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Lucia A Keegan  11/29/2006 09:31:29 AM  From  DB/Inbox:  Lucia A Keegan

Cable 
Text:                                                                      
                                                                           
      
UNCLAS        PARIS 07567

SIPDIS
cxparis:
    ACTION: PAO
    INFO:   ARS DCM AMB POL

DISSEMINATION: PAOX
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: PA:JBULLOCK
DRAFTED: PA:CGORSE
CLEARED: CAO:LMARGIOU; POL:GRECINOS; LILLE:JHAWKINS

VZCZCFRI266
RR RUEHC RUEHZL RUEKJCS RUEHGB
DE RUEHFR #7567/01 3321405
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281405Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3402
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0540

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 007567 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/PPD 
SECDEF FOR OSD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KPAO KDEM IZ FR
SUBJECT:  SIGIR Stuart Bowen's PD Program in France, Nov 20 - 22, 
2006 
 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  The Embassy's Public Affairs Section (PAS) took 
advantage of the visit to France of Special Inspector General for 
Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) Stuart Bowen, November 20-22, 2006, to 
program him as a "target of opportunity" speaker in both Paris and 
Lille.  Presenting updated information from the most recent SIGIR 
Quarterly Report to the U.S. Congress, Mr. Bowen described for both 
French military and media audiences the work of SIGIR's auditors, 
inspectors and investigators, highlighting the challenges they face 
providing fiscal oversight of U.S.-led reconstruction in Iraq.  Mr. 
Bowen's three-day schedule in France was organized by PAS to give 
senior French military and civilian officials, as well as 
journalists and European diplomats, a better understanding of U.S. 
reconstruction policy in Iraq.  Mr. Bowen's presentations combined 
hard data, informed analysis and personal experience with great 
effectiveness.  His remarks were well-received, with his 
interlocutors reporting him to be credible, objective and willing to 
acknowledge reconstruction problems that need to be and are being 
addressed, such as unsatisfactory performance by some contractors. 
While in Paris, Mr. Bowen also met with the Ambassador and briefed 
Embassy officers.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. His three-day program included "off-the-record" talks with 
members of the Forces Employment Doctrine Center (CDEF), a think 
tank attached to the Ministry of Defense, military officers 
stationed at the French Army Land Forces Command (CFAT), opinion 
leaders members of the Forum du Futur (a non-partisan organization 
of opinion leaders) and European delegates members of the political 
committee of the Assembly of the Western European Union.  He also 
met with French journalists, the Ambassador to France and political 
officers at the Embassy. 
 
¶3.  On November 20, Stuart Bowen had a private meeting with General 
Desportes, the Director of the Forces Employment Doctrine Center 
(CDEF), a think tank attached to the Ministry of Defense.  He 
presented to CDEF members material from the two "lessons learned" 
reports published by SIGIR in 2006, which cover lessons in human 
capital management and in contracting and procurement. Mr. Bowen's 
contribution to the work of CDEF was seen in one of the 
participant's reaction: "The French military doctrine is making 
progress through U.S. difficulties in Iraq." 
 
Traveling to Lille in the afternoon, he participated in a 
closed-door briefing to senior officers of the French Army Land 
Forces Command (CFAT).  The meeting, hosted by CFAT Chief of Staff 
Gen Lafontaine, included two other general officers, and several 
colonels on the CFAT staff.  Mr. Bowen, with APP Lille Consul, led a 
free-ranging and frank discussion of the work of the Inspector 
General, progress in U.S.-led reconstruction efforts, and the 
current situation in Iraq. 
 
¶4.  On November 21, Mr. Bowen spoke, off-the-record, at a breakfast 
organized by the Forum du Futur, a non-partisan organization of 
opinion leaders, about US reconstruction projects in Iraq and his 
determination to ensure accountability and transparency.  Mr. Bowen 
also suggested that it would be timely for France and other nations 
to join U.S. efforts to rebuild Iraq, citing the pending 
finalization of the International Compact for Iraq.  At the 
conclusion of the presentation, the president of the Forum du Futur 
emphasized that while France had not supported the US intervention 
in Iraq, they have great respect for the sacrifices of members of 
the U.S. military in Iraq, and their families. 
 
His day concluded with an on-the-record briefing with French 
journalists. Mr. Bowen reviewed the current situation in Iraq in 
terms of reconstruction programs and operations and his findings on 
the use of the IRRF (Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund). He 
emphasized the need for Iraqi government ministries to take a more 
active role in reconstruction management, and in fighting 
corruption.  He also noted that SIGIR's emphasis in coming months 
will be to assess projects that have been completed to determine if 
they are meeting the needs for which they were developed. 
Throughout his appearances, he stressed the difficulties posed by 
the violence in Iraq, and the need for more effort in developing 
"rule of law" programs. ("support from France would be ` propos".) 
 
 
¶5.  A Western European Union political officer attending the Forum 
du Futur's meeting, arranged an invitation for Mr. Bowen to make 
remarks for European Parliamentarians attending the Political 
Committee of the Assembly of the Western European Union in Paris on 
November 22.  Delegates expressed appreciation for the perspectives 
offered by Mr. Bowen. 
 
¶6.  During his visit in Paris, Mr. Bowen also met with Ambassador 
Craig Stapleton and Embassy officers. 
 
¶7.  This cable was cleared by Jim Mitchell, Assistant Inspector 
General for Congressional & Public Affairs to the Special Inspector 
General for Iraq Reconstruction, before his departure from Paris. 
STAPLETON