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Lucia A Keegan  07/31/2006 10:29:16 AM  From  DB/Inbox:  Lucia A Keegan

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SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - 
Lebanese Conflict - Rome Conference 
PARIS - Thursday, July 27, 2006 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
Lebanese Conflict - Rome Conference 
 
(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
The press today widely criticizes the, particularly in regional 
editorials, as proof of the powerlessness of the international 
community. The editorial in Catholic La Croix notes that "the 
situation calls for urgent action and yet the world seems to be in a 
race to see who will be the slowest to act." Communist L'Humanite's 
headline announces that for "Washington it is urgent to wait!" And 
left-of-center Liberation leads: "A green light for war." 
 
For regional editorialists Bernard Revel in l'Independent du Midi 
and Herve Chabaud in l'Union et l'Ardennais, the Rome Conference has 
in essence "condoned Israel's strategy: that the destruction of 
Hezbollah justifies the disproportionate means used," and was a 
forum for "useless chatter." 
 
Left-of-center Le Monde reports that: "The feeling among French 
diplomats on the eve of the Rome Conference was that the latter 
would be entirely 'formatted' by the U.S. and that in this context 
it would only serve as a forum for 'readjusting' discussions... By 
distancing itself from the American position, concerning the 
deployment of a peacekeeping force and the necessity for an 
immediate truce, French diplomacy is pushing for a realignment of 
the positions." 
 
On privately-run Europe 1 radio, Socialist Party leader Francois 
Hollande said, concerning the Rome conference: "It was a perfect 
example of American laisser-faire." 
 
In an interview in left-of-center Liberation Simon Peres noted that: 
"it was a mistake not to invite Israel [to the talks in Rome]. I 
don't understand why, it must be because of pressure from Arab 
countries." As for Hezbollah, Peres says "It's us or them..." 
 
Left-of-center Le Monde's headline is devoted to a major interview 
of French President Chirac on the situation in Lebanon in which he 
stresses that the solution to the crisis "cannot be a military one." 
President Chirac emphasizes that "an international peacekeeping 
force implies certain necessary preliminary conditions. The first is 
the acceptance of a cease fire on the part of all of the 
protagonists. The second is the acceptance of the very idea of an 
international peacekeeping force by the various parties under the 
UN's Chapter VII... For France NATO's role is not to set up this 
kind of peacekeeping mission. For technical, but also for political 
reasons NATO is not appropriate for this kind of intervention. In 
this region of the world NATO is seen, whether we want to 
acknowledge it or not, as the strong arm of the West... I am led to 
understand that the U.S., lacking a more effective, speedy or better 
solution, would see only the advantages of a NATO intervention by 
the Rapid Reaction Force... But again, for the reasons already 
mentioned, NATO is not the right way... The U.S. and France may not 
have the motives for our commitment [in the region] but we have 
worked together well [Resolution 1559.] to promote stability." 
 
Following the death of four UN observers in an Israeli air strike, 
right-of-center Le Figaro mentions the "impossible mission of the 
UNIFIL observers" who, implanted in southern Lebanon, are subjected 
to Israeli - Hezbollah crossfire. "The Israeli strategy of quasi 
continual and often random air strikes in southern Lebanon has 
proved once again its tragic limitations." 
 
Right-of-center Le Figaro reports that Iran and Syria are "allies in 
spite of themselves within the Axis of Evil." "The current crisis in 
the Middle East has forced Teheran and Damascus to radicalize their 
position and establish a strategic rapprochement... But at first 
glance Teheran and Damascus do not have much in common. Iran, an 
Islamic Republic, is in majority Shiite... Syria is largely Sunni 
and led by a Baathist, secular regime.... Currently, Washington is 
increasing efforts to isolate Syria from its Iranian ally." 
 
Left-of-center Le Monde's New York correspondent Eric Leser 
describes the uproar among neoconservatives concerning the Bush 
Administration's diplomatic efforts in the Middle East seen as 
"weak" and "confused." "The Neoconservatives, who made themselves 
very discrete while the situation in Iraq got worse day by day, have 
come back to the forefront over the last few weeks... For them, the 
Bush Administration's hesitations are the cause for the renewed 
confidence of Syria and Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah." 
 
Catholic La Croix reports that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is 
seeking "an anti-American ally in Russia." His visit to Moscow is 
part of a wider tour to countries on Washington's "black list." 
Although Vladimir Putin refrains from joining Chavez's "inflammatory 
diatribes," arms deals between Russia and Venezuela do not go 
unnoticed by the U.S., La Croix says. 
 
