VZCZCXRO8962
RR RUEHIK RUEHYG
DE RUEHFR #6785/01 2861605
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 131605Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2196
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEHMRE/AMCONSUL MARSEILLE 1361
RUEHSR/AMCONSUL STRASBOURG 0204

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 006785 
 
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TAGS: PREL KPAO OPRC SENV FR
SUBJECT:  MEDIA WRAP-UP: DPRK'S NUCLEAR TEST, UNEASE WITH RUSSIA AND 
CLIMATE CHANGE.  OCTOBER 13, 2006 
 
 
PARIS 00006785  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. (SBU) Three major stories emerged this week:  North Korea's 
nuclear test, fallout and international reactions to the slaying of 
Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya and western criticism of 
Putin's regime, and commentary on Al Gore's documentary film on 
climate change.  French media unequivocally saw the DPRK's nuclear 
test as a symptom of Western diplomatic failure and warned of the 
dangers of nuclear proliferation.  (Note:  North Korea is also set 
to dominate discussion on upcoming weekend (10/14-15) talk shows. 
End Note.)  In commentaries denouncing the murder of Russian human 
rights activist and journalist Anna Politkovskaya, French media 
decried the West's complacency vis-a-vis Putin.  France's position 
on the Kyoto Protocol and previous criticism of the U.S. as the 
"world's number one polluter" served as the background for positive 
portrayals of former Vice President Al Gore's 
political/environmental documentary.   End Summary. 
 
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DPRK'S NUCLEAR TEST -- WEST STYMIED 
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¶2. (SBU) With the Iranian nuclear crisis still very much unresolved, 
French media were quick to fault the six-way talks, describing the 
current crisis as a "setback for the U.S. President," a "diplomatic 
fiasco" for China and a "major slap in the face for the West in 
general."  Right-of-center Le Figaro's editorial suggested that 
North Korea's test would serve as a "green light" for Tehran, while 
left-wing Liberation asked, "After North Korea, Iran?"  Researcher 
Therese Delpeche argued in right-of-center Le Figaro that "instead 
of one nuclear crisis we now have two."  At the start of the week, 
left-of-center Le Monde mused skeptically that China could resolve 
its dilemma only by imposing sanctions on its "principal ally," but 
modified its editorial line over the course of the week to 
acknowledge that Beijing was "ready to sanction" Pyongyang.  Most 
commentators agreed that, because North Korea was already so 
isolated, "imposing sanctions would be ineffective."  Nevertheless, 
government-run FR2 television sympathetically described the U.S. as 
seeking "sanctions that would hurt, really hurt."  The more 
pessimistic among the commentators declared that non-proliferation 
"had failed," raising concerns of a "worldwide network of nuclear 
dissemination" through a "domino effect."  Reports uniformly faulted 
North Korea for its "megalomania" while suggesting that its message 
"may be one more call for a dialogue with the U.S."  Catholic La 
Croix reported that "France's entire political class condemned the 
test, albeit in different words." 
 
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MEDIA CRITICIZES WEST'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS PUTIN 
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¶3. (SBU) French media outlets used the occasion of Russian human 
rights activist and journalist Anna Politkovskaya's murder to pen a 
number of opinion pieces asking "whether her death was politically 
motivated" and pointedly criticizing Putin's regime. 
Right-of-center Le Figaro described Politkovskaya as "Russia's 
conscience" while left-of center Le Monde asked whether "her death 
would serve as a wake up call for European leaders."  Commentators 
and political leaders spoke out against "Putin's public relations" 
campaign during the recent July G-8 summit in St. Petersburg. 
Parliamentarian Pierre Lellouche (UMP) criticized "France's 
benevolence towards Russia, an aggressive and hostile nation." 
Left-wing Liberation intoned that "although Putin may have been a 
mere spectator, he was responsible for setting the stage for 
[Russia's] 'theatre of crime.'" 
 
¶4. (SBU) French media insisted that Putin's visit to Germany, 
originally scheduled to discuss energy cooperation issues, took on a 
"more political turn" because of the Russian journalist's murder. 
French media linked Politkovskaya's murder to ongoing concerns about 
Russia's "state-run capitalism," especially in regard to energy 
issues.  Editorials linked Russian attempts to renegotiate drilling 
licenses previously issued to European oil companies operating in 
Russia, the controversial pipeline crossing Iran and the Middle 
East, as well as the Russian purchases shares in EADS, the parent 
company of Airbus to concerns about rule-of-law in Putin's Russia. 
Right-of-center economic daily Les Echos characterized Putin's 
efforts as "seeking to implement a completely asymmetric economic 
relationship with Europe."  "France cannot just have trade 
agreements with Russia, it must demand that principles be 
respected," proclaimed France's Socialist Party, requesting that 
 
PARIS 00006785  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
"President Chirac ask for an explanation." 
 
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CLIMATE CHANGE:  FRENCH AGREE WITH DOCUMENTARY 
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¶5. (SBU) Left-of-center Le Monde, which carried an interview with 
former Vice President Gore in which he declared that the U.S. "will 
sign the Kyoto protocol," editorialized on the "curious paradox of a 
former Vice President from the world's most polluting nation" coming 
to France to elicit interest in climate change from 
parliamentarians.  Left-wing Liberation argued that Gore's "message 
was all the more pertinent because it came from the former Vice 
President of a nation which refused to sign the Kyoto protocol." 
Left-of-center Le Monde described the initiatives to reduce 
emissions by 300 U.S. mayors and governors as "more in line with Al 
Gore than President Bush" and noted the local leaders have decided 
to act "on their own."  Government-run FR2 television claimed that 
"since Katrina, Americans have changed their attitude towards 
climate change."  Significantly, Gore also was the guest of leading 
Europe-1 radio interviewer Jean-Pierre Elkabbach.  Elkabbach rarely 
invites non-French speakers for his morning drive-time 10-minute 
segment. 
STAPLETON