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Lucia A Keegan  07/21/2006 03:13:30 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  Lucia A Keegan

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SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - 
Israeli-Lebanese Conflict: U.S. Middle East Policies 
Middle East - Syria's Influence 
Stem Cell Bill Veto 
PARIS - Thursday, July 20, 2006 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
Israeli-Lebanese Conflict: U.S. Middle East Policies 
Middle East - Syria's Influence 
Stem Cell Bill Veto 
 
(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
Headlines today once again focus on the conflict between Israel and 
Lebanon and what is increasingly being perceived as a looming 
humanitarian catastrophe in Lebanon. Interviewed in right-of-center 
Le Figaro and on state-run France Inter radio, Lebanese Prime 
Minister Fouad Siniora denounces Israel's "disproportionate 
reaction" to the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah. 
Left-of-center Le Monde highlights "Washington's loss of influence 
in the region." Other stories examine Syrian and Iranian influence 
in the conflict.  (See Part C) 
 
"Lebanon Calling for Help" is left-of-center Liberation's headline 
this morning. "Though it is true that Tsahal's strikes have hit some 
of Hezbollah's infrastructures, it is the civilian population that 
has been the hardest hit," says the daily's editorial adding that: 
"the situation is such that international organizations and certain 
countries like France fear an impending humanitarian disaster in 
Lebanon. 
 
In an interview in right-of-center Le Figaro, Fouad Siniora says: "I 
am imploring the international community to look at the situation in 
all fairness... It is Israel that is waging state-sanctioned 
terrorist acts... In the end it will get exactly the opposite of 
what it is hoping for by sparking a desire for revenge within the 
Lebanese population." 
 
Catholic La Croix, for its part, contrasts the Israeli, Hezbollah, 
and Lebanese militaries in a two-page article entitled "Three Armed 
Forces, Three Strategies:" "With its vast arsenal...the Israeli 
military has enormous firepower, but also its weaknesses, namely 
against the asymmetric methods of Hezbollah." 
 
Popular right-of-center daily Le Parisien carries an interview with 
Frangois Gere, president of the French Institute for Strategic 
Analysis, under the title: "Four Reasons to be Afraid." According to 
Gere, protracted Israeli military operations in Lebanon and in Gaza, 
Syrian and Iranian direct involvement, and Western passivity are the 
greatest risks of the conflict. 
 
Catholic La Croix carries an interview with another prominent French 
think-tanker: Pascal Boniface, director of the Institute of 
International and Strategic Relations, on Iran's influence in 
Lebanon. Although Boniface admits that historical, financial, and 
military ties exist between Iran and Lebanon, he dismisses the 
notion of Lebanon as Iran's puppet. Boniface believes Iran's 
strategy of confrontation is paying off, if only in the short run. 
To the Arab world, "Iran appears to be the only country capable of 
opposing the U.S. and Israel." 
 
State-run France 3 television aired a report in which a Lebanese man 
declared: "Every 10 or 15 years they do this to us".  In state-run 
France 2's report the journalist noted that the Lebanese government 
does not understand Israel's strategy and why they have chosen to 
destroy warehouses used for storing food or prevent the 
transportation of humanitarian aid. Privately-owned TF1 television 
as well as FR2 and FR3 all briefly mentioned President Chirac's 
statement, asking for "a humanitarian passage both within Lebanon 
and between Lebanon and border countries." 
 
The Deputy Secretary General of the UN Jean-Marie Guehenno grants an 
interview to right-of-center Le Figaro in which he underscores that 
with regard to a stabilization operation in southern Lebanon "the UN 
is not equipped for coercion." 
 
The second most prominently featured story in the French national 
press today is the controversial embryonic stem cell bill that 
President Bush has vetoed. Catholic La Croix examines the political 
ramifications of President Bush's veto, focusing especially on how 
the move divides the political terrain before the 2006 midterm 
elections. The article notes how the veto may catalyze some 
Republican members of Congress to distinguish themselves from an 
"increasingly unpopular president." 
 
