US embassy cable - 01HARARE3302

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Identifier:	01HARARE3302
Wikileaks:	View 01HARARE3302 at Wikileaks.org
Origin:	Embassy Harare
Created:	2001-11-05 13:24:00
Classification:	UNCLASSIFIED
Tags:	ZI PREL PHUM
Redacted:	This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.

UNCLAS HARARE 003302 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR SCHLACHTER, AF/P, 
INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ZI, PREL, PHUM 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT CAMPAIGN AGAINST TERROR; HARARE 
 
 
1.   MAINSTREAM NEWSPAPERS CONTINUE TO RUN OPINION PIECES 
   FOCUSING ON THE WAR AGAINST TERROR.  EXCERPTS FOLLOW: 
 
2.   UNDER HEADLINE "NEW FACE OF TERRORISM TARGETS 
   EVERYBODY," THE NOVEMBER 4 EDITION OF THE 
   GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED WEEKLY "THE SUNDAY MAIL" CARRIED 
   THE FOLLOWING PIECE BY ITS U.S.-BASED CORRESPONDENT 
   TENDAYI KUMBULA: 
 
   ". . .THE NEW FACE OF TERRORISM TARGETS EVERYBODY.  THE 
   SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS. . .DID NOT SELECT VICTIMS ON THE 
   BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, ETHNICITY, CREED, RELIGION, 
   RESIDENCE OR ECONOMIC CLASS.  ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAD 
   HAPPENED TO BE ON THE FOUR HIJACKED PLANES OR THE 
   BUILDINGS THAT THE PLANES CRASHED INTO WERE FAIR GAME 
   AND TARGETS.  TODAY THE REALIZATION THAT TERRORISM IS 
   NOT A GAME AND IS NOT A HOLLYWOOD CREATION HAS HIT HOME. 
   THERE IS NO PANIC YET.  BUT AMERICANS ARE CONCERNED, 
   CONFUSED AND SCARED. . .  FOR THE FIRST TIME, AMERICANS 
   ARE DEALING WITH SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT THE REST OF 
   THE WORLD HAS FACED OVER THE YEARS.  IT IS NOT A 
   COMFORTABLE OR COMFORTING SITUATION TO BE IN, ESPECIALLY 
   SINCE THIS IS A BATTLE WITH NO CLEARLY DEFINED 
   PARAMETERS OR RULES OF BEHAVIOR. . . ." 
 
3.   UNDER HEADLINE "GLOBAL TENSIONS OVER AFGHANISTAN 
   THREATEN WORLD WAR," THE SAME NEWSPAPER CARRIED THE 
   FOLLOWING OPINION PIECE BY ITS REGULAR COLUMNIST 
   TAFATAONA MAHOSO: 
 
   "THE UNITED NATIONS IS IGNORING IMPORTANT WARNINGS FROM 
   ISRAEL, INDIA, SYRIA, SAUDI ARABIA, IRAN AND IRAQ ABOUT 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  03302  051421Z 
   THE WAY THE SO-CALLED WAR AGAINST TERROR IS BEING 
   CONDUCTED.  IT IS UNUSUAL FOR SAUDI ARABIA TO CONTRADICT 
   THE U.S. FOREIGN POLICY.  THEREFORE SAUDI FEARS AND 
   DOUBTS INDICATE A PERCEPTION OF REAL DANGER. . .  THE 
   ANGLO-AMERICAN RESPONSE TO ATTACKS ON NEW YORK AND 
   WASHINGTON ON 11 SEPTEMBER 2001 IS CONTRARY TO THE 
   LETTER AND SPIRIT OF THE BEIJING DECLARATION. . .  THE 
   U.S. AND ITS ALLIES ARE ONCE MORE TARGETING ENTIRE 
   CITIES AND VILLAGES IN PURSUIT OF THEIR OWN QUARREL WITH 
   AN INDIVIDUAL PERSON AND ORGANIZATION WHO AT ONE TIME 
   ACTUALLY SERVED AS AN INSTRUMENT OF U.S. FOREIGN 
   POLICY. . .  THE STRENGTH OF SAUDI OBJECTIONS TO ANGLO- 
   AMERICAN PREPARATIONS FOR WAR SUGGESTS THAT THE SAUDIS 
   KNOW THAT THE OBJECTIVE IS MUCH WIDER AND MORE 
   INDEFINITE THAN A 'STRIKE AGAINST TERROR.'" 
 
4.   MEANWHILE THE NOVEMBER 2 EDITION OF THE 
   GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "THE HERALD" CARRIED AN 
   OP-ED BY AMBASSADOR JOSEPH SULLIVAN UNDER HEADLINE "ALL 
   PEOPLE VULNERABLE TO TERROR."   THIS IS THE THIRD 
   PROMINENT PLACEMENT FOLLOWING PRIOR PUBLICATIONS IN THE 
   NOVEMBER 1 EDITIONS OF THE PRIVATELY-OWNED "THE DAILY 
   NEWS" AND THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY "THE FINANCIAL 
   GAZETTE." 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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