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Lucia A Keegan  08/28/2006 10:36:17 AM  From  DB/Inbox:  Lucia A Keegan

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SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - Lebanon - France's Commitment 
PARIS - Friday, August 25, 2006 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
Lebanon - France's Commitment 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
President Chirac's televised message last evening and his 
announcement that France will be sending an additional 1600 soldiers 
to Lebanon are today's lead international stories and the front page 
story in Le Figaro. The paper analyzes the "dilly-dallying of French 
Diplomacy" and the tug of war between the Europeans about the 
command of the UNIFIL. In his editorial in Le Figaro Pierre 
Rousselin acknowledges that "the path in Lebanon is narrow: between 
guilty inaction and excessive risk-taking, the war could spark up 
again." (See Part C)  Le Figaro carries an interview with MOD 
Alliot-Marie, introduced on the front page: "A Risky Mission." The 
title of the interview quotes her affirming: "France Has the Means 
to Act Like a Major Power." "France is taking on a risky mission; 
this is why the conditions for its implementation cannot remain 
unclear... Those who have been criticizing France are quick to do 
so; and meanwhile they are not sending any troops... We are not 
overstretched, and we can afford to send troops in addition to 
Afghanistan, Bosnia and the Ivory Coast..." This morning FM 
Douste-Blazy recalled on Radio RTL that France had been "the first 
country to send soldiers to Lebanon". He also said that "Iran has a 
great role to play in the region and that the international 
community must talk with to the Iranians." Like Chirac yesterday, he 
called for European involvement in the UNIFIL, saying that "France 
cannot be the only country present in Lebanon." 
 
Le Parisien interviews Antoine Sfeir, a political analyst of 
Lebanese extraction: "Syria is extremely isolated, including within 
the Arab world. It is in dire need of oxygen and I believe France 
must make a gesture. France is the only country which can talk with 
everyone. Talking does not mean agreeing..." 
 
Former French Foreign Affairs Minister Herve de Charette pens an 
op-ed in Le Monde in which he emphasizes that "the time has come for 
negotiations with all of the Middle Eastern states." De Charette 
says that the current instability in the Middle East is the fault of 
a series of factors. The first is the American plan for the Greater 
Middle East... the second is the Israeli renouncement to negotiate 
peace with the Palestinians, and finally the intransigence of the 
leaders of Hamas and Hizbullah. 
 
La Croix's Question of the Day asks Colette Avital, Labor member of 
the Knesset, "Was the War in Lebanon Legitimate?" Avital responds in 
the affirmative, citing "Hezbollah aggression... that took place 
within our internationally recognized borders." Avital further 
dismisses Europe's qualification of the offensive as 
disproportionate: "Two hundred fifty missiles per day that fall on 
Israel are disproportionate." There is "neither victor nor 
vanquished" after this campaign, says Avital, but there are 
"opportunities for political solutions." 
 
In a report on the influence of Hezbollah in Lebanon, FR3 commented 
that UNIFIL "does not have the order to disarm Hezbollah" and showed 
a Hezbollah minister saying his party "will never surrender and lay 
down its arms." FR3 also quoted Nayla Moawad, the only woman in the 
Lebanese government and "the only one who dares to criticize 
Hezbollah," according to FR3, which added that she is now afraid to 
leave her home. 
 
Liberation devotes its lead story to Segolene Royal, and asks: "Can 
They Stop Her?" in reference to the other five Socialist Party 
hopefuls (Hollande, Jospin, Lang, Fabius and Strauss-Kahn) for the 
2007 Presidential election. The editorial is entitled "The Hounds." 
 
 
La Croix devotes its lead to "France's New Converts to Islam." In 
his editorial Michel Kubler wonders if "the high number of 
conversions in France might be a sign that finally Islam is becoming 
French." 
 
Le Figaro's front page notes worrisome signs that the U.S. economy 
is heading for a recession. The economic papers devote their lead to 
the latest "mega merger in Italy's banking world" between Banca 
Intesa and Sanpaolo-IMI. France's Le Credit Agricole, a shareholder 
in Banca Intesa, "supports the merger" says La Tribune, raising the 
new group to number 7 in Europe, according to Les Echos. 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
Lebanon - France's Commitment 
 
"Lebanon: the Narrow Path" 
Pierre Rousselin in right-of-center Le Figaro (08/25): "President 
Bush's troops discovered in Iraq that it was not enough to topple a 
hated dictator to be loved. Putting soldiers in Lebanon to separate 
two adversaries who have barely accepted a cease-fire is a perilous 
endeavor which demands a minimum in terms of precaution... When he 
made his announcement last evening, President Chirac confirmed that 
the conditions set by France had been met... But the situation in 
Lebanon remains complex. The war can start again anytime, with or 
without the UNIFIL. The path in Lebanon is narrow, between guilty 
inaction and excessive risk-taking." 
 
"Sharing the Burden" 
Philippe Duval in right-of-center Le Parisien (08/25): "President 
Chirac did away with the ambiguities surrounding Hezbollah's 
disarmament, forcefully demanded by the Israelis and their American 
allies, when he said it would take place 'within a Lebanese 
framework.' In other words it is not the direct mission of the Blue 
Helmets. But this did not keep President Bush from saluting the 
French military effort and call for its quick deployment. The 
American president, bogged down in his war against terrorism, can be 
relieved. He will not be on the front lines of the Lebanese 
conflict. France will take his place." 
 
"France Falls in Line" 
Marc Semo in left-of-center Liberation (08/25): "Israel's FM Tzipi 
Livni said Wednesday in Paris that the situation on the ground was 
'explosive' and that resolution 1701 needed to be implemented 
quickly... But France's commitment arrives too late to save it from 
embarrassment after a week of dilly-dallying... On the ground, the 
UNIFIL will be able to fire in self-defense and to protect 
civilians. But its mission is not to seek out Hezbollah's weapons 
and even less to try to disarm Hezbollah. While UNIFIL is no longer 
totally powerless, its mission remains highly risky because there is 
a cessation of hostilities, not a real cease-fire. Hezbollah is 
ready to fire and Israel will continue with its 'defensive' 
operations." 
 
"The Dilly-Dallying of French Diplomacy" 
Isabelle Lasserre in right-of-center Le Figaro (08/25): "One step 
forward, two backwards, one more forward, and much ado about 
nothing. In the end, what is left of France's hesitations? A 
slightly more tarnished image abroad where the Anglo-Saxon press 
competes to characterize France as 'amateurish' or 'inconsistent' 
and points to France's diplomacy as 'inconsequential...' But France 
was legitimate in asking for a clearer mission... President Chirac's 
initial ardors were dowsed by the Military's cautious reticence... 
Their arguments were legitimate: a resolution which lacked details; 
a confusing situation on the ground and complicated relations 
between France, Iran and Syria... France's hesitations were largely 
eliminated last evening by Chirac. But will it be enough to revamp 
France's reputation when it comes to diplomacy? After having 
preached so much in favor of multilateralism, its hesitations have 
led some to say that 'the damage is done.' In the Middle East, 
France's detractors say its hesitations have endangered the fragile 
cease-fire. Finally, what will be the impact on transatlantic 
relations, which have already been harmed by the conflict in Iraq? 
France had no choice but to revise its stance in the face of the 
criticism that followed its retreat. But, caught between Hezbollah, 
whose disarmament appears improbable, and the Israeli army, which 
will not allow incursions from the Shia militia, it is doubtful 
whether this force's job will be one of peacekeeping." ROSENBLATT