VZCZCXRO9245
RR RUEHIK RUEHYG
DE RUEHFR #7213/01 3071637
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 031637Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2843
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEHMRE/AMCONSUL MARSEILLE 1417
RUEHSR/AMCONSUL STRASBOURG 0237

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 007213 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/PPD, EUR/WE, INR, R 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KPAO OPRC FR
SUBJECT:  MEDIA WRAP-UP: IRAQ AND U.S. MID-TERM ELECTIONS, NATO'S 
CALL FOR MORE TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN, EUROPE'S APPROACH TO MUSLIM 
HEAD SCARF. NOVEMBER 3, 2006. 
 
 
PARIS 00007213  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. (SBU) Speculation about the upcoming U.S. mid-term elections and 
the impact of the war in Iraq elicited widespread conjecture about 
the prospects for a new U.S. strategy for Iraq.  President 
Talabani's visit to Paris prompted additional discussion of the need 
for international support for his country's reconstruction. 
Concerns about the loss of ground in Afghanistan and the need for 
greater international commitment led right-of-center Le Figaro to 
warn against abandoning NATO to an "impossible mission."  The UK 
controversy over the banning of the Muslim scarf in public received 
some coverage in light of France's own stance on the issue.  The 
story returned to the forefront in the media as a European-wide 
issue, with French presidential hopeful Philippe de Villiers 
declaring himself in favor of banning the scarf from all public 
places.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
IRAQ:  MIDTERM ELECTIONS, TALABANI MEETS CHIRAC 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶2. (SBU) For left-wing Liberation the coming midterm elections have 
become an "American Battle" in which, despite solid economic growth, 
"the war in Iraq will play into the hands of the Democrats."  Even 
if left-wing Liberation acknowledged that Americans "were not 
questioning the use of force in Iraq," it concluded they were 
"calling into question the lack of results."  The daily argued that 
"never since Vietnam have international affairs so influenced 
American elections."  Right-of-center Le Figaro wondered whether the 
elections would serve as "a referendum" on the Bush Administration's 
Iraq policy, but noted that the Democrats where "divided on a 
pullout calendar."  Despite the divisions inside the Democratic 
Party, right-of-center Le Figaro concluded the Republicans "could be 
facing a Congressional upset."  Popular right-of-center Le Parisien 
noted President Bush's less "optimistic" stance during his recent 
press conference when he spoke of the "escalation of violence in 
Baghdad."  But right-of-center Le Figaro described the U.S. 
President as "back on the war path, as if he were on the ballot 
himself:  he loosened his tie and turned up his sleeves during a 
marathon visit of seven states." 
 
¶3. (SBU) Iraq's President Talabani's visit to Paris had some 
commentators arguing that "the time had come to turn a new page in 
the Franco-Iraqi relationship."  Popular right-of-center Le Parisien 
reported that Talabani was in Paris to "ask France to play a greater 
role in Iraq's reconstruction."  But regional press editorialist 
Jacques Camus cast doubt about "what President Chirac could promise, 
other than to invite Europe to contribute diplomatically and 
economically in the establishment of democracy in Iraq." 
Right-of-center Le Figaro headlined its interview of the Iraqi 
President:  "Paris Must Support Iraq," and highlighted Talabani's 
explanation that "negotiations" were under way "to integrate 
opposition groups in the framework of a national reconciliation." 
Georges Malbrunot's long, thoughtful analytic piece for 
right-of-center Le Figaro concluded that "a well-contained 
federalism was a pre-condition for Iraq's survival.  Only then can 
the U.S. consider a gradual pullout." 
 
----------------------------- 
AFGHANISTAN--SUPPORT FOR NATO 
----------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) As France, according to Catholic La Croix, begins preparing 
for its withdrawal from Afghanistan, the paper interviewed NATO 
Commander General James Jones.  Under headlines saying, "SACEUR 
wants 'visible results' in the battle against drugs, and on security 
and judicial reforms," Jones argued that "the ultimate solution [for 
Afghanistan] is not a military solution."  Later in the week, 
right-of-center Le Figaro headlined: "Afghanistan Needs More Troops" 
as it reported British General David Richards's appeal in the 
British media.  Pierre Rousselin recalled in an editorial in 
right-of-center Le Figaro that "the war in Afghanistan, which 
started out under the best possible auspices, was not going well." 
Rousselin warned against a return of the Taliban, "who are better 
armed and organized thanks to Jihadists coming from Iraq." 
Rousselin appealed to the international community to "help NATO 
convince the local population it was its best option for salvation." 
 Rousselin concluded that "NATO's first operation outside its 
traditional North Atlantic zone must not be allowed to become a 
mission impossible." 
 
--------------------------------------- 
 
PARIS 00007213  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
EUROPE'S STANCE ON MUSLIM SCARF--A BAN? 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The French media showed particular interest in the recent 
UK debate over the banning of the Muslim scarf in public places. 
Left-of-center Le Monde titled its analysis "British 
Multiculturalism" and commented somewhat tongue-in-cheek that "gone 
are the days when the UK looked upon France's controversy over the 
banning of the Muslim scarf in public schools with a grain of 
superiority and contempt."  Jean-Pierre Langellier scoffed at the 
British tradition of "live and let live" and concluded that Blair's 
government had become aware that Islamic fundamentalism in the UK 
was "the bitter fruit of ethnic/religious separatism."  The weekly 
magazine Marianne speculated on whether "British-style integration 
was coming to an end."  More broadly, the media looked at the 
controversy as a sign of a confrontation with Muslim communities 
inside Europe and the failure of multiculturalism as a result of a 
"too broad acceptance" of customs based on religion and ethnicity. 
 
¶6. (SBU) In his weekly wrap-up column in right-of-center Le Figaro, 
Ivan Rioufol described the situation in France as "A Ticking Time 
Bomb, ... where  the wearing of the Muslim scarf in the streets has 
never been as widespread since it was banned from public schools." 
On November 2, right-of-center Le Figaro interviewed French 
Presidential hopeful Philippe de Villiers (Mouvement pour la France 
Party President) who stated he favored banning the wearing of Muslim 
scarves in public places, arguing that the scarf was an "obstacle" 
to Muslim integration.  He portrayed himself as the last "bastion" 
of protection for the Republic against 'communautarism.'  De 
Villiers argued that Islamic fundamentalism "threatened France's 
secularism" and that the laws of the Republic dictated that "Islam 
adapt to France" not the other way around. 
STAPLETON