US embassy cable - 01HARARE3047

UNCLAS HARARE 003047 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S, AF/RA, INR/R/MR, NSC 
FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ZI, PREL 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION STRIKE AGAINST TERROR; HARARE 
 
 
1.   THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY "THE FINANCIAL GAZETTE" 
   DEDICATED ITS OCTOBER 11 EDITORIAL TO THE U.S.-LED 
   MILITARY STRIKES ON TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS IN 
   AFGHANISTAN.  UNDER HEADLINE "WAR AND PEACE," THE PAPER 
   COMMENTS: 
 
2.   "UNITED STATES AND BRITISH AIR STRIKES AGAINST 
   TARGETS IN AFGHANISTAN, REGRETTABLE AS THEY ARE TO 
   THOSE WHO NEVER WANT WAR, WERE INEVITABLE IF ONLY TO 
   SEND A CLEAR SIGNAL TO THE TALIBAN AND ITS ADOPTED SON 
   OSAMA BIN LADEN THAT TERRORISM CANNOT AND MUST NEVER 
   PREVAIL.  INDEED BIN LADEN'S THREAT THIS WEEK TO 
   UNLEASH MORE TERROR AGAINST THE U. S. IN THE AFTERMATH 
   OF THE STRIKES THAT ONLY TARGET MILITARY INSTALLATIONS 
   AND TERROR BASES IN AFGHANISTAN MAKES IT MORE URGENT 
   AND IMPERATIVE THAN EVER BEFORE THAT ALL POSSIBLE 
   MEASURES ARE TAKEN TO CRUSH THE SCOURGE THAT THREATENS 
   ALL HUMANITY.  LET IT BE NOTED THAT AFGHANISTAN'S 
   RUTHLESS RULERS - THEY HAVE PUSHED THE COUNTRY BACK 
   INTO THE STONE AGE THROUGH UNPRECEDENTED REPRESSION - 
   WERE GIVEN MORE THAN AMPLE TIME NOT ONLY TO SHUT BIN 
   LADEN'S TERRORIST CAMPS BUT TO ACT AGAINST HIM, BUT 
   THEY PREDICTABLY REFUSED.  THE MILITARY BLITZ THAT IS 
   NOW IN PROGRESS IS NOT BECAUSE WASHINGTON AND LONDON 
   CHOSE WAR BUT THEY HAVE BEEN FORCED TO ACT IN SELF 
   DEFENSE, TO PRESERVE PEACE AND TO BRING THOSE BEHIND 
   THE GHASTLY SEPTEMBER 11 SLAUGHTER OF INNOCENTS TO 
   BOOK.  THE U. S. IS ALSO RIGHT TO PRESS AHEAD WITH 
   INTENSE DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS AND A FINANCIAL SQUEEZE ON 
   THE TERRORISTS WHO, BY THEIR OWN ADMISSION THIS WEEK, 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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   MASTERMINDED THE MINDLESS MASSACRE OF CIVILIANS IN NEW 
   YORK AND WASHINGTON LAST MONTH.  IT IS INTOLERABLE 
   ENOUGH TO HAVE ANY GROUP OF TERRORISTS THREATENING 
   ANYONE, BUT IT IS MUCH WORSE WHEN THESE BLOOD-THIRSTY 
   INDIVIDUALS GET OPEN SUPPORT FROM THOSE WHO CALL 
   THEMSELVES GOVERNMENTS AND WHO HIDE BEHIND THE VEIL OF 
   BEING A SOVEREIGN STATE.  SUCH GOVERNMENTS, WHICH 
   ALMOST ALWAYS TERRORIZE THEIR OWN CITIZENS INTO 
   SUBMISSION AND SILENCE, MUST NOW FACE THE FULL WRATH OF 
   A NEW BRAVE WORLD WHEREVER THEY ARE.  WE HOPE THAT ALL 
   DICTATORS WORLDWIDE TAKE NOTE AND RAPIDLY MEND THEIR 
   NEFARIOUS WAYS OR BE THROWN OUT FROM POWER WITH THE 
   VERY INSTRUMENTS OF THEIR REPRESSION.  BUT IN SEEKING A 
   DURABLE AND JUST PEACE, THE U. S.-LED INTERNATIONAL 
   COALITION AGAINST TERRORISM MUST, ONCE THE DUST HAS 
   SETTLED, RE-LOOK WHAT IS PROPELLING THESE DEMENTED MEN 
   AND WOMEN WHOSE BUSINESS IS THE MURDER OF INNOCENTS. 
 
"IN THE CASE OF AFGHANISTAN AND BIN LADEN, IT IS CLEAR 
THAT THE TWO ARE SEEKING TO COVER THEIR TERROR ACTS BY 
INVOKING RELIGION AND WHIPPING UP EMOTIONS OF MANY WHO 
HAVE KNOWN LITTLE PEACE IN THE TORMENTED MIDDLE EAST. 
IT IS CRUCIAL THAT THE U. S. PARTICULARLY MOVES RAPIDLY 
TO AID EFFORTS TO SETTLE THE LONG-RUNNING CONFLICT 
BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS IF THE TERRORISTS 
ARE TO BE DENIED A FERTILE GROUND FOR MORE RECRUITMENTS 
FROM AN EMBITTERED REGION.  FOR TOO LONG, WASHINGTON 
HAS REMAINED ISRAEL'S STAUNCHEST BACKER IN THE LATTER'S 
FIGHT AGAINST ARAB NATIONS AS THEY SEARCHED FOR A 
PALESTINIAN HOMELAND.  THIS MUST NOW CHANGE AND 
WASHINGTON MUST BEGIN TO PLAY AND BE SEEN TO BE PLAYING 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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A KEY BUT NEUTRAL ROLE IN HELPING TO ESTABLISH A 
PALESTINIAN STATE, WHICH IS ALL BUT INEVITABLE, THAT CO- 
EXISTS PEACEFULLY WITH ISRAEL.  THERE IS NO OTHER 
CHOICE.  THIS SEA CHANGE IN WASHINGTON'S FOREIGN POLICY 
SHOULD HELP DEPRIVE FANATICS AND OTHER ZEALOTS OF THEIR 
PURPORTED CAUSE, ISOLATING THEM FOR WHAT THEY ARE. 
THIS WAY, THE TERRORISTS AND THEIR SUPPORTERS WHEREVER 
THEY ARE SHOULD THEN BE ISOLATED BY THE ENTIRE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND BE HIT VERY, VERY HARD. 
ONCE THE GUNS OF WAR HAVE FALLEN SILENT, WASHINGTON 
MUST LEAD INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS IN GIVING MASSIVE AID 
FOR AFGHANISTAN'S ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RECOVERY UNDER A 
NEW REGIME, WHICH MUST INEVITABLY TAKE OVER FROM THE 
DESPOTIC MULLAHS.  NO ONE IS SUGGESTING THAT WASHINGTON 
WILL FIND ALL THESE STEPS PARTICULARLY PALATABLE, 
ESPECIALLY GIVEN ITS FERVENT SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL, BUT 
HARD CHOICES MUST BE MADE FOR THE JUST CAUSE OF WORLD 
PEACE.  A NEW BRAVE WORLD NOW TAKING SHAPE DESERVES 
NOTHING BUT DURABLE AND JUST PEACE AND NOT THE PEACE OF 
THE DEAD.  THE U. S. HAS AN ENORMOUSLY CRITICAL DUTY 
AND RESPONSIBILITY IN MAKING THIS REAL PEACE A LIVING 
REALITY FOR HUMANKIND." 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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