US embassy cable - 03HARARE594

UNCLAS HARARE 000594 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS 
IRAQ PD FOR SMITH, PINESS AND ROOKARDS 
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, KPAO, KMDR, ZI, IZ 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION WAR WITH IRAQ; HARARE 
 
 
  1.   Over the 3/22-23 weekend, Zimbabwean newspapers 
      dedicated major acreage to comment on the war to 
      disarm Iraq.  The tone is critical.  Excerpts follow: 
 
  2.   Under headline "U. N. in tatters" the pro- 
      government weekly "The Sunday Mirror" (03/23) 
      comments: 
 
      "The decision by the United States and its 
      allies to launch a military attack on Iraq 
      without the endorsement of the United Nations 
      has seriously undermined the world 
      organization's integrity. . .  Prominent global 
      leaders have argued the case for a