An article in right-of-center Le Figaro stresses that in spite of 
bi-partisan support for the stem cell bill and 70% of the American 
people favorable to federal funding for this research the President 
"is letting himself be swayed by the conservative religious groups 
that make up his electoral base." (See Part C) 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
Israeli-Lebanese Conflict: U.S. Middle East Policies 
 
"Impatience" 
The editorial by Antoine de Gaudemar in left-of-center Liberation 
(07/20): "Israel's retaliation may be in response to Hezbollah's 
aggression, but it still appears to be disproportionate and 
particularly likely, because of its scope, to lead to tragic 
blunders. Past strategic strikes in Belgrade, Baghdad or Beirut in 
the end have always had the same deadly 'collateral' consequences... 
Even the U.S., that supports the Israeli offensive, is beginning to 
lose patience with regard to its ally. This may speed up the 
possibility of a cease fire that the Israeli military knows is 
inevitable even if it would like to put it off as long as possible. 
Contrary to what he says, Ehoud Olmert does not have all the time in 
the world to deal with Lebanon." 
 
"Washington aligned with Israel has lost its influence in the 
region" 
Eric Leser in left-of-center Le Monde writes (07/20): "The military 
escalation between Hezbollah and Israel increasingly sheds light on 
the powerlessness of American diplomacy in the Middle East... In the 
name of the war on terrorism, American diplomacy has burned all of 
its bridges with Damascus, Hezbollah or Hamas and observers see 
Israel's turning to Russia to establish contact with Syria as a sign 
of America's incapacity... As for Israel, the U.S. still has a great 
deal of influence that it is not using... In order to counterbalance 
its failures in Iraq, the White House has regularly made a show of 
what has been achieved in Israel, Lebanon and Afghanistan in terms 
of promoting peace and democracy. The withdrawal of Syrian troops 
from Lebanon and the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza were presented as 
diplomatic victories... But the electoral triumph of Hezbollah and 
Hamas tend to demonstrate that terrorism and democracy are not 
mutually exclusive in spite of what the White House likes to 
repeat." 
 
Middle East - Syria's Influence 
 
"Syria's Crocodile Tears" 
Georges Malbrunot in right-of-center Le Figaro (07/20): "Damascus is 
pretending to feel sorry for Lebanon... but is having a hard time 
hiding its satisfaction behind its fake tears. After the 
assassination of Rafic Hariri, Syria was forced to withdraw from 
Lebanon... Fifteen months after this humiliation, the Syrian regime 
is not unhappy to see its former vassal plunged in a war with 
Israel... But after a period of intense pressure on Syria, the 
international community let up... In fact the U.S. needs Syria to 
appease the situation in Iraq... And France has had to come to terms 
with the idea that lacking tangible proof of Syria's involvement in 
the assassination of Rafic Hariri, there is no point in continuing 
to try to hermetically isolate Damascus. The international community 
needs Syria to temper Hezbollah which is why the all-powerful head 
of Syrian intelligence, and brother-in-law of Bachar al Assad, is in 
Paris today..." 
 
Stem Cell Bill Veto 
"Cloning and Ethics" 
The unsigned editorial in left-of-center Le Monde (07/20): "The 
American Senate's vote to pass a bill authorizing federal funding 
for stem cell research marks an important step in the complex 
relationship between politics, science and ethics. Rightly so, 
George W. Bush put forward that this law imposes a choice between 
science and ethics... true to his convictions, he said that he would 
veto the bill... But very influential Republicans, such as Nancy 
Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger, are actively working to push the 
Bill forward... But the fact remains that no democracy can afford 
not to question the ethics of stem cell research... and unlike in 
2002, the issue will certainly be a determining factor in the 
upcoming presidential election in France." 
 
"Bush Uses His Veto Against Stem Cells" 
The Washington correspondent for right-of-center Le Figaro, Philippe 
Gelie comments that (07/20): "Morals remain the guiding principal 
for all of the most controversial decisions that George W. Bush has 
had to make in his career... And for the first time yesterday, since 
taking office, he used his power to veto a bill that he views as not 
conforming to his 'values.'" STAPLETON