[Translated from Le Monde (Paris)]

International Organizations

BARNIER TRIES TO SELL BUSH ON DIALOGUE OPTION WITH IRANIANS
By Corine Lesnes

Le Monde (Paris)
May 3, 2005

http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3220,36-645589@51-645328,0.html

When he arrived at the White House, where he had a meeting with the national security advisor, Stephen Hadley, Michel Barnier was surprised to be ushered into the Oval Office. President Bush had decided personally to receive the head of French diplomacy.

Interviewed by the press on Monday, May 2, Mr. Barnier did not want to say what had motivated this gesture. He simply indicated that Lebanon had been at the center of the conversation with the American president, as well as the peace process in the Near East, "and, naturally, Iran." According to diplomatic sources in Washington, Mr. Bush, in his second term, "is looking into things himself a lot more."

On Iran, Mr. Barnier was discreet. He tried to keep last week's threat by Iran to resume the enrichment of uranium in proportion. He indicated that Mr. Bush had taken the same line, affirming "the usefulness of negotiations." On the American side, there was "vigilance," the minister said, and no longer the "mistrust" with respect to the European initiative that he had noticed on the occasion of his last visit, in December. "There was the example of Lebanon," was how he summed it up. He refused to commit himself to a discussion of timing, but the Europeans don't foresee the situation changing before the June 17 presidential election in Iran. "We have to be ready to take this time," said Mr. Barnier.

On Lebanon, President Bush likes to hear what Paris thinks. After the Syrian withdrawal that took place at the end of April, the two countries have to decide on the strategy to follow at the U.N. To this end, a joint communiqué was published at the conclusion of the minister's conversation with his American counterpart, Condoleezza Rice. It emphasizes that the Syrian withdrawal still needs to be verified by the U.N. and warns against any "residual Syrian presence" and all "interference."

Paris and Washington are encouraging the holding of elections and conclude with an office of assistance: "France and the United States are prepared to respond to requests for assistance" that may be presented by the government that comes out of these elections. The communiqué doesn't mention, however, the question of the status of Hezbollah, which is supposed to be disarmed according to Resolution 1559 of the United Nations.

Europe and the referendum on the Constitution was also mentioned. Asked about her preferences, Madame Rice answered that she was for the "Yes." She recalled that the United States had "supported the European project" from the beginning and that this "was continuing."

The French minister was in Washington for one of the visits he wants to make every two months to consolidate the Franco-American reconciliation. One gets the impression from certain commentaries from neoconservatives that there is good reason to undertake such an initiative: "The French government continues to show the same icy scorn for American interests," writes Gary Schmitt, the director of one of their institutes, the Project for a New American Century. Mr. Barnier's rejection of the American suggestion to have NATO get involved in Darfur and take positions on political questions is held against him. Asked about this, Mr. Barnier said nothing. "We continued the dialogue with Madame Rice on NATO," he simply confirmed.

--
Translated by Mark K. Jensen
Associate Professor of French
Department of Languages and Literatures
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA 98447-0003
Phone: 253-535-7219
Home page: http://www.plu.edu/~jensenmk/
E-mail: jensenmk@plu.edu