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Lucia A Keegan  09/20/2006 10:00:57 AM  From  DB/Inbox:  Lucia A Keegan

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SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - Islam and the West - Pope Benedict 
and Muslim Reactions Middle East - Hamas-Fatah Agreement Sarkozy to 
the U.S. - Chirac Annoyed 
PARIS - Monday, September 18, 2006 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
Islam and the West - Pope Benedict and Muslim Reactions 
Middle East - Hamas-Fatah Agreement 
Sarkozy to the U.S. - Chirac Annoyed 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
In an interview this morning on Europe One radio, his first since 
2002, President Chirac commented on the Middle East, Lebanon, Iran 
and the Sudan. Asked about Interior Minister Sarkozy's trip to the 
U.S., Chirac asserted that he alone speaks for France.  Liberation 
devotes a full page article to the Chirac camp's reactions to 
Sarkozy's visit to the U.S.:  "Chirac Considers Sarkozy's 
Pro-Atlantic Stance Unfortunate," and runs Pierre Lellouche's op-ed, 
"Anti-Americanism is the Religion of Imbeciles." 
 
Several front pages are devoted to the Pope's message on Sunday to 
calm feelings of anger in the Muslim world.  "Terribly Sorry" reads 
Sunday's Le Journal du Dimanche, "Pope Benedict Wants to Calm Muslim 
Anger" headlines Le Figaro, while Liberation reads "The Pope's 
Regrets."  Catholic La Croix leads with:  "Pope Benedict and Islam: 
the Misunderstanding."  In its editorial, La Croix urges Muslim 
leaders to engage in dialogue "rather than answer the Pope with 
insults and threats..."  Le Figaro's editorial, entitled "The Pope 
and the Manipulation of the Masses" comments:  "The latest unfurling 
of hate is the responsibility not of Pope Benedict but of those 
ready to fabricate whatever pretext in order to manipulate credulous 
followers..."   Liberation's editorial comments on the Pope's 
"Fallibility" but insists that Pope Benedict "regrets but did not 
apologize." (See Part C) An op-ed in Le Figaro warns that "for the 
Pope to ask for forgiveness would be madness." 
 
TF1 opened its evening newscast with the "The Pope's speech to calm 
things down." FR2 noted that the Vatican and all of Italy are now 
"being threatened by Muslims."  This morning FR2 said that "tension 
between communities has not disappeared." FR3 reported an Italian 
nun was killed in Ethiopia by Muslims... adding "we still don't know 
if the woman was killed because of the pope's remarks."  President 
Chirac on Radio Europe1 said "everything that sparks tension should 
be avoided" and asked not to "confuse Islam and Islamism."  On 
Lebanon, the President said that he is confident that Israel will 
withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon...  President Chirac 
defended his initial reluctance to commit large numbers of French 
troops to the U.N. peacekeeping force saying that "It would have 
been irresponsible to commit to action without being aware of the 
consequences."  On Iran, President Chirac said that he is optimistic 
that a "solution through dialogue can be found with Iran which is a 
great nation."  President Chirac suggested that an agenda for talks 
be set by the six nations currently involved in the Iran issue - 
France, Germany, Britain, Russia, China and the U.S. 
 
A column also in Le Figaro by senior reporter Laure Mandeville is 
entitled "Europe's Islam, Democracy and the Shock of September 11." 
Mandeville analyzes Europe's "awakening" to its Muslim populations, 
"when 9/11 made it face its vulnerability to political Islam..." 
Mandeville contends that in this reassessment of Islam and 
democracy, "France has a small advantage over certain European 
countries, because of its secular Republican system." 
 
Le Figaro devotes a full page to "Pakistan and the Islamic Powder 
Keg" since 9/11.  Le Figaro says that "while Islamabad holds one 
hand out to the U.S. as an ally in the fight against terrorism, it 
pockets with the other hand the Islamists' American dollars...  A 
strange game of cat and mouse is underway in this country with 
Washington in the role of the cat pursuing its hunt for Ben Laden... 
and Ben Laden in the role of the mouse who has seemingly taken 
refuge in the mountains of northern Pakistan, where he is far from 
isolated and continues to inspire scores of Jihadists..." 
 
Other international stories include the aftermath of the agreement 
between Hamas and Fatah. In Le Figaro Marc Henry writes about a 
"false start" for the Palestinian Authority, but notes that Mahmoud 
Abbas will meet with President Bush on Wednesday in New York after 
his meeting with Condoleezza Rice. One radio reported yesterday 
evening that Abbas was asking to meet with President Chirac.  Le 
Journal du Dimanche devotes its editorial to Europe's decision to 
resume aid to the Palestinian Territories. (See Part C) 
 
Liberation devotes a full page to President Chirac's reactions to 
Interior Minister Sarkozy's visit to the U.S.:  "Chirac Considers 
Sarkozy's Pro-Atlantic Stance 'Lamentable.'"  (See Part C) 
Liberation also carries an op-ed penned by National Assembly 
Representative Pierre Lellouche entitled: "Anti-Americanism: the 
Religion of Imbeciles." Lellouche says "the dictatorship of 'the 
French-style politically correct,' is such that to admit to being a 
friend of the U.S. has become a sort of 'political error...'  France 
is a great nation, and even if the French like Coke, and American 
mini-series, our nation has not sunk so low that it needs to define 
itself as America's opponent. This is why anti-Americanism is the 
nationalism of imbeciles..." 
 
Le Monde entitles one article "The Picture from Washington" which 
comments on the supposedly "surprised" look Sarkozy has in a picture 
in which he is shaking hands with President Bush. But says 
correspondent Corine Lesnes:  "The meeting with the President was 
carefully orchestrated and the photo was released only after tight 
negotiations between Washington and Embassy advisors...  President 
Chirac knew of the meeting: Washington Ambassador Levitte is a close 
friend of the President; Ambassador Craig Stapleton, who was also 
instrumental in arranging the meeting, is a distant cousin of 
President Bush..." 
 
Le Monde devotes its editorial to the Non-Aligned Summit in Havana, 
"whose war-cry has become anti-Americanism" (See Part C) 
 
The battle within the Socialist Party between the many presidential 
hopefuls rages on. Liberation, which headlines "A Reigning Royal" 
alludes to its poll which indicates that 43 percent of respondents 
among Socialist sympathizers pick Segolene Royal. Former PM Jospin 
comes next with 18%, Strauss-Kahn is next with 12% and Fabius comes 
last with 3%.  The editorial says the Left is going through an 
identity crisis "symbolized by the 'Segolenism symptom'" but warns 
that this fall's trend may not last till the spring.  Le Parisien 
carries a two-page report on "the third man or women" who might 
upset the Royal-Sarkozy battle. Among the contenders there is 
Minister of Defense Alliot-Marie, former Prime Ministers Juppe and 
Fabius, and Le Pen of the National Front. 
 
Financial La Tribune, Le Figaro Economie and Le Monde report on 
Ford's emergency plan to cut costs and its laying off one third of 
its U.S. employees. In its editorial La Tribune is not optimistic: 
"Nothing proves that the shock treatment adopted by Ford will help" 
and recalls that in Europe, "the automobile industry is also 
suffering" and concludes that "today, the only car running, is 
Japanese." 
 
Le Figaro carries an op-ed penned jointly by Rodrigo de Rato and 
Paul Wolfowitz, Chairman of the IMF and President of the World Bank 
respectively, in favor of world trade and open markets. The op-ed is 
the French version of a Project Syndicate column. 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
Islam and the West - Pope Benedict and Muslim Reactions 
 
"The Pope and the Manipulation of the Masses" 
Yves Threard in right-of-center Le Figaro (09/18):  "When Pope 
Benedict said that faith cannot be imposed by force, he underscored 
something shared by most Christians, Jews and Muslims...  Those who 
are responsible for the unfurling of hate in the Arab-Muslim world 
are those who fabricate pretexts in order to manipulate credulous 
followers... for their own political agendas...  Heads of state or 
religious leaders from Tehran and Naplouse to Mogadisciu and Baghdad 
find it convenient, in order to re-enforce their power, religious or 
political, to fan the fires of a clash between civilizations...  It 
is unfortunate that in our part of the world we are not more 
critical of such conduct...  Out of cowardice, we choose to remain 
shamefully silent, leaving the Pope alone to finger the dangers of 
fanaticism in general and Islamism in particular..." 
 
"Fallible" 
Jean-Michel Thenard in left-of-center Liberation (09/18): "How can 
the Pope repair an error when in fact, being infallible, he cannot 
have made an error? ... While regimes which are hardly democratic 
have a vested interest in manipulating the masses, the Pope cannot 
be assimilated to caricaturists:  he holds political power and no 
one wants him to echo Bush's neo-cons in order to feed a clash 
between civilizations which has the looks of a crusade. The Pope is 
expected to preach coexistence between faiths.  And while Islam 
should accept criticism, the debate will not be enhanced if Islam is 
confused with violence, and Muslims with terrorists..." 
 
Middle East - Hamas-Fatah Agreement 
 
"Good News?" 
Jacques Esperandieu in right-of-center Le Journal du Dimanche 
(09/17):  "Can we trust Hamas?  This is the 500 million euro 
question which the Europeans are asking themselves.  They are 
tempted to answer in the affirmative... after the announcement of a 
Hamas-Fatah government of national unity... which followed on the 
footsteps of a document last June on 'national entente' and the 
tacit recognition of Israel...  All players have a vested interest 
in the new agreement. Hamas, which is losing popularity and which 
understands, one hopes, that when facing the West's determination, 
it is in its best interest to compromise. President Mahmoud Abbas, 
who has an opportunity to regain his leadership, in the Territories 
as well as on the international scene, as shown by his scheduled 
meeting with President Bush... And Europe, convinced that bringing 
appeasement to a region which is increasingly frightening is the 
best policy...  Much remains to be done: but good news from the 
Middle East is so scarce that we need to speak up." 
 
Sarkozy to the U.S. - Chirac Annoyed 
 
"Chirac Considers Sarkozy's Pro-Atlantic Stance 'Lamentable'" 
Antoine Guiral in left-of-center Liberation (09/18): "As one 
listened to Sarkozy's speech in New York, it was clear that two 
different visions of the world, two different doctrines were at 
odds, Sarkozy's and the President's...  Says Dominique Moisi: 
'Sarkozy spoke to America using a different tone. He does not have 
that reflex reaction of anti-Americanism dear to many French 
politicians...'  Because of President Chirac's speech at UNGA this 
week, the Elysee has tried to minimize the President's reactions... 
insisting that Sarkozy's meeting with President Bush did not 
indicate a 'change' in France's policy... '   While the 
confrontation with the U.S. was a founding element in PM Villepin's 
career, and the decision to stay out of the war in Iraq one of the 
most highly acclaimed results of the President's policies.  Sarkozy, 
says Moisi, 'is taking a real political risk by refusing to play on 
France's natural penchant for anti-Americanism.'  Something the 
opposition immediately picked up on:  Laurent Fabius said on 
Saturday that 'France did not need to be led by someone whose 
program was based on being the U.S. President's next poodle...' 
Since Thursday, the Socialist Deputy from Landes, Henri Emmanuelli 
has denounced 'Sarkozy, lying like a puppy in front of his master 
Bush. Chirac can't be far from thinking the same thing." 
 
"Anti-Americanism: the Religion of Imbeciles." 
National Assembly Representative Pierre Lellouche in left-of-center 
Liberation (09/18): "Interior Minister Sarkozy's visit to the U.S. 
celebrated a profound alliance, not an alignment...  But because are 
seven months from a presidential election, and because certain 
French elites enjoy cultivating anti-Americanism as a national 
religion, criticism was quick to follow... Should we not have proven 
our solidarity with the Americans on this 5th anniversary of 9/11? 
...  The dictatorship of 'the French-style politically correct,' is 
such that to admit to being a friend of the U.S. has become a sort 
of 'political error...'  France is a great nation, and even if the 
French like Coke, and American mini-series, our nation has not sunk 
so low that it needs to define itself as America's opponent. This is 
why anti-Americanism is the nationalism of imbeciles..." 
 
Non-Aligned Summit in Havana - Anti-Americanism 
 
"Non-Aligned" 
Left-of-center Le Monde in its editorial (09/18):  "Originally, the 
non-aligned wanted to stay at equal distance from the two blocks 
which dominated the world, the U.S. and the Communist block... But 
since the 90s, the Movement is fueled by a one-way feeling of 
hostility towards the U.S.  In Havana, Hugo Chavez is trying to 
federate the summit around anti-Americanism. But his task is 
difficult because, although African, Asian and Latin American 
leaders are ready to denounce' America's 'hegemony,' they are not 
all ready to break their ties with Washington...  Many conduct 
liberal policies in their countries, while others depend on U.S. 
subsidies and have adopted to moderate their criticism of the U.S. 
They managed to eliminate from the Havana resolution the harshest of 
the texts on Iraq and Israeli policy...  But one issue does unite 
them: the UN reform and their desire to 'democratize' the 
international organization, even if they disagree on many points. 
Which is why the much needed reform of the UN is not about to 
happen." STAPLETON