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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 004117 
 
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TAGS: OPRC KMDR FR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - Guantanamo Afghan Violence 
Somalia U.S. Midterm Electoral Campaign 
PARIS - Friday, 16 June 2006 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
Guantanamo 
Afghan Violence 
Somalia 
U.S. Midterm Electoral Campaign 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
Economic news dominate today's front pages and editorials: the woes 
of EADS, Airbus's parent company leads Le Figaro Economie to 
headline: "EADS in the Midst of an Industrial and Financial Storm." 
Le Figaro's headline reads: "At EADS, It Is An Open Crisis." The 
economic press reports that the disclosure on Tuesday that 
production problems would cut A380 deliveries next year by 
two-thirds, opening Airbus up to compensation claims running into 
billions of euros and leading to a drop in EADS shares is compounded 
with government investigations into EADS co-chief executive Noel 
Forgeard selling shares in the company in the weeks before 
Wednesday's crash in the share price. 
 
The French wealth tax (ISF), which is eliciting increasing 
criticism, leads Le Figaro to devote its editorial to what it calls 
a "lying tax" because it "does not tax the wealthy but home owners 
suffering from high real estate prices." Le Figaro makes the 
following commentary: "In the U.S., even the Democrats, America's 
left, know that one should never promise the poor that the wealthy 
will be taxed. In a country where everyone believes they will one 
day become wealthy, such talk is banned." 
 
International news are dominated by the latest bombing in 
Afghanistan, with Le Figaro echoing past commentaries about the 
"iraqization" of Afghanistan, while Liberation reports that France's 
special forces will be moving "to stay with the American troops" in 
Afghanistan. (See Part C) Weekly right-of-center Le Point carries a 
very harsh op-ed calling for the closing of Guantanamo (See Pat C) 
 
Le Figaro devotes a full-page to the pre-election climate in the 
U.S., and the Republicans' fear that the mid-term elections "could 
turn into an anti-Bush referendum." (See Part C) 
Somalia and the government's search for "Islamic support" is the 
subject of a report by Tanguy Berthemet in Le Figaro, where he notes 
EU support for the government, and "Washington's silence." (See Part 
C) 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
Guantanamo 
 
"Postcards from Guantanmo" 
Bernard-Henri Levy in right-of-center weekly Le Point (06/15/06): 
"The truth is that Guantanamo must be closed. There is something 
shocking in the existence itself of this out of law site, this legal 
no-man's land, naturally propitious to every sort of illegal excess, 
which is a source of despair for the detainees, ruinous for the 
image of the U.S. and disgraceful for a great democratic nation... 
We must convince the U.S. ... to put an end to a situation which is 
not justified by the war against terrorism and which in fact 
tarnishes the image of the war and the cause of anti-terrorists. For 
the time being, the somber cretin who commands the base must be 
sanctioned for his comment about the suicides, when he accused the 
detainees of -sic- 'lacking respect' for human life and said their 
deaths could not be assigned to a 'gesture of despair' but to an 
'asymmetrical act of war' against the U.S.! More than anyone, those 
who oppose fanaticism must be faithful to the values they defend. As 
for us Europeans, we must admonish our friends and allies to act 
according to the principles which we all share, reminding them that 
we cannot defend the rule of law with the rule of exception." 
 
Afghan Violence 
 
"In Afghanistan, Paris in the Footsteps of its American Friend" 
Jean-Dominique Merchet in left-of-center Liberation (06/16): "A 
French military source says that France's special forces will be 
moving to stay with the American forces, even if officially, nothing 
has been announced... This move has not been motivated by the 
worsening situation in Afghanistan; it is instead a political 
decision taken directly by the Elysee. Seen from Paris, this is a 
strong signal sent to the Americans to prove France's commitment to 
fighting terrorism alongside the U.S. In a manner of speaking it is 
a reconciliation to make up for the disagreement over Iraq." 
"The Taliban's Attack on the 'Traitors'" 
Adrien Jaulmes in right-of-center Le Figaro (06/16): "The latest 
bombing of a minibus has everyone concerned over an 'iraqization' of 
the situation in Afghanistan... It is the first attack taking 
Afghans as targets and implies a change of tactics, according to the 
spokesman of the coalition in southern Afghanistan, Major Quentin... 
Since the fall of the Taliban regime, the coalition forces have 
never really been able to take over control of the Pashtun provinces 
in the south... To counter this new insurrection on the eve of a 
transfer of command between the Americans and ISAF, the U.S. as 
launched a large offensive in the mountains, said to be the most 
important since 2001... But the Taliban have learned to evade 
America's imposing fire power by dispersing and hiding in the 
mountains." 
 
Somalia 
 
"Somali Government in Search of Islamic Support" 
Tanguy Berthemet in right-of-center Le Figaro (06/16): "Nothing and 
no one seems able to stop the Islamic Tribunals, their important 
sources of financing or to stop the birth of an Islamic 'emirate' in 
Somalia... The Alliance, an unnatural coalition of warlords formed 
with the support of Washington, is finished... The Somali PM, aware 
of his dwindling power, has decided to negotiate with the new 
'masters...' Meanwhile, the EU has already announced its support to 
the Somali government, while Washington, which accuses the Islamic 
Tribunals of protecting members of Al-Qaeda, remains silent." 
 
U.S. Midterm Electoral Campaign 
 
"Republicans Fear an 'Anti-Bush Referendum'" 
Philippe Gelie in right-of-center Le Figaro (06/16): "All indicators 
show that President Bush's ratings are down... The Democrats are 
hoping that the elections will turn into 'a referendum' on the White 
House as they dream of a 'landslide...' But the fact is that the 
legislative elections are really played at the local level... From 
the war in Iraq, to immigration, abortion and gay marriages, the 
topics for disagreements abound between 'blue' America and 'red' 
America. But even within the conservatives, important differences 
separate the camp defending 'values' and the camp defending 
'business.' In this broken up electoral landscape national trends 
are no guarantee for local victories." STAPLETON