US embassy cable - 03HARARE1949

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Identifier:	03HARARE1949
Wikileaks:	View 03HARARE1949 at Wikileaks.org
Origin:	Embassy Harare
Created:	2003-09-25 13:39:00
Classification:	UNCLASSIFIED
Tags:	PREL KPAO KMDR ZI
Redacted:	This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.

UNCLAS HARARE 001949 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS 
IRAQ PD FOR SMITH, PINESS AND ROOKARD 
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, KPAO, KMDR, ZI 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION IRAQ; HARARE 
 
  1.   Under headline "U. S. soldier serving in Iraq calls 
      for end to occupation based on lies: We're facing death for 
      no reason" the government-controlled daily published the 
      following hypercritical op-ed by Tim Predmore, a United 
      States soldier on active duty with the 101st Airborne 
      Division based near Mosul in northern Iraq.  The story was 
      lifted from "The Guardian" newspaper:  Excerpts follow: 
 
  2.   "For the past six months, I have been participating in 
      what I believe to be the greatest lie in modern times: 
      Operation Iraqi Freedom. . .`Shock and awe' were the words 
      used to describe the display of power that the world was 
      going to view upon the start of Operation Iraq Freedom - it 
      was to be an up-close, dramatic display of military 
      strength and advanced technology from within the arsenals 
      of the American and British military.  But as a soldier 
      preparing to take part in the invasion of Iraq, the words 
      `shock and awe' rang deep within my psyche. . .Without the 
      consent of the United Nations, the U. S. and Britain 
      invaded Iraq.  `Shock and awe?'  Yes, the words correctly 
      described the emotional impact I felt as we embarked on an 
      act not of justice, but of hypocrisy.  From the moment the 
      first shot was fired in this so-called war of liberation 
      and freedom, hypocrisy reigned. . .Oil - at least to me - 
      seems to be the reason for our presence.  There is only one 
      truth, and it is, Americans are dying. . .I once believed 
      that I was serving for a cause - `to uphold and defend the 
      constitution of the U. S.'  Now I no longer believe that. 
      I have lost my conviction as well as my determination.  I 
      can no longer justify my service on the basis of what I 
      believe to be half-truths and brazen lies. . . ." 
 
SULLIVAN