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Lucia A Keegan  08/21/2006 10:12:06 AM  From  DB/Inbox:  Lucia A Keegan

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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 005574 
 
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SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - Lebanon - International Force - 
France's Conditions U.S. Policy in the Middle East - Secretary Rice 
in Command 
PARIS - Friday, August 18, 2006 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
Lebanon - International Force - France's Conditions 
U.S. Policy in the Middle East - Secretary Rice in Command 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
Reporting from Washington in Le Figaro, Guillemette Faure writes in 
an article entitled "G.W. Bush Delegates the Middle East to 
Condoleezza Rice" that "the Secretary of State, who is more 
appreciated abroad than the President, implements his policy 
faithfully." (See Part C) 
 
France's "conditions and reluctance" regarding its participation in 
the UNIFIL are today's lead international stories. For Le Figaro, 
"France Sets Its Conditions" while for Liberation "France Is 
Reluctant." The editorial in Le Figaro is entitled "France on the 
Front Lines" and characterizes France's mission as "highly 
dangerous" while Liberation's editorial entitled "Resistances" 
claims that "Chirac's sending 200 additional soldiers as scouts is 
akin to "diplomatically flipping the bird" to Kofi Annan." (See Part 
C) 
 
In an article entitled "Between Paris and Hezbollah, a Conflicting 
Past" Le Monde comments: "A well informed source has revealed that 
Paris has made contact with Iran, Hezbollah's tutor, as to its 
intentions regarding the safety of military personnel deployed in 
the buffer zone... France has every reason to be concerned for its 
troops considering that Lebanon has in the past crystallized the 
regional power struggle for influence..." 
 
Le Parisien borrows a quotation from a military officer to title its 
article "We Have Much to Fear Here." The article attributes those 
fears to France's visible cooperation with the U.S. The officer 
adds: "Paris is trying to strike a balance between the Americans and 
the Arabs, but the Hezbollah Islamists are not fools; they know we 
are directly engaged beside the Americans in Afghanistan, for 
example.... Now that peace is returning, we are becoming priority 
targets here." For La Croix, France will be the "backbone" of the 
bolstered UNIFIL. Its article carries the optimistic words of 
General Alain Pellegrini. "The new UNIFIL will be very different 
from the old one. The old UNIFIL is dead. The new one will be 
stronger, with greater numbers and new rules of engagement." La 
Croix quotes Minister of Defense Alliot-Marie as calling the 
participation of Muslim countries in the international force a "very 
good thing." 
 
In a separate article, La Croix reports details of Turkey's plans to 
contribute troops. The article says a Turkish contingent may aid 
"reconciliation with the United States three years after Turkey 
refused to participate in the war in Iraq and to let columns of 
American armor pass through its territory." Turkey may also prove to 
be a "bridge between East and West" in NATO, La Croix says. 
 
On Lebanon's reconstruction and Hezbollah's role, FR2 television 
reports that "Hezbollah was quicker than the Lebanese government and 
promised the population money and housing." Many civilians 
interviewed thanked Hezbollah and said that they felt "safe" because 
they "trusted them". FR2 observed the perfect organization of the 
movement and said that Hezbollah "was establishing itself as a 
political and a social force in Lebanon." 
 
Le Figaro carries two op-eds on the Middle East and on the war on 
terror. The latter, by George Soros is a French translation of a 
Syndicated column in which Soros says that the "'war against 
terrorism' is a nefarious and aberrant notion." The former, by the 
British-Lebanese writer Percy Kemp is entitled "In the Middle East, 
Ideas Can Be Killers." Kemp comments: "I would love to believe the 
Americans are in Iraq for its oil. But the fact is that they are in 
Iraq because of the 'idea' they have of the New Middle East... 
Similarly, Hezbollah is launching its missiles not to regain land 
from Israel, but because of the 'idea' it has of martyrdom..." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
Lebanon - International Force - France's Conditions 
"France on the Front Line" 
Pierre Rousselin in right-of-center Le Figaro (08/18): "If France is 
taking the lead of the international force it is because of France's 
relationship with Lebanon and because it is a way to return to the 
Middle East in a central role, after having been evicted by 
America's unilateralism... Playing this role implies that France has 
the right to speak its mind. But taking on this role has its price, 
as evidenced by the lack of other candidates for the mission... 
Twenty-three years after France left Lebanon, the risks are just as 
great, in view of Iran and Syria's intransigence. This must not lead 
France to shirk its responsibility. But France has a right to ask 
for the enlarged UNIFIL's mission to have a chance at being 
successful... 'This hot potato' must not be passed on solely to 
France: others must also participate. And to avoid having France 
look like the West's armed representative, Arab and Muslim nations 
must participate... The previous situation in Bosnia, with a 
resolution that did not mention the use of force, must be avoided. 
It is normal that France should demand guarantees before taking on 
the command of the UNIFIL...  For the good of the mission, it is 
normal for France to set its conditions." 
 
"Resistance" 
Gerard Dupuy in left-of-center Liberation (08/18): "President 
Chirac's offer to send an initial contingent of 200 soldiers... is 
akin to diplomatically flipping the bird to Kofi Annan... The 
situation could turn out to be a trap for France's soldiers. This is 
why Chirac has every right to demand that as little ambiguity as 
possible remain before sending his troops... Disarming Hezbollah 
remains the major problem, considering that Israel has been unable 
to do it and the Lebanese army is not even trying... But things 
could be moving: Mahmoud Abbas's call for an end to the strikes on 
Israel by 'armed groups from Gaza' is one indication. And if things 
are beginning to move, it is all the more reason not to act 
precipitously. UNIFIL soldiers can accompany peace, they cannot 
invent it." 
 
"France Reluctant" 
Isabelle Lasserre in right-of-center Le Figaro (08/18): "France's 
politicians are dragging their feet... France wants more guarantees 
on the nature of the mission... or it will revise the number of 
soldiers it is ready to send... France is concerned about the 
'evasive' nature of resolution 1701... Without the proper means and 
veritable rules of engagement, French soldiers could find themselves 
in the crossfire between the Israelis and Hezbollah's militia." 
 
U.S. Policy in the Middle East - Secretary Rice in Command 
 
"Bush Delegates Middle East to Condoleezza Rice" 
Guillemette Faure in right-of-center Le Figaro (08/18): "Since last 
July, Condoleezza Rice has taken over America's Middle East policy. 
She elicits less hostility abroad than the President. She is also 
more effective in defending America's policy at home. According to a 
CNN poll, 62 % of respondents regard Secretary Rice as the 
administration's most popular figure... She has been able to explain 
at home that the new Middle East will be preferable to the semblance 
of peace that existed previously... Although Rice supported the 
'preemptive' attack on Iraq, public opinion does not hold it against 
her. She is well liked at the State Department, where her 
accessibility and listening qualities are heralded. Contrary to 
Madeleine Albright, who was appreciated abroad but held in contempt 
by her colleagues. Most importantly, she has the support of the 
President, unlike her predecessor, Colin Powell... But her initial 
interventions in the Lebanese crisis were not convincing. Her 
efforts were limited to a paradoxical diplomatic shuttle during 
which she tried to explain that the U.S. wanted peace but not right 
away... Another paradox lies in the team that accompanies her in the 
negotiations. Elliott Abrams and David Welch are very dissimilar... 
Abrams... is of the school that believes the U.S. can make 
democratic inroads in the Middle East and that a confrontation with 
Iran is inevitable. Welch on the other hand is more favorable to 
stability than democratic revolution... The question now is whether 
Secretary Rice will be able to continue as mediator of opposing 
 
SIPDIS 
views within the Administration, while having to endorse front line 
choices. Already she is facing criticism as her effectiveness begins 
to be questioned." HOFMANN