On the visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki to Washington, 
left-of-center Le Monde reports President Bush's plan to redeploy 
troops to Baghdad to deal with the instability. According to Le 
Monde, President Bush stressed that these would not be new soldiers 
deployed, but soldiers already posted in various provinces 
throughout Iraq. "This redeployment would go along with a 
reinforcement of the equipment of the Iraqi forces and a realignment 
of the strategy... The differences between Al Maliki and Bush were 
made clear on the issue of Hezbollah and Lebanon... The American 
president, for his part, insisted that there is nothing 
contradictory about sending humanitarian aid to Lebanon while at the 
same time increasing the American supply of weapons to Israel ... 
But the differences between the U.S. and Iraq were minimized by the 
Americans and Stephen Hadley denied any divergence of position 
concerning Hezbollah." 
 
In left-of-center Le Monde's interview of President Chirac he was 
asked if the conflict in Iraq can be called a civil war and 
responded: "If it is not a civil war, it certainly looks a lot like 
it... But considering that France was not involved in this 
intervention, it would not be appropriate to give any lessons." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
Lebanese Conflict - Rome Conference 
 
"Washington Refuses a Cease Fire" 
Right-of-center Le Figaro's Francois Hauter writes (07/27): "The 
French Foreign Minister Douste Blazy battled it out with Secretary 
of State Rice and today it appears likely that a resolution will be 
adopted by the UNSC on August 1 or 2 calling for a generalized 
truce. But in the meantime, Israel has its hands free... The 
discussions in Rome clearly showed that there are two camps: on one 
side the EU, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt as well 
as Kofi Annan; and on the other the U.S. and Great Britain that 
unconditionally support Israel... The talks in Rome between 
Europeans and Americans lasted much longer than expected and Douste 
Blazy admitted yesterday that with Secretary Rice he had to come 
back into the fray five times." 
 
"Race to be the Slowest" 
Francois Ernewein in Catholic La Croix's editorial (07/27): "The G8 
Summit in Saint Petersburg and the Conference in Rome proved the 
powerlessness of the international community... The word that was 
the most used in Rome yesterday was 'urgency.' But this rhetorical 
display did not prevent divergences from setting in among the 
representatives of the fifteen countries... To the extent that this 
meeting, held without the Israelis, was just a lot of hot air." 
 
"Failure" 
In left-of-center Liberation, Antoine de Gaudemar writes (07/27): 
"The Rome Conference was much ado about nothing... Indeed the sheer 
quantity of issues that need resolving could not be dealt with in 
one meeting. And now Israel has its hands free to continue its 
operations in Lebanon, where Hezbollah resistance is a lot more 
tenacious than expected. Tsahal was counting on the tacit support of 
the Americans who in spite of Condoleezza Rice's spectacular tour of 
the region, are not rushing to find a diplomatic solution to the 
conflict..." 
"Two Visions of the World" 
Regional daily Ouest France's Didier Eugene writes (07/27): "The 
U.S. is asking for a 'durable solution' and France for a 'political 
solution,' behind the words there is a conflicting vision of the 
world." 
 
"France's Voice" 
In regional La Nouvelle Republique du Centre, the editorial by Herve 
Cannet (017/27): "French soldiers on the border between Lebanon and 
Israel vainly trying to keep the peace? Jacques Chirac's dream is a 
courageous one, but if it means seeing coffins return to France 
covered with the French flag, no thanks! Been there, done that... 
But since the U.S. has not yet come around to putting the pressure 
necessary to stop the massacre and the systematic tearing apart of 
Lebanon, the only voice that can be heard today is that of France." 
 
 
"Failure" 
Jean Levallois in regional La Presse de la Manche (07/27): 
"Yesterday's conference in Rome will be remembered as a failure. 
Because it is indeed Lebanon that is being destroyed, not 
Hezbollah... and the American administration is encouraging this 
since it has no intention of trying to put the brakes on the Israeli 
offensive... The possibility of sending peacekeeping troops was 
discussed in Rome... A mission in which Europe will provide the 
soldiers while the U.S. sells the weapons [to Israel]. 
 
"A voice in the Wilderness" 
Dominique Garraud in regional La Charente Libre (07/27): "Similar to 
discussion during the time of the military intervention in Iraq, the 
discussions concerning Lebanon has pitted those who want the crisis 
to be settled using forceps, in the name of the global war on 
terrorism, and those who have a better understanding of the local 
and regional complexities in the Middle East... and know that the 
price to pay for peace may be concessions made to certain movements 
and negotiations with the sort of countries that should not have to 
be associated with... But the UN and France may once again find 
themselves voices in the wilderness with regard to the Bush 
Administration which has apparently not yet drawn the necessary 
lessons from the fiasco in Iraq." STAPLETON