Written by: Diana West



Residence of the US Community Organizer, Paris

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From Wikileaks, more vital evidence of a US government running amok with malpractice. This time the revelation is that US Embassy in Paris is community-organizing the French umma. The cable, signed by US Ambassador Rivkin, is breathtaking in relating its invasive and patronizing plan -- a Minority Engagement Strategy for France, which, last time I checked, was still a functioning Western democratic republic.

Not good enough. Apparently, the United States must, and I quote, "help France realize its own egalitarian goals." Oh, and guess what measures of success include? "Growth in the number of constructive efforts by minority leaders to organize political support both within and beyond their own minority communities," and a "decrease in popular support for xenophobic political parties and platforms."



In other words, US policy is to become actively engaged in both community-organizing the Muslim minority in France and running the anti-Islamization parties out of town.

If I were France, I'd send this US ambassador packing toute de suite.

Via Galliawatch, which explains below that this policy began under George W. Bush:

January 19, 2010:

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 PARIS 000058

SUBJECT: EMBASSY PARIS - MINORITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY



Classified By: Ambassador Charles H. Rivkin, Reasons 1.4(b),(d).



¶1. (C/NF) SUMMARY: In keeping with France's unique history

and circumstances, Embassy Paris has created a Minority

Engagement Strategy that encompasses, among other groups, the

French Muslim population and responds to the goals outlined

in reftel A. Our aim is to engage the French population at

all levels in order to amplify France's efforts to realize

its own egalitarian ideals, thereby advancing U.S. national

interests. While France is justifiably proud of its leading

role in conceiving democratic ideals and championing human

rights and the rule of law, French institutions have not

proven themselves flexible enough to adjust to an

increasingly heterodox demography. We believe that if

France, over the long run, does not successfully increase

opportunity and provide genuine political representation for

its minority populations, France could become a weaker, more

divided country, perhaps more crisis-prone and

inward-looking, and consequently a less capable ally. To

support French efforts to provide equal opportunity for

minority populations, we will engage in positive discourse;

set a strong example; implement an aggressive youth outreach

strategy; encourage moderate voices; propagate best

practices; and deepen our understanding of the underlying

causes of inequality in France. We will also integrate the

efforts of various Embassy sections, target influential

leaders among our primary audiences, and evaluate both

tangible and intangible indicators of the success of our

strategy. END SUMMARY.



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BACKGROUND: THE CRISIS OF REPRESENTATION IN FRANCE

--------------------------------------------- -----



¶2. (C/NF) France has long championed human rights and the

rule of law, both at home and abroad, and justifiably

perceives itself as a historic leader among democratic

nations. This history and self-perception will serve us well

as we implement the strategy outlined here, in which we press

France toward a fuller application of the democratic values

it espouses. This strategy is necessary because French

institutions have not proven themselves flexible enough to

adjust to the country's increasingly heterodox demography.

Very few minorities hold leadership positions in France's

public institutions. As President Sarkozy's own Diversity

Czar Yazid Sabeg told Ambassador Rivkin in December, the

National Assembly "serves as a mirror of the crisis of

representation in France" (reftel B). The National Assembly,

among its 577 deputies, has a single black member from

metropolitan France (excluding its island territories), but

does not have any elected representatives of Muslim or Arab

extraction, though this minority group alone represents

approximately 10 percent of the population. The Senate has

two Muslim Senators (out of 343), but no black

representatives and only a few Senators hail from other

ethnic or religious minorities. Sabeg also noted that none

of France's approximately 180 Ambassadors is black, and only

one is of North African descent. Despite Sarkozy's

appointment of leaders such as Rachida Dati, Fidela Amara and

Rama Yade, minorities continue to confront a very thick glass

ceiling in France's public institutions. The French media

remains overwhelmingly white, with only modest increases in

minority representation on camera for major news broadcasts.

Among French elite educational institutions, we are only

aware that Sciences Po has taken serious steps to integrate.

While slightly better represented in private organizations,

minorities in France lead very few corporations and

foundations. Thus the reality of French public life defies

the nation's egalitarian ideals. In-group, elitist politics

still characterize French public institutions, while extreme

right, xenophobic policies hold appeal for a small (but

occasionally influential) minority. Post will continue to

explore other underlying causes of the social, political and

economic barriers impeding the advancement of minorities in

France (see Tactic 6, below).



¶3. (C/NF) France suffers consequences when its leading

institutions fail to reflect the composition of its

population. We believe France has not benefited fully from

the energy, drive, and ideas of its minorities. Despite some

French claims to serve as a model of assimilation and

meritocracy, undeniable inequities tarnish France's global

image and diminish its influence abroad. In our view, a

sustained failure to increase opportunity and provide genuine

political representation for its minority populations could

render France a weaker, more divided country. The

geopolitical consequences of France's weakness and division

will adversely affect U.S. interests, as we need strong

partners in the heart of Europe to help us promote democratic



PARIS 00000058 002 OF 004





values. Moreover, social exclusion has domestic consequences

for France, including the alienation of some segments of the

population, which can in turn adversely affect our own

efforts to fight global networks of violent extremists. A

thriving, inclusive French polity will help advance our

interests in expanding democracy and increasing stability

worldwide.



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A STRATEGY FOR FRANCE: OUR AIMS

-------------------------------



¶4. (C/NF) The overarching goal of our minority outreach

strategy is to engage the French population at all levels in

order to help France to realize its own egalitarian ideals.

Our strategy has three broad target audiences in mind: (1)

the majority, especially the elites; (2) minorities, with a

focus on their leaders; (3) and the general population.

Employing the seven tactics described below, we aim (1) to

increase awareness among France's elites of the benefits of

expanding opportunity and the costs of maintaining the status

quo; (2) to improve the skills and grow the confidence of

minority leaders who seek to increase their influence; (3)

and to communicate to the general population in France that

we particularly admire the diversity and dynamism of its

population, while emphasizing the advantages of profiting

from those qualities by expanding opportunities for all.



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TACTIC 1: ENGAGE IN POSITIVE DISCOURSE

--------------------------------------



¶5. (C/NF) First, we will focus our discourse on the issue of

equal opportunity. When we give public addresses about the

community of democracies, we will emphasize, among the

qualities of democracy, the right to be different, protection

of minority rights, the value of equal opportunity, and the

importance of genuine political representation. In private

meetings, we will deliberately direct questions about equal

opportunity in France to high-level, non-minority French

leaders. Rather than retreating from discussions involving

two sacred cows in France -- the concepts of "secularism" and

"communitarianism" -- we will engage French leaders directly

about the role that their terminology and intellectual

frameworks could play in creating (or diminishing) equality

of opportunity in France. We will endeavor to convey the

costs to France of the under-representation of minorities,

highlighting the benefits we have accumulated, over time, by

working hard to chip away at the various impediments faced by

American minorities. We will, of course, continue to adopt a

humble attitude regarding our own situation in the U.S., but

nevertheless will stress the innumerable benefits accruing

from a proactive approach to broad social inclusion,

complementing our French partners on any positive steps they

take. In addition, we will continue and intensify our work

with French museums and educators to reform the history

curriculum taught in French schools, so that it takes into

account the role and perspectives of minorities in French

history.



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TACTIC 2: SET A STRONG EXAMPLE

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¶6. (C/NF) Second, we will employ the tool of example. We

will continue and expand our efforts to bring minority

leaders from the U.S. to France, working with these American

leaders to convey an honest sense of their experience to

French minority and non-minority leaders alike. When we send

French leaders to America, we will include, as often as

possible, a component of their trip that focuses on equal

opportunity. In the Embassy, we will continue to invite a

broad spectrum of French society to our events, and avoid, as

appropriate, hosting white-only events, or minority-only

events. We will be inclusive, working in this way to break

down barriers, facilitate communication, and expand networks.

By bringing together groups who would not otherwise interact

together, the Embassy will continue to use its cachet to

create networking opportunities that cut through traditional

cultural and social barriers in France.



------------------------------------------

TACTIC 3: LAUNCH AGGRESSIVE YOUTH OUTREACH

------------------------------------------



¶7. (C/NF) Third, we will continue and expand our youth

outreach efforts in order to communicate about our shared

values with young French audiences of all socio-cultural

backgrounds. Leading the charge on this effort, the

Ambassador's inter-agency Youth Outreach Initiative aims to

engender a positive dynamic among French youth that leads to

greater support for U.S. objectives and values. Some



PARIS 00000058 003 OF 004





elements of our Youth Outreach Initiative have particular

importance for minorities, including:



-- Drawing heavily on new media, we aim first to build trust

and gain understanding among French youth from diverse

backgrounds.



-- While reinforcing mutual trust and understanding, we seek

to help France's next generation improve their capacity to

lead in their communities, while also conveying the

importance of transcending the bounds of their own

communities in order to make a broader, national impact.



-- To achieve these aims, we will build on the expansive

Public Diplomacy programs already in place at post, and

develop creative, additional means to influence the youth of

France, employing new media, corporate partnerships,

nationwide competitions, targeted outreach events, especially

invited U.S. guests.



-- We will also develop new tools to identify, learn from,

and influence future French leaders.



-- As we expand training and exchange opportunities for the

youth of France, we will continue to make absolutely certain

that the exchanges we support are inclusive.



-- We will build on existing youth networks in France, and

create new ones in cyberspace, connecting France's future

leaders to each other in a forum whose values we help to

shape -- values of inclusion, mutual respect, and open

dialogue.



----------------------------------

TACTC 4: ENCOURAGE MODERATE VOICES

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¶8. (C/NF) Fourth, we will encourage moderate voices of

tolerance to express themselves with courage and conviction.

Building on our work with two prominent websites geared

toward young French-speaking Muslims -- oumma.fr and

saphirnews.com -- we will support, train, and engage media

and political activists who share our values. As we continue

to meet with moderate leaders of minority groups, we will

also expand our efforts to facilitate grass roots inter-faith

exchanges. We will share in France, with faith communities

and with the Ministry of the Interior, the most effective

techniques for teaching tolerance currently employed in

American mosques, synagogues, churches, and other religious

institutions. We will engage directly with the Ministry of

Interior to compare U.S. and French approaches to supporting

minority leaders who seek moderation and mutual

understanding, while also comparing our responses to those

who seek to sow hatred and discord.



---------------------------------

TACTC 5: PROPAGATE BEST PRACTICES

---------------------------------



¶9. (C/NF) Fifth, we will continue our project of sharing

best practices with young leaders in all fields, including

young political leaders of all moderate parties so that they

have the toolkits and mentoring to move ahead. We will

create or support training and exchange programs that teach

the enduring value of broad inclusion to schools, civil

society groups, bloggers, political advisors, and local

politicians. Through outreach programs, Embassy officers

from all sections will interact and communicate to these same

groups our best practices in creating equal opportunities for

all Americans. We will also provide tools for teaching

tolerance to the network of over 1,000 American university

students who teach English in French schools every year.



--------------------------------------------- ----

TACTIC 6: DEEPEN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROBLEM

--------------------------------------------- ----



¶10. (C/NF) Sixth, through focused contact work, reporting

and analysis, we will deepen the USG understanding of the

underlying causes of inequality and discrimination in France.

We will break new ground by examining how the very structure

of some French institutions may limit minority representation

in elected office and the high ranks of the civil service.

Examining significant developments in depth, such as the

debate on national identity (reftel B), we plan to track

trends and, ideally, predict change in the status of

minorities in France, estimating how this change will impact

U.S. interests. As our awareness expands and deepens, we

will adjust, accordingly, the minority outreach strategy

described here.



--------------------------------------------- --------



PARIS 00000058 004 OF 004





TACTIC 7: INTEGRATE, TARGET, AND EVALUATE OUR EFFORTS

--------------------------------------------- --------



¶11. (C/NF) Finally, a Minority Working Group will integrate

the discourse, actions, and analysis of relevant sections and

agencies in the Embassy. This group, working in tandem with

the Youth Outreach Initiative, will identify and target

influential leaders and groups among our primary audiences.

It will also evaluate our impact over the course of the year,

by examining both tangible and intangible indicators of

success. Tangible changes include a measurable increase in

the number of minorities leading and participating in public

and private organizations, including elite educational

institutions; growth in the number of constructive efforts by

minority leaders to organize political support both within

and beyond their own minority communities; new, proactive

policies to enhance social inclusion adopted by non-minority

political leaders; expansion of inter-communal and

inter-faith exchanges at the local level; decrease in popular

support for xenophobic political parties and platforms.



While we could never claim credit for these positive

developments, we will focus our efforts in carrying out

activities, described above, that prod, urge and stimulate

movement in the right direction. In addition, we will track

intangible measures of success -- a growing sense of

belonging, for example, among young French minorities, and a

burgeoning hope that they, too, can represent their country

at home, and abroad, even one day at the pinnacle of French

public life, as president of the Republic.

RIVKIN

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In Galliawatch's entry, "American Instructs France," we learn that the above policy is not the creation of the Obama administration, but rather the extension of the Bush adminstration. Galliawatch explains:

Most of the information in the Wikileaks cables [above] had already been "leaked" to the MSM, since I had reported on it as early as July 2008 when George Bush was still in office. This initiative is a project of both Democrats and liberal Republicans. We cannot blame Obama, since Bush was ahead of him. Ambassador Rivkin has been a most compliant servant of diversity and post-Western multiculturalism.



Here's a related article about Sylvester Stallone's visit to a French suburb in August 2010.



And another from WatchingAmerica that reproduces an article from Le Monde. In this article ghetto residents explain that there is a difference between Bush's intervention and Obama's:



Imagine George Bush doing the same! “We would not have come,” said the young people. Nevertheless, according to experts, Barack Obama’s projects strangely resemble those of his predecessor. The "Greater Middle-East", for example, one of the former Republican president’s whims, is not without a link to the Obama administration’s partnership programs. However, there is an important difference, insists a diplomat: “Obama placed the political issue — the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — at the center of his foreign policy. With his Greater Middle-East, Bush tried to get around it."