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Lucia A Keegan  07/21/2006 03:17:03 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  Lucia A Keegan

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SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - 
Israeli-Lebanese Conflict: Iran and the Lebanese Conflict 
Diplomatic Solutions and the UN 
Hezbollah Resistance 
PARIS - Friday, July 21, 2006 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
Iran and the Lebanese Conflict 
Diplomatic Solutions and the UN 
Hezbollah Resistance 
 
(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
While the Israeli - Lebanese conflict in general continues to 
dominate headlines and commentaries, three themes stand out. 
Right-of-center Le Figaro insists that Israel has been taken by 
surprise by the resistance of Hezbollah fighters and has resolved 
itself to a "long war" in Lebanon. The role of Iran, and less 
prominently Syria, maneuvering behind the scenes as well as the 
silence of the Arab world is analyzed in left-of-center Le Monde. 
Finally, negotiations at the UN to find a diplomatic solution to the 
conflict are widely seen as hindered by America's "unconditional" 
support for Israel (Le Monde). 
 
Right-of-center Le Figaro's headline says that "Israel has been 
taken by surprise by Hezbollah's resistance." An inside article 
notes that "Israel is preparing for a long war" and that "seen from 
Beirut, Israel's strategy to do away with or at least weaken 
Hezbollah appears to be particularly risky." (See Part C) 
 
In his weekly column in right-of-center Le Figaro, Ivan Rioufol 
calls the Israeli-Lebanese conflict Act IV in the World War of 
radical Islam against the West. Rioufol says that the image that 
Chirac gave of France in 2003, as "systematically anti-American and 
pro-Arab" has been detrimental to France's credibility in the Middle 
East. (See Part C) 
 
Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt are denouncing Hezbollah "but the 
criticism is actually targeted at their Shiite rivals in Iran" 
according to right-of-center Le Figaro. "The leaders of these Sunni 
countries are irate at Hezbollah's anti-Israeli 'coup de force' that 
puts them in an awkward position with regard to their ally the U.S. 
as well as their own public opinion." 
 
"While the crisis in Lebanon continues," reports right-of-center Le 
Figaro "Teheran is adding fuel to the fire... and giving the 
impression that the Iranian regime thinks itself to be 
invulnerable." The editorial by Pierre Rousselin notes that: "Even 
if the operational link between Teheran, Hezbollah and Hamas can be 
called into question, there is no doubt as to the ideological 
filiations as well as to the financial and military support." 
Rousselin wonders if the "war against Hezbollah will halt the rise 
in power of Iran. While the hope exists, each passing day increases 
the risk that the Islamic Republic will continue to push its pawns 
forward in the Arab world." (See Part C) 
 
Olivier Roy, Middle East expert at French national research center 
CNRS, pens an op-ed in left-of-center Le Monde: "Iran: Raising the 
Stakes." Roy says that the conflicts in the Middle East have a 
common denominator: Iran. "It is the only player in the region that 
has a coherent strategy where short term actions jibe with long term 
goals... More than ever a political solution is necessary to end 
turmoil in the Middle East. This political solution may not 
necessarily depend on diplomacy but on an adaptation of military 
means towards a political end." 
 
Left-of-center Le Monde reports that a "diplomatic solution" to the 
conflict in Lebanon is "hindered by America's support for Israel." 
Right-of-center Le Figaro quotes Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad 
Siniora who laments that there can be no diplomatic solution to the 
conflict so long as the U.S. "allows" Israel to continue the 
offensive. (See Part C) 
 
Left-of-center Liberation says that the "UN is shilly-shallying... 
and though it was 'battle stations' at the UN yesterday, there is no 
cease fire in view... The Israelis, supported by the Americans do 
not want a cease fire that could lead to a status quo ante and give 
Hezbollah free rein to attack northern Israel... In this context 
France has tried to push forward a draft resolution calling for a 
'humanitarian truce' but without great success because of American 
opposition." (See Part C) 
In Catholic La Croix a poll shows wide support on the part of the 
French public (70 percent) for sending UN peacekeeping troops to 
Lebanon. Only 53 percent however believe that France should have a 
prominent role in these troops. 58 percent of respondents believe 
both Hezbollah and Israel are responsible for the conflict. The 
strong support for sending UN troops follows logically, the 
accompanying article says, from the French perception of dual 
responsibility. The weaker support for French participation marks 
"fear that France would be touched by terrorism if it intervenes." 
 
On foreign jihadists in Iraq, popular right-of-center daily Le 
Parisien reports on hearings of a French national accused of 
participating in recruitment operations for al Qaeda in Iraq. Amine 
Liassine is among the rising tide of French nationals of Algerian 
descent with such terror connections. The daily says that terrorist 
cells are using increasingly putting students' "scientific knowledge 
to use for jihad." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
Iran and the Lebanese Conflict 
 
"Shiite Iran" The Dread of the Arab World" 
The editorial by Pierre Rousselin in right-of-center Le Figaro 
(07/21): "Lebanon is crumbling under Israeli bombs, Palestine has 
sinking into chaos, civil war is spreading in Iraq and the Taliban 
are back in Afghanistan. While the region falls apart, the Arab 
world remains silent, paralyzed, as if it were teetering on the edge 
of a cataclysm... The feeling of powerlessness is heightened by the 
fact that no Arab country has any influence over Iran whose 
objective is to bring an end to Sunni supremacy in the region. After 
getting a foothold in Iraq thanks to the American intervention that 
put the Shiites in power, the regime of the Mullahs has everything 
to gain from the war that Israel is waging on two fronts... Without 
a thought to the consequences in terms of losses among the civilian 
population, after all no Iranian will be killed there, the Islamic 
Republic appears to be the only state capable of pitting itself 
against Israel in the minds of Arab public opinion... Syria for its 
part has been rejected by both the U.S. and France and has chosen to 
enter into an alliance against nature with Iran." 
 
Ivan Rioufol in his weekly column in right-of-center Le Figaro 
(07/21): "The only good thing to come out of the Israeli Lebanese 
conflict so far is that it has forced pacifist Europe to open its 
eyes and stop hinting that Israel is responsible for disorder in the 
world... France would be wise to worry more about the rise in 
Islamic extremism... Israel is not at war with Lebanon, contrary to 
what the French government says... It is at war with Hezbollah... 
and Syria and Iran that are using Lebanon like a disarmed puppet. 
What is France waiting for to state these facts?... But the 
continued tension in the Middle East is especially favorable to 
Jacques Chirac and Dominique de Villepin who were never so popular 
as when they headed the opposition to the American intervention in 
Iraq." 
 
Diplomatic Solutions and the UN 
 
"A Diplomatic Solution Hindered" 
Nathalie Nougayrede in left-of-center Le Monde (07/21): "The signals 
sent out by American officials tend to confirm that Washington is 
prepared to give the Israeli army the time it needs to carry out its 
military objectives against Hezbollah. This puts France in a 
difficult position since at the G8 Jacques Chirac took care to 
reaffirm France's common course with the U.S....and the commitment 
to promote the implementation of Resolution 1559... But it is 
precisely the ambiguities within the text of this Resolution that 
pose problems." STAPLETON