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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 003619 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
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AF/PA; EUR/WE /P/SP; D/C (MCCOO); EUR/PA; INR/P; INR/EUC; 
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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR FR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - Iraq - Alleged Massacre in Haditha 
Afghanistan 
PARIS - Tuesday, May 30, 2006 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
Iraq - Alleged Massacre in Haditha 
Afghanistan 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
While domestic stories and the Indonesian earthquake dominate most 
front pages and commentaries, the surge in violence in Afghanistan 
gets wide coverage in today's media. A political analysis on the 
Taliban and Pakistan's manipulations to use them to control 
Afghanistan is penned by Le Figaro's Adrien Jaulmes. The report is 
titled "A Surge of Anti-Americanism in Afghanistan" while in 
Liberation a report is entitled "Kabul Up in Arms After American 
Blunder. (See Part C) 
 
Liberation titles "Haditha, a Cold Blooded Massacre Covered Up by 
the Marines." The report carries a half-page photograph of the 
alleged victims in body bags. Inside the report, correspondent 
Pascal Riche writes: "It is impossible not to think about My Lai, 
and the repercussions in public opinion...,"  which is a direct 
quote from the Human Rights Watch Marc Garlasco as reported in Le 
Figaro's article on "Washington's turmoil after the Marines' blunder 
in Iraq." (See Part C) 
 
Communist l'Humanite devotes a full-page report to the flight of the 
Iraqi elite from Baghdad and 'the new government's need to react 
rapidly before the country breaks down in a civil war." The 
journalist goes so far as to say: "In Baghdad, where communities 
lived side by side, a system of ethnic cleansing by another name is 
slowly settling in." 
 
Reporting on a TV documentary on Iraq's casualties to be aired this 
evening and titled "When America Doubts," Sophie Rostain in 
Liberation comments: "The documentary is devoted to an America in 
the grips of doubt, and it is a good thing it is being shown. 
Because President Bush's war is first and foremost that: soldiers 
who are dying and their families' pain and doubts... As one listens 
to America's youth: 'enlisting would be great. Plus, the army pays 
for my education...' one wonders what is worse: the widow's doubts 
about the war... or the young man who is certain he must serve his 
country without thinking." Reporting on the same documentary, La 
Croix's Gilles Biassette writes: "By letting people air their 
doubts, the documentary emphasizes the belated and painful 
questioning of certain truths which to date had been accepted 
without qualm... But it also stresses that for the majority of 
Americans, the war is a far away business which does not touch their 
everyday lives. Leaving the bereaved families alone to deal with 
their loss." 
 
Le Monde notes the Iranian President's interview in the German 
weekly Der Spiegel in which he warns Europe that: "aligning with the 
U.S. will lead to the EU's total loss of influence in the Middle 
East." Joschka Fischer, former foreign minister for Germany, pens an 
op-ed on Iran in Saturday's Liberation, which originally appeared in 
English with Project Syndicate. Fischer believes nuclear Iran poses 
a serious problem for European security and that the U.S. and Europe 
must quickly find a way to dissuade Iran from going nuclear. "But 
this initiative can only succeed if the U.S. administration goes 
along with the West and sits down at the negotiating table with 
Iran." 
 
Le Figaro carries an op-ed penned by FM Douste-Blazy on the European 
Constitution, entitled "No, France's Voice in Europe Has Not 
Disappeared," as part of a series one year after the failed vote on 
the EU Constitution: "France's voice continues to be expected, 
desired and respected..." After enumerating France's commitments to 
Europe, financial and political, the FM also lists France's 
technological European projects, such as Galileo, Iter and Quaero. 
"Our country plays a leading role in fighting illegal immigration, 
and has made proposals to fight terrorism, including by reinforcing 
joint EU criminal legislation... We have also led proposals for a 
true foreign and defense policy which will allow the EU to play its 
true role on the international scene." The FM reiterates that the 
"failed vote last year on the EU Constitution "does not mean the end 
of the idea of Europe." He concludes that it is up to "us to 
transform an imposed Europe into a wanted and harnessed Europe." 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
Iraq - Alleged Massacre in Haditha 
 
"A Cold-Blooded Massacre" 
Pascal Riche in left-of-center Liberation (05/30): "The story which 
began as a rumor and has ended up on the front page following an 
inquiry into the facts, may well end up as a vast scandal, because 
the massacre of these 24 civilians was initially covered up by 
officers. It is therefore impossible not to think of My Lai... and 
as the ex-hawk turned dove John Murtha has pointed out, this is a 
scandal 'worse than Abu Ghraib...' The investigation has now 
unearthed proof that the civilian victims were shot point blank... 
What has Congress up in arms is the role played by the higher 
officials and whether they helped to cover up blunders committed by 
their men." 
 
"Washington Up in Arms Over Marine Blunder in Iraq" 
Jean-Louis Turlin in right-of-center Le Figaro (05/30): "When 
President Bush said last week that the scandal of Abu Ghraib was the 
'biggest blunder' made by U.S. troops in Iraq, and later added 'so 
far' he may have already known that the Pentagon was putting 
together proof about another incident... To quote Congressman 
Murtha, 'it will be worse than Abu Ghraib,' if indeed it is proven 
that innocent civilians were not tortured, but actually murdered... 
And Haditha could indeed be worse than Abu Ghraib if it is also 
proven that the higher ups covered up the truth." 
 
Afghanistan 
 
"The Taliban Once Again Instrumentalized by Pakistan to Control 
Afghanistan" 
Adrien Jaulmes in right-of-center Le Figaro (05/30): "The return of 
the Taliban... also means the return of Pakistan on the scene... The 
Taliban offensives are growing in intensity with groups, which are 
increasingly well armed on the Pakistani side by Pashtun tribes. 
Officially, the Afghan authorities fault Islamabad for negligence, 
and unofficially they accuse them of interference. But faced with 
Pakistan's double game, Kabul finds itself hampered by its American 
ally's ambivalent stance of trying to maintain its alliance with 
Islamabad in order to find Bin Laden... With Kabul having trouble 
controlling areas outside the zones manned by the international 
force, and the Americans ready to pull out part of their troops, 
Pakistan's interference represents a real threat for Karzai... As 
long as the Americans and ISAf are present, the chances of a 
victorious Taliban offensive are slim... But the Taliban are 
exploiting the growing animosity towards the Americans in the 
Pashtun population... The deployment of NATO forces, their varying 
military effectiveness and their operational capabilities, which are 
inferior to the U.S., offer the Taliban a new opportunity to regain 
ground.  As long as Islamabad will encourage, or at least tolerate, 
having its secret police recruit and train Taliban on its territory, 
Afghanistan will remain under the threat of being destabilized by 
the students in religion. But as long as Islamabad remains 
indispensable to Washington in its search for Bin Laden, it also 
protects itself from all pressure." 
 
"A Surge of Anti-Americanism in Afghanistan" 
Arnaud de la Grange in right-of-center Le Figaro (05/30): 
"Apparently American soldiers have a hard time dealing with the 'war 
after the war' in Afghanistan as in Iraq... The violence and 
demonstrations of anti-Americanism are the worse since the fall of 
the Taliban regime... and are taking place in a very tense 
atmosphere. This new surge in Taliban violence is not a good omen 
for the NATO forces, which must deploy their troops in southern 
Afghanistan soon... But the American military wants to read into 
this renewed violence a sign for hope as it would point to the 
result of improved cooperation between the Afghan, the Coalition and 
the NATO forces, thus being able to hunt down rebels in their most 
entrenched strongholds. But this optimism is not shared by most 
western governments whose troops are being deployed in Afghanistan." 
STAPLETON