<http://english.daralhayat.com/opinion/OPED/06-2007/Article-20070613-24afad9d-c0a8-10ed-01b1-69968fbfa838/story.html> French Policy Toward Lebanon Between Bush and Sarkozy Randa Takieddin Al-Hayat - 13/06/07//
Before Sarkozy's election as President of France there was an impression that Nicolas Sarkozy's relations with the US will resemble those of Tony Blair. Everyone believed that his links with the US, his political approach and his interest in Israel's security, above all, would make him the most US subordinate French President.
This belief has been strengthened after Sarkozy kicked off his diplomatic activity at the G8 summit in Germany. Although he was slightly indisposed, President George W. Bush insisted on receiving his French counterpart on the sidelines of the summit at his suite.
Bush expressed great respect for Sarkozy's diplomatic adviser, Jean-David Levitte, who served as ambassador to Washington before assuming his new post. During a meeting of the eight presidents, Bush stood up to greet Levitte, in a gesture of respect noticed by everyone in the room.
There were also clear gestures from Bush to Sarkozy as the former invited the latter to visit him in US. The French President said that he would visit the US next September, the date of the convening of UN General Assembly.
In spite of these gestures, that reflect a new start in the French-US alliance following France's opposing attitude toward the US war in Iraq, there are still differences in the two president's analyses.
Sarkozy, who is characterized by his candid and forthright rhetoric with the media, acknowledged differences in attitude toward Syria. He justified that by saying that Bush's experience with the Syrian regime over six years had made him see that there is no point of contact with this regime and that it must be isolated.
Sarkozy wonders whether dialogue should be resumed at the diplomatic, and not the political, level with Syria, stressing that the resumption of such a dialogue is conditional on Syrian recognition of Lebanon's independence and sovereignty and uncovering the killers of martyr Premier Rafik Hariri. The new French President is also aware of the truth of the Syrian policy in Lebanon. Furthermore, he has a diplomatic adviser, who is well experienced as he worked as adviser to former President Jacques Chirac and he followed up on the Lebanese issue when he was France's ambassador to the UN and in Washington.
Nevertheless, the diplomats in the Foreign Ministry, especially Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, are determined to resume dialogue with Syria at the diplomatic level, because they are convinced that this is better than keeping away from it, as far as Lebanon is concerned. Hence the difference of opinion with the US is over Kouchner's initiative to bring together the Lebanese parties in France.
But the US administration believes that Kouchner has rashly invited Syria's allies; Hezbollah, Amal and the other forces allied with them, which gives the impression that France is moving away from the legitimate government and the March 14 forces.
There is no doubt that the discrepant opinions over Lebanon show that France wants to play a vital role at the Lebanese level, although it completely agrees with the US on this dossier, given the fact that it has contributed to Security Council resolutions 1559, 1701 and 1757.
The US administration does not favor such a move and expresses concern about a French move that may end in a failure that will weaken the French diplomacy, as well as its US allies, regarding the Lebanese situation.
Kouchner, the man of initiatives and quick moves, aims at finding solutions to serious crises. Moreover, the French diplomats, who are working on the Lebanese and Syrian dossiers in the French Foreign Ministry; including Director-General of the Middle East Department Jane F. Paganon, Ambassador Jean-Claude Cousseran, who is visiting Lebanon to prepare for the meeting of Lebanese rivals, French foreign minister's adviser Christophe Pigoy and France's ambassador to Lebanon Bernard Emié, are the best experts in Middle East issues, particularly Lebanon and Syria.
It is therefore unreasonable for them to take an initiative that is doomed to failure and jeopardizes Sarkozy's diplomacy, as the US administration believes. At the time being, Sarkozy focuses on the French internal affairs as he wants to succeed in the reform platform on which he campaigned, leaving the heated files to Kouchner, although watchung him closely through his adviser, Levitte, who has a strong professional relationship and friendship with Ambassador Emié, who worked on his team when he was an adviser to President Chirac.
Can this integrated diplomatic team at the Elysee and the foreign ministry commit a grave mistake as the US administration believes?
The near future will show who is right and whether Bush will invite Sarkozy to his ranch contrary to what he did with his predecessor, Jacques Chirac.
<http://www.ejpress.org/article/news/western_europe/17393> France to host informal meeting of Lebanese political forces including Hezbollah By Joseph Byron Updated: 12/Jun/2007 13:02
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, who visited Lebanon last month shortly after his nomination at the head of the "Quai d'Orsay", took the initiative to include Hezbollah in the list of invitees.
PARIS (EJP)---France has invited representatives of all political forces in Lebanon, including Hezbollah, to an informal gathering near Paris at the end of June, EJP has learned.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, who visited Lebanon last month shortly after his nomination at the head of the "Quai d'Orsay", took the initiative to include Hezbollah in the list of invitees.
Before his election as President, Nicolas Sarkozy had declared that "if Hezbollah considers itself as a political party, it must demonstrate that it is capable."
Former President Jacques Chirac had always opposed Israel's demand to consider Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation.
Hezbollah waged a month-long war with Israel last summer, sending over hundreds of Katyusha rockets into the north of the country before a cease fire was agreed on.
Serene location
The meeting will take place outside the French capital "in a serene place". It is aimed at facilitating the renewal of a dialogue between the various Lebanese parties, the French Foreign Ministry said.
The ministry has insisted that it would not be an international conference on Lebanon and that "in principle" no other country would be invited.
Before his election as President, Nicolas Sarkozy had declared that "if Hezbollah considers itself as a political party, it must demonstrate that it is capable."
Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet newly elected French President Nicolas Sarkozy during a visit to Paris next week, his office said Sunday.
The meeting has not yet been officially confirmed by the Elysée Palace in Paris.
Abbas is also due to meet Prime Minister Francois Fillon and Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner during the trip, the official said on condition on anonymity.
It will be the first meeting between the two leaders since Sarkozy became president last month.
The Palestinians are hoping that he will continue France's traditional support for their cause.
Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister Azzam al-Ahmed said the meeting is an affirmation of the French-Palestinian friendship.
The Palestinians hope France, under Sarkozy, will continue to push for a fair solution of the Palestinian problem, al-Ahmed said.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is likely to visit France during the summer.
<http://www.ejpress.org/article/17485> Jewish body protests against Hezbollah's presence at Paris Lebanon meeting EJP Updated: 15/Jun/2007 15:18
PARIS (EJP)---CRIF, the umbrella group representing French Jewish secular organisations, has protested against the announced presence of Hezbollah at a meeting on Lebanon initiatted by France.
The gathering is due to take place at the end of June near Paris.
Richard Prasquier, the recently elected new president of CRIF, wrote a letter to French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner in which he expresses the group's "incomprehension and indignation" at the news that Hezbollah has also been invited.
Earlier this week, the French foreign ministry confirmed that representatives of all political forces in Lebanon, including the Shiite party, have been invited to a an informal gathering aimed at renewing a dialogue between the various Lebanese parties.
Bernard Kouchner, who visited Lebanon last month shortly after his nomination, took the initiative to include Hezbollah in the list of invitees.
In his letter, the head of CRIF stressed that Hezbollah is "a terrorist organisation" and recalled that that it had kidnapped last year two Israeli soldiers whose families have no information about them.
Jean-Baptiste Mattei, the French foreign ministry's spokesman, told European Jewish Press that Hezbollah is one of the 14 groups represented in the Lebanese parliament and participating in the country's national dialogue.
"It would be difficult to ignore a party represented in the parliament," he said.
He stressed however that it "doesn't mean that we give up our demand that Hezbollah releases the two Israeli soldiers and stops military and terrorist activities."
Mattei said that no date has been set yet for the meeting. "The list of participants is not definitive yet," he added. -- Yoshie