US embassy cable - 02HARARE2618

UNCLAS HARARE 002618 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA, AF/PDPA 
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 IRAQ; HARARE 
 
 
   1.  Under headline "Iraq: U.S. war drums continue" 
       the pro-government weekly "The Sunday Mirror" 
       dedicated its November 17 editorial to accusing 
       the United States of itching for a military 
       showdown against Iraq irrespective of Iraq's 
       acceptance of United Nations inspectors.  "If 
       Iraq so much as denies any accusation leveled 
       against it from now onwards, the U.S. could use 
       military action," the editorial declares. 
       Excerpts: 
 
   2.  "The United States and Britain continue their 
       preparations for the invasion of Iraq despite 
       the fact that Iraq has accepted the UN 
       resolution for disarmament.  The U.S. 
       President, George Bush, has vowed to topple 
       Iraq President Saddam Hussein by military force 
       and the much-awaited invasion is supposed to 
       achieve just that.  So that, Iraq's acceptance 
       of UN inspectors rather than being welcome, is 
       perceived in Washington as a move calculated to 
    delay the military action. . .  On the other 
    hand, the U.S. will be looking for the 
    slightest excuse to launch an attack on Iraq. 
    Asked about his understanding of the UN 
    conditions on Iraq, George Bush said, "Zero 
    tolerance. . .we will not tolerate any 
    deception, denial or deceit, period.'  That 
    means, if Iraq so much as denies any accusation 
    leveled against it from now onwards, the U.S. 
    could use military action.  And, as the U.S. 
    Secretary of State Colin Powell put it, such 
    military action would have the objective "to 
    disarm (Iraq) through changing the regime.' 
 
SULLIVAN