US embassy cable - 02HARARE2346

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Identifier:	02HARARE2346
Wikileaks:	View 02HARARE2346 at Wikileaks.org
Origin:	Embassy Harare
Created:	2002-10-28 07:56:00
Classification:	UNCLASSIFIED
Tags:	PREL KPAO KMDR ZI
Redacted:	This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.

UNCLAS HARARE 002346 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA 
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 REPORT U. S. UNDER FIRE; HARARE 
 
  1.   Under headline "Bush wants to create space for 
      decision strike on Iraq" the October 28 edition of the 
      government-controlled daily "The Herald" carried the 
      following op-ed by Chinondidyachii Mararike on page 8: 
 
  2.   "Will the U.S. go ahead and launch military 
      strikes against Iraq or will Saddam Hussein comply 
      with Bush's ultimatum that `Iraq complies with all the 
      relevant UN resolutions.?'  Surely these are not the 
      right questions to ask.  What is right to ask is why 
      now, and after months of dilly-dallying, has Bush seen 
      it fit to seek UN approval for America's so-called war 
      on terrorism?  Is the issue simply that of weapons 
      inspections or is there a greater and even more 
      sinister agenda than the inarticulate Bush is either 
      able or willing to articulate? 
 
      ". . .The point then is that Bush's 12 September 
      2002 speech to the 190-member UN General 
      Assembly was intended to provide international 
      cover for American unilateralism, and thus give 
      legitimacy to Bush's need for a regime change 
      not only in Iraq but in other states that stand 
      up against U.S. domination and control. 
 
      ". . .Surely if Bush had concern for upholding 
      human rights then his government would not 
      support, arm and underwrite the Israeli army to 
      mount military campaigns against innocent 
      Palestinians.  And if America has respect for 
      the rule of law then it would understand the 
      Zimbabwean government's commitment to correcting 
      the injustices of colonialism and contemporary 
      U.S.-supported neo-colonialism and not impose 
      punitive sanctions against our entire 
      leadership.  I think it's time somebody reminded 
      Bush, and his `blind' Caucasian American 
      followers, that America is not the only 
      superpower in the world but that people in 
      countries continuously resisting U.S. 
      imperialism are in fact the superpowers. . . ." 
 
SULLIVAN