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Lucia A Keegan  08/07/2006 03:24:57 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  Lucia A Keegan

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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 005289 
 
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SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - Israel - Hezbollah Combat 
Afghanistan 
PARIS - Friday, August 04, 2006 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
Israel - Hezbollah Combat 
Afghanistan 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
"South Lebanon: A Scorched Earth" (Liberation) gives the tone of 
today's lead international story. Yesterday afternoon's Le Monde 
carries a front-page interview of Israeli PM Olmert who believes 
"France's objection to an international force can be overcome..." 
But as announced by Le Figaro on its front page: "General Ahoun does 
not want French soldiers in Lebanon," preferring instead 
"negotiations with Hezbollah... An international force will in fact 
be a force of occupation fighting Hezbollah. This is why the French 
do not want to participate... Such a presence would increase the 
risk s of a civil war in Lebanon..." Le Figaro's second front-page 
story on Lebanon is entitled: "Nasrallah Threatens Tel-Aviv" while 
an inside report underscores France's isolation regarding 
negotiations with Syria, and French-American disagreements at the 
UN. (See Part C) 
 
FR2 television reported that despite Nasralla's threat on Tel Aviv, 
PM Ehud Olert said he would not stop the fight, while 
TF1 focused on "the UN's helplessness to decide on a cease-fire." 
FR2 reported Condoleezza Rice's remarks that "an agreement could be 
found soon; the discussions are not over yet." 
 
Le Parisien carries an interview with academic Jean-Paul Chagnollaud 
on his predictions for the Israeli-Lebanese conflict: "the U.S. 
holds the keys" to resolving the conflict because it is the only 
actor able to impose a ceasefire on Israel. Chagnollaud believes 
Israel's end goal of eradicating Hezbollah, a "popular movement in 
parts of the Arab world," is unlikely to be obtained soon. Israel is 
at fault, says Chagnollaud, for failing to attack solely Hezbollah. 
He urges France to continue its calls for an immediate ceasefire and 
a political accord at the UN: "The more time passes, the more we see 
it is the only viable solution." 
 
La Croix leads with "Afghanistan, the Other Terrorist Front." One 
article examines intensified Taliban attacks: "They are making life 
hard for international coalition troops, as well as for Afghan 
forces." La Croix attributes the Taliban's successful recruitment of 
young Afghans to the "frustrations of the population" with the Hamid 
Karzai administration. The editorial calls for economic development 
in Afghanistan as a path to durable peace. (See Part C) 
 
Liberation reports on the comments of the outgoing British 
Ambassador to Iraq about "a civil war brewing in Iraq" which 
"represents a denial of Blair's position," while Le Figaro quotes 
Ambassador Patey as saying that "Mahdi's militia must be kept from 
becoming a state within the state, like Hezbollah in Lebanon." 
 
Le Parisien reports on "The White House's Plan" for a post-Castro 
Cuba. The article carries cautious overtones in response to U.S. 
calls for a democratic transition, citing American critics of the 
U.S. position and quotes Democratic political analyst David Sirota's 
warnings: "The Bush administration has fallen in the trap set by 
Castro." That trap is an appearance of the U.S.'s meddling "where it 
has no business," says Sirota. The article further notes the 
American press "recommends a lighter measure to facilitate the 
transition from dictatorship to democracy: abandoning the 
'counterproductive' embargo." 
 
Le Figaro carries an op-ed by Peter Mandelson, the EU Trade 
Commissioner, entitled "Europe Does Not Give UP on Doha." Mandelson 
believes that the cost of failure is such, that, "we are condemned 
to look to the future and go back to the drawing board. While the 
political dialogue appears stalled, it is imperative to set it back 
on track." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
Israel - Hezbollah Combat 
"After the Battle" 
Pierre Haski in left-of-center Liberation (07/04): "The 
international community, if it can still be called that, is 
negotiating on the nature of the force while the strikes continue, a 
it nd remains incapable of imposing a ceasefire... The next phase 
could turn out to be a major trap for the international force which 
risks precipitating the shock between civilizations everyone has 
been afraid of... If the force looks like a replacement for Tsahal, 
it will become a target of the Lebanese resistance... Because of 
America's mired situation in Iraq and the latest setbacks in 
Afghanistan, there must be a very strict definition of the force's 
mission. While a ceasefire is of the essence, it is also of great 
import to prepare the aftermath of the military battle, so as not to 
have to pay dearly afterward." 
 
"France Isolated in Its Boycott of Damascus" 
Thierry Oberle in right-of-center Le Figaro (07/04): "The European 
demarche to dialogue with Syria is widening the gap between Paris 
and its European partners. France's overture towards Teheran and its 
persisting denial to involve Syria in the Lebanese crisis, as 
reiterated yesterday by FM Douste-Blazy, who fears that Syria's 
involvement might be used as exchange currency to whitewash Syria of 
its responsibility in the assassination of Hariri is distancing 
France from the rest of the EU... Meanwhile the U.S. shares France's 
stance on Syria." 
 
"Western Divergence Over Damascus and Tehran" 
Natalie Nougayrede in left-of-center Le Monde (07/04): "France's 
isolation on how to approach the Middle East's latest crisis was 
once again brought to light with the Spanish FM's visit to 
Damascus... Meanwhile France has made repeated overtures towards 
Tehran... Syria's regime has been fingered by both Chirac and Bush 
for supporting Hezbollah and facilitating the transit of weapons 
coming from Iran. But the U.S. and France differ about Iran. 
Washington is sticking to its intransigent position. Still a French 
source acknowledges that 'involving Iran in the Lebanese crisis does 
represent the risk of having to give in on the nuclear crisis. 
Western capitals are aware that both Syria and Iran want to take 
advantage of the crisis.' A source in Jerusalem indicated that the 
initiative of a dialogue with Syria 'comes from the Americans and 
the Israelis' and added that 'Syria is a nation one can talk to, 
unlike Iran.'" 
 
"Franco-American Disagreement at the UN" 
Guillemette Faure in right-of-center Le Figaro (07/04): "Washington, 
rather than emphasizing its differences with Paris, is underscoring 
the points of convergence. The idea of two separate resolutions has 
resolved one set of issues opposing France and the U.S. Meanwhile 
the terminology about a ceasefire is still a bone of contention." 
 
Afghanistan 
 
"Objective: Development" 
Francois Ernenwein in Catholic La Croix (07/04): "How can we 
transform military victories into lasting peace? In Iraq and in 
Afghanistan, the return of the Taliban and the battles which have 
ensued, illustrate that implementing democracy despite major 
commitments from the international community have not sufficed to 
bring civilian peace... By quickly taking over Kabul, Western forces 
put an end to a mad dictatorship. But the in depth transformation of 
Afghanistan's society is slow in coming. 
Afghanistan showed a more positive start than Iraq. But it will 
really be on the road to salvation if a true phase of economic 
development is implemented." STAPLETON