on Shiites in the Arab world 
was growing." 
 
Europe - French Political Crisis 
 
"A State of Emergency for the Right of Law" 
Yves Threard in right-of-center Le Figaro (04/10): "Who does 
what? This is the question everyone is asking in France. 
Rarely has the authority of the state been so undermined. From 
a social crisis, we have gone to a political crisis that may 
turn into a regime crisis if no solution is found quickly. Our 
country has already been humiliated. Without a solution the 
situation will be catastrophic. It is difficult to see where 
the logic lies, except to see that the rivalry between 
Villepin and Sarkozy is responsible for much of today's 
inconsistencies. This week will be crucial. The law must have 
the last word. And the President must show the way." STAPLETON