US embassy cable - 03HANOI289

UNCLAS HANOI 000289 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/RSP AND EAP/BCLTV 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL, IZ, VM 
SUBJECT:  Vietnamese media critical on Iraq 
 
REF:  A.  Hanoi 0261       B. State 33974 
 
1.  (U)  Senior GVN and Communist Party leaders have 
maintained a public silence in response to Secretary 
Powell's UNSC presentation.  Answering written questions 
from foreign journalists on February 6, the MFA spokeswoman 
said that "now it is important to prevent wars" and 
reiterated Vietnam's wish "to see the Iraq issue be resolved 
peacefully."  She also expressed Vietnam's view that the UN 
inspection team "needs more time to thoroughly and carefully 
study all available information."  Major media outlets 
carried her remarks on February 7. 
 
2.  (U)  TV and major newspaper coverage relied heavily on 
international media reports focusing on critical reaction to 
the Secretary's presentation and highlighting the views of 
Russian, French, and German Foreign Ministers.  Television 
news on February 6 showed large public protests in Bangkok 
and Baghdad.  Newspaper reports on February 7 included 
headlines such as "General public skeptical about report 
presented by U.S. Secretary of State," "U.S. unable to 
convince the world," "U.S. evidence against Iraq not 
convincing," and "Powell war plea finds few takers."  A 
signed commentary by the international editor of the 
"People's Army" daily (Quan Doi Nhan Dan) claimed that the 
Secretary's presentation was to "create pretexts for waging 
 
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a war against Iraq" and that UN inspectors had acknowledge 
"positive cooperation from Iraq."  The commentary concluded 
that "we vehemently condemn the abuse of fighting terrorism 
to interfere or wage a war against an independent and 
sovereign state." 
PORTER