The French-American Foundation Weekly Brief

 FRANCE

Le Figaro described the courtroom scene, as former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin defended his innocence against his involvement in attempting to ruin Sarkozy’s bid for President from 2003 to 2004. He stated that he was happy to “contribute to bringing truth” to the accusations by taking part in the trial, according to tf1.ici.fr. Le Nouvel Observateur reported that former presidential candidate Ségolène Royal expressed that President Sarkozy should not take part of the trial as a civilian, stating that there are others that can be involved and that “the presence of the President of the Republic, who is the head of state, is not needed.”

The French government released its budget for 2010, announcing a record deficit from 2009 of 140 billion euros, or 8.2 percent of its GDP. The think tank Terra Nova provided an analysis of the budget.

The Connexion reported a new law passed by Parliament which makes the local government responsible for private school tuition for those children whose needs are not met at the local school, causing some to question the separation of church and state since many of these children eventually go to catholic schools outside their districts.

Minister of Ecology Jean-Louis Borloo announced a program to grow the number of electric and hybrid cars to two million by 2020, according to Les Echos.

 

UNITED STATES

The New York Times reported that the Senate Finance Committee rejected two healthcare plans that would include a public option. Politico.com explained that it is now up to President Obama to decide if the bill that goes to the Senate for approval will include a public option, with Senate sources saying that he is unlikely to immediately push for the public option.

Afghan immigrant Najibullah Zazi pleaded not guilty to charges to commit terrorist acts against the United States in court after he was allegedly found to have received weapons and explosives training at an al-Queda camp in Pakistan last year, and the raw materials and know-how to make explosives were found in a temporary residence in Queens, according to the New York Times. Time magazine gave an in-depth account of Zazi’s life in the United States, his connections to al-Qaeda and how he may have become involved in a substantial plot against the U.S.

Le Monde reported that General Secretary of Nato Anders Fogh Rasmussen agreed that the mission in Afghanistan should be a joint US-Nato mission, but has not revealed what the revised plan will be. Former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush Karl Rove, writing in the Wall Street Journal, stated that Obama’s lack of continuous direct contact with General Stanley McChrystal will only worsen the situation in Afghanistan and that President Obama must now take an active role.

The New York Times reported the firing of 1,800 illegal immigrants working in an American Apparel clothing factory in Los Angeles, as a result of an investigation by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which opened audits on businesses in the United States in July to encourage them to hire only those who work in the United States legally.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Le Nouvel Observateur announced that a report to be released next week will give important details into the losses of the 22 largest European banks, an estimated 400 billion euros. The EU Observer reported that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is seeking an additional 10 billion euros from its member states to add to its current holdings of 20 billion euros in order to lend more money to central and eastern Europe.

The BBC described The International Monetary Fund’s most recent World Economics Outlook report, predicting that the economy within the Eurozone will decrease by 4.2 percent this year and increase by .3 percent in 2010, while the United States will see the economy shrink by 2.7 percent in 2009 and grow by 1.5 percent in 2010.

Le Parisien reported that Toyota recalled 3.8 million cars in the United States, as the floor matt may cause the accelerator pedal to jam. This is the largest recall ever for the Japanese carmaker and involves some of the most popular Lexus and Camry sedans.

The EU Observer reported that the Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which is responsible for the development of the Internet and for the management of domain names, announced that it will no longer be under the scrutiny of the U.S. Department of Commerce, a reform long sought by Europe.

 

INTERNATIONAL

Representatives from the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, China and Russia met with Iranian representatives to discuss Iran’s refusal to cease its nuclear ambitions, coming after the detection of a uranium enrichment site in Iran, the nation’s announcement of a second site and the firing of test missiles. The New York Times reported that Iranian foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki concluded that the talks were “constructive” and is willing to increase further talks to a summit status, in which the heads of state would be involved.

The Guardian reported that American diplomat William Burns and Iranian official Saeed Jalili met during a one-on-one session, marking the most substantive bilateral talks in over 30 years. Policy Watch at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy described why President Mahmoud Ahmadinezh might be hesitant to accept cooperation with the western nations and the potential effects that consequent sanctions against Iran would have on the country.

The National Journal provided an overview of the U.N. climate change summit in New York and gave a detailed analysis of what the outcome of the event means for the upcoming summit in Copenhagen.

The L.A. Times provided testimony from the 13 year old girl whom director Roman Polanski assaulted in 1977, urging the public to not take the matter lightly, while Robert Harris, who has worked closely with Polanski, questioned why he should be arrested so many years later. Politics Daily explained why the Polanksi case cannot just be ignored. Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and Minister of Culture Frédéric Mitterrand have both issued statements in support of Polanksi, while Le Figaro reported that there is a mixture of opinion in France regarding his incarceration.

A series of natural disasters struck Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, including a typhoon that killed 31 people in Vietnam, a draught in India, the worst since 1972, and three earthquakes. The first was underwater with a magnitude of 8.0 occurring off the Samoa Islands and killing at least 104 people, while the second was on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, killing at least 529 people, according to the New York Times. A third earthquake occurred just 140 miles southeast of the second. The death count is expected to rise as victims are unearthed from beneath collapsed buildings.