US embassy cable - 03HARARE268

UNCLAS HARARE 000268 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS 
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 "Stop acting headboy" the 
      government-controlled daily "Chronicle" 
      dedicated its February 6 editorial to urging the 
      United States and Britain to "desist from 
      attacking" Iraq, adding that only the United 
      Nations Security Council has the mandate "to 
      hunt down all nations" amassing weapons of mass 
      destruction.  Excerpts: 
 
  2.   ". . .The Americans and their British cousins are 
      already beating the war drums as they psyche up (sic) 
      for a war with Iraq.  They are alleging that President 
      Saddam Hussein might be harboring weapons of mass 
      destruction, a clear excuse to topple the Iraqi leader 
      because he has refused to toe their line.  Africa 
      yesterday said no to war on Iraq. . .  We applaud the 
      AU position on Iraq and demand that the United States 
      and Britain listen to the voice of reason and desist 
      from attacking that country.  It is only the United 
      Nations Security Council which has the mandate to take 
      drastic action on a nation if it is deemed necessary. . 
      .  While we do not support the building of weapons of 
      mass destruction, we believe it is not the business of 
      the U.S. and Britain to hunt down all nations that have 
      these weapons, but that of the U.N.  The naked truth 
      and purpose of the American and British plan to attack 
      Iraq appears to be clearly that of trying to promote 
      their business interests.  They want a change of 
      government in that country in the same way they are 
      trying to topple President Mugabe's government because 
      of land reforms.  We wish to remind them that the power 
      to remove or retain a head of state in a country rests 
      with the people of that country.  The Americans and the 
      British should leave the people of Iraq alone." 
 
SULLIVAN