US embassy cable - 03HARARE2081

UNCLAS HARARE 002081 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS 
AF FOR RAYNOR 
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 MEP; HARARE 
 
 
  1.   Under headline "U. S. double standards on Israel 
      deplorable" the pro-government weekly "The Sunday 
      Mirror" dedicated its October 12 editorial to 
      accusing the United States of treating Israel with 
      kid gloves.  "The U. S.'s hypocrisy and double 
      standards when it comes to dealing with Israel's 
      travesties against international law and conventions 
      has done irreparable damage to its credibility as an 
      honest mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian 
      conflict," the editorial charged.  Excerpts: 
 
  2.   "Once again, the U. S. is threatening to use its veto 
      power in the U. N. Security Council to upstage a resolution 
      that does not favor its erstwhile ally, Israel.  The U. N. 
      Security Council will this week hold an open session on 
      Israel's construction of a security barrier in the 
      Palestinian West bank, but the U. S. has hinted it will 
      veto an Arab-proposed resolution declaring the barrier 
      illegal. . .The U. S. has used its veto power in the 
      council to block several resolutions it had considered to 
      be anti-Israel.  Recently, President George W. Bush lamely 
      defended Israel's military attack on Syria on the grounds 
      that Israel had a right to defend itself.  The U. S.'s 
      hypocrisy and double standards when it comes to dealing 
      with Israel's travesties against international law and 
      conventions has done irreparable damage to its credibility 
      as an honest mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 
 
SULLIVAN