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Lucia A Keegan  07/25/2006 09:43:52 AM  From  DB/Inbox:  Lucia A Keegan

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SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - 
Israeli-Lebanese Conflict: Lebanese Conflict - Iran 
Iraq 
PARIS - Monday, July 24, 2006 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
Lebanese Conflict 
Iran 
Iraq 
 
(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
Dominating themes in headlines and editorials today revolve around 
the U.S. becoming more involved diplomatically in the Lebanese 
conflict with the visit to the region of Secretary of State Rice. 
The French national press, however, see the U.S. position "on the 
fence" between its Arab allies, Israel and Europe. American 
diplomatic efforts are viewed as hindered by the fact that the U.S. 
has no contact with Hezbollah. The editorial in right-of-center Le 
Figaro sees Syria as one of the keys to containing Hezbollah but 
"the question is, what will Damascus ask for in return?" Finally the 
issue of sending peace keeping troops to Lebanon is widely 
commented, left-of-center Liberation suggests that France would 
necessarily be heavily involved and weekly newspaper Le Journal du 
Dimanche notes that "this time the U.S. will not be able to go it 
alone." 
 
Right-of-center Le Figaro's front page carries a photo of Secretary 
of State Rice and announces that: "America is becoming involved in 
the Middle East crisis." The inside article with a large photo of 
President Bush and Secretary Rice meeting with the Saudi Foreign 
Minister says: "The Americans run the risk of isolating themselves 
by refusing to join in the international chorus for an immediate 
cease-fire. Today they no longer have a great deal of time to grant 
Israel... An international meeting of the contact group will be held 
in Rome as of Wednesday... The Bush Administration should have no 
trouble in finding consensus on the issues of humanitarian aid, 
reconstruction and the reinforcement of the Lebanese government, 
however the question of stabilization troops in the region could be 
more controversial... In the meantime a de-escalation of violence 
will depend on the U.S.'s willingness to influence Israel." 
 
On privately-owned TF1's evening newscast a journalist noted, "there 
are two diplomacies working in parallel right now: French and 
American." 
 
Left-of-center Le Monde asks: "how can American diplomacy have any 
hope for success since it has no contact with Hezbollah...? 
American diplomacy is in a difficult situation caught as it is 
between pressure from allied Arab countries like Egypt, Jordan and 
Saudi Arabia as well as Europe for an immediate stop to hostilities 
and the desire not to undermine the Lebanese government and 
Jerusalem's desire to stop Hezbollah." 
 
In an editorial in right-of-center Le Figaro entitled "The U.S. and 
the Syrian Factor" Stephane Marchand writes: "The U.S. knows that in 
order to reach the desired goal in the Middle East, it will have to 
include Syria in the equation..." (See Part C) 
 
Popular right-of-center Le Parisien carries an interview with 
Lebanese Druze leader Walid Joumblatt about Hezbollah's position in 
Lebanon. While Joumblatt calls for an immediate cease-fire, he 
blames neither the Israeli nor the Lebanese governments for the 
conflict. For Joumblatt, Syria and Iran are the true culprits as 
they attempt to deflect international attention away from 
themselves. "Hezbollah has taken Lebanon hostage. It receives its 
orders from Damascus." 
 
A poll in weekly Le Journal du Dimanche sees 39 percent of the 
respondents in France saying that Hezbollah is responsible for the 
crisis in the Middle East, while 30 percent fault Israel.  Some 48 
percent trust the UN to resolve the conflict over 25 percent for the 
EU, 15 percent for France and 9 percent for the U.S. 
 
Left-of-center Liberation reports that "France is defending the idea 
a peace keeping mission" in Lebanon, but the question is if "Europe 
in general, and France in particular, is strong enough to send 
troops into Lebanon while Hezbollah has not been sufficiently 
weakened...? 
 
The Monday edition of left-of-center Le Monde reports that President 
Chirac received a letter from the Iranian president. "The letter 
that Mr. Chirac received is very different in tone from the one 
received by George W. Bush in May... But the fact that it was 
received the day before the new Iranian ambassador to France 
presented his credentials to President Chirac is interesting... 
According to sources close to President Chirac the letter seeks to 
further divide the West on the issue of sanctions... Ands to serve 
as a reminder that while the Israeli army and Hezbollah continue to 
fight, Iran's influence in the region is non-negligible." (See Part 
C) 
 
Catholic La Croix reports on Palestinian public opinion in Gaza, 
which it says increasingly crystallizes against Israel each day 
while the military operations continue. Hezbollah leader Hassan 
Nasrallah has the moral support of Palestinians and, according to 
some, "is more popular than Saddam Hussein during the Gulf War." One 
Palestinian likened the Israeli military operation in Gaza and 
Lebanon to "the rules of Bin Laden, not the Geneva conventions." 
 
Left-of-center Liberation mentions the new Human Rights Watch report 
that says that "prisoners held by American troops in Iraq continue 
to be systematically tortured with the approval of the military 
superiors." Liberation calls this new report "damning." (See Part 
C) 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
"Experience" 
Jacques Esperandieu in weekly Sunday newspaper Le Journal du 
Dimanche (07/23):"The presence in Beirut of the French Prime 
Minister on the sixth day of fighting was an extremely symbolic 
gesture, as is the current visit of the Foreign Minister in several 
countries in the region. One cannot help but see these trips as an 
attempt to 'one up' the U.S. and its Secretary of State Condoleezza 
Rice. But perhaps this time there is a slight chance for success. 
American credibility in the region suffers from the intervention in 
Iraq and the country's unconditional support for Israel. Nothing can 
be accomplished without the Americans, but this time they will not 
be able to go it alone." 
 
"Slim Margin for Maneuver" 
Dominique Vales in regional La Montagne (07/24): "Even if French 
diplomacy's margin for maneuver in the Middle East has been very 
limited over the course of the last decades, its positions and 
proposals are not ignored. If nothing else, because France continues 
to have some degree of influence on certain countries that 
traditionally have a determining role in the region. Starting of 
course with the U.S. whose involvement in the current crisis has 
reached a new level with the initiatives proposed by Secretary Rice 
who is apparently much more aware of the explosive nature of the 
situation than President Bush." 
 
"Rules" 
The editorial by Gerard Dupuy in left-of-center Liberation asks 
(07/24): "Does a stabilization force in Lebanon need to come under 
the banner of NATO like in Afghanistan? Wouldn't this 
de-territorialize the 'Atlantic' Alliance and draw it into a 
long-lasting conflict about which its members are far from having 
reached a consensus contrary to Afghanistan... The hint of a 
diplomatic solution does not mean a speedy end to the fighting... 
But maybe Condoleezza Rice's visit to the region will make things 
move forward. Maybe not. What is certain is that the coming days 
will see the list of victims and evacuees grow." 
 
"Saying the Opposite" 
Antoine de Gaudemar's editorial in the Saturday Sunday edition of 
left-of-center Liberation (07/22-23): "Ten days after the beginning 
of the conflict, American diplomacy is starting to wake up. While 
continuing to support its Israeli ally... the Bush Administration 
has had to come to the realization that Tsahal's strikes have not 
significantly weakened Hezbollah... The U.S. is starting to come 
around to the idea of stabilization troops but the American 
Secretary of State is saying the opposite of Europe when she 
 
SIPDIS 
qualifies as illusory the idea of an immediate cease-fire... In 
fact, the conflicting view between Europe and the U.S. on a solution 
to the crisis in Lebanon is due to two divergent visions of the 
Middle East... this divergence was already put to the test in Iraq." 
 
 
"The U.S. and the Syrian Factor" 
Stephane Marchand comments in right-of-center Le Figaro (07/24): The 
U.S. does not want to rush Ehoud Olmert... therefore Condoleezza 
Rice's trip to the region will not seek to convince the parties to 
return to a pre-exisiting situation... but to a more durable 
solution thanks to the implementation of Resolution 1559... But the 
head of American diplomacy will have to factor Syria into the 
equation... without Syria it will be impossible to marginalize 
Hezbollah. Syria is the movement's logistical tutor... If Syria 
agreed to contain Hezbollah it would by the same token weaken 
Iran... But to be able to kill these two birds with one stone 
Damascus will no doubt ask for a considerable political gesture in 
return for the favor, such as the total normalization of U.S.- 
Syrian relations." 
 
Iran 
 
"Iranian Calculations" 
The unsigned editorial in the Saturday edition of left-of-center Le 
Monde mockingly notes that the "coincidence is astounding. Nine days 
after the beginning of the war in Lebanon... Teheran chose to make a 
statement concerning its nuclear program... The latest statement is 
a setback for the West that along with Russia and China, have been 
trying to get the Iranian leadership to put an immediate stop to 
uranium enrichment... The war in Lebanon began right when the 
various parties were at their wits end with regard to Teheran... 
There is no tangible evidence to establish a cause and effect but 
what is certain is that Iran has a feeling of impunity and power and 
intends to capitalize on the conflict in the Middle East." 
 
Iraq 
 
"Iraqis are Skeptical Concerning National Reconciliation" 
Delphine Minoui writes in right-of-center Le Figaro (07/24):  "The 
Iraqi people are growing extremely weary of the American presence in 
their country. The recent scandal of an American soldier accused of 
raping and Iraqi girl and the massacre of civilians in Haditha 
contribute to the resentment already strong after the episodes of 
torture at Abu Ghraib... Today, there are many accusatory fingers 
pointing at the huge crane on the left bank of the Tigres that is 
being used to build the new American embassy: the only sign of 
reconstruction project in Baghdad that is crumbling under the 
current violence. The precariousness of the infrastructure, the lack 
of fuel and electricity (about one out of every six hours) add to 
the long list of disillusionment." STAPLETON