US embassy cable - 03HARARE512

UNCLAS HARARE 000512 
 
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 "Iraq issue hits at core of U.S., UK's 
      democratic claims" the March 12 edition of the independent 
      daily "The Daily News" carried an op-ed by Dida Halake, in 
      which he urged the United States and Britain to show 
      consideration for the outpouring of world opinion against a 
      war on Iraq.  "Whatever happens in Iraq, it would indeed be 
      a tragedy if the world's Defender of Democracy (the U.S.) 
      and the Mother of Democracy (the UK), were to ride 
      roughshod over anti-war opinions of their own people and 
      those of the rest of the world," Halake stated.  Excerpts: 
 
  2.   "It is war, rather than love, that is occupying 
      people's minds right across the world.  In over 600 
      cities, from Stockholm to Sydney and from Tokyo to 
      New York, millions and millions of people marched 
      against war on Valentine's Day.  This was the 
      biggest demonstration on a single issue the world 
      has ever seen. . .  The world has sent a clear 
      message: If Tony Blair and George Bush go to war, 
      without a new U.N. Security Council authorization, 
      then this is just Blair and Bush's war.  The 
      casualty will not only be the innocents of Iraq, but 
      also the U.N. and the majority of the peoples of 
      America, Britain and the rest of the world. 
      Powerful rulers will have proved that the opinions 
      of their own people and the world do not matter and 
      that democracy is a shame.  Whatever happens in 
      Iraq, it would indeed bee be a tragedy of the 
      world's Defender of Democracy (the U.S.) and the 
      Mother of Democracy (the UK), were to ride roughshod 
      over the clearly anti-war opinions of their own 
      people and those of the rest of the world." 
 
SULLIVAN