US embassy cable - 01HARARE3123

UNCLAS HARARE 003123 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/P, INR/R/MR, 
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ZI, PREL, PHUM 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION WAR AGAINST TERROR; HARARE 
 
1.   UNDER HEADLINE "HE WHO SHELTERS A THIEF DIES WITH THE 
   THIEF," THE OCTOBER 18 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT DAILY 
   "THE DAILY NEWS" CARRIED THE FOLLOWING OPINION PIECE BY 
   SAUL GWAKUBA NDLOVU UNDER HIS COLUMN "A VIEW FROM THE 
   MATOPOS": 
 
   ". . .IT IS VERY STRANGE THAT SOME GOVERNMENTS ARE 
   CRITICIZING THE U.S.-BRITISH MILITARY ACTIONS AGAINST 
   AFGHANISTAN.  WHAT ALTERNATIVES DOES THE WORLD, MINUS 
   AFGHANISTAN, HAVE EXCEPT TO ATTACK THOSE WHO GIVE 
   PROTECTION, COMFORT AND SUCCOR TO ARCHITECTS OF 
   INTERNATIONAL TERROR? .AN OLD AFRICAN TRUISM SAYS: HE 
   WHO SHELTERS A THIEF DIES WITH THE THIEF.  THAT IS WHAT 
   IS HAPPENING IN AFGHANISTAN.  .THE MODERN WORLD IS BASED 
   ON, FIRST AND FOREMOST, TOLERANCE OF OTHER PEOPLE'S 
   CULTURE.  AN INTOLERANT CULTURE HAS NO PLACE IN THE 
   UNITED NATIONS CHARTER, OR THE ISLAMIC NATIONS, OR THAT 
   OF THE AFRICAN UNION, OR THAT OF THE ORGANIZATION OF 
   AMERICAN STATES.  IT HAS NO PLACE IN ISLAM, 
   CHRISTIANITY, BUDDHISM, SHAMANISM, SHINTOISM, AND 
   HINDUISM." 
 
2.   UNDER HEADLINE "THE GLOBALIZATION OF TERROR," THE 
   OCTOBER 18 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY "THE FINANCIAL 
   GAZETTE" CARRIED THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE BY SHIMON PERES, 
   ISRAEL'S DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER OF FOREIGN 
   AFFAIRS: 
 
   "THE ATTACK ON THE TWIN TOWERS AND THE PENTAGON IN THE 
   U. S. A. ON SEPTEMBER 11 UNCOVERED ANOTHER SIDE OF 
   GLOBALIZATION - GLOBALIZATION OF TERROR. .THE WORLD IS 
   MOVING FROM A POSITION OF NATIONAL STRATEGY TO A 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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   POSITION OF GLOBAL STRATEGY - FROM BATTLES BETWEEN 
   ARMIES TO A FIGHT AGAINST DANGERS.  FROM A WORLD OF 
   ENEMIES (NATIONALISTIC) TO A WORLD OF DANGERS (GLOBAL). 
   GLOBAL DANGER HAS NO BORDERS.  IT CAN STRIKE ANYWHERE 
   AND AT ANY TIME.  UNFETTERED BY HUMAN VALUES, THE 
   ATROCITIES IT PERPETRATES ARE INDISCRIMINATE, LIMITLESS, 
   SLAUGHTERING CIVILIANS AND INNOCENT PEOPLE.  IT 
   DISSEMINATES HORROR, IT IS THE PERSONIFICATION OF 
   PRESENT-DAY SATAN.  THERE IS NO ROOM FOR COMPROMISE 
   BETWEEN EVIL ACTIONS AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR. .DEMOCRACY 
   CANNOT, AND MUST NOT, DIVERT ITSELF OF ITS MORAL VALUES, 
   EVEN IN THE FACE OF SUCH A BITTER WAR. .THE NEW DANGER 
   IS GREAT AND TERRIBLE.  IT CANNOT BE OVERCOME WITH EMPTY 
   WORDS OR THE THREAT OF A SINGLE SWORD.  YET IT MUST BE 
   DEFEATED.  AND WE SHALL PREVAIL" 
 
3.   UNDER HEADLINE "EXPANSIONISM AT THE HEART OF AMERICA'S 
   WARS," THE OCTOBER 18 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT DAILY "THE 
   DAILY NEWS" CARRIED THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE BY FRANZ 
   SCHURMANN: 
 
   "AMERICA IS 225 YEARS OLD.  FROM 1776 TO 2001, IT HAS 
   WAGED 11 MAJOR WARS.  THE FIRST WAS THE REVOLUTIONARY 
   WAR AGAINST BRITAIN (1775 - 1781).  THE 11TH IS THE 
   CURRENT WAR AGAINST AFGHANISTAN (2001).  TEN OF THE WARS 
   INVOLVED FOREIGN ENEMIES.  WHY SO MANY WARS?  THE 
   SIMPLEST ANSWER IS: EXPANSIONISM.  A MORE COMPLEX ANSWER 
   IS: EXPANSIONISM AND EMPIRE BUILDING.  BUT 11 SEPTEMBER 
   2001 DISRUPTED THIS FLOW.  ONCE AGAIN WE SEE THE GREAT 
   FEAR ARISING IN AMERICA, AS IN 1950.  THEN, THE METAPHOR 
   FOR THE FEAR WAS 'COMMUNISM.' NOW IT IS 'TERRORISM.' 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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   THE PRIME TERRORIST IS OSAMA BIN LADEN, HEAD OF A 
   'TERRORIST ORGANIZATION' CALLED AL-QAEDA, AND A 
   CHARISMATIC MUSLIM SPIRITUAL LEADER.  .IN GEOPOLITICAL 
   TERMS THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION HAS REPLACED THE EURO- 
   ATLANTIC REGION IN IMPORTANCE FOR AMERICAN INTERESTS." 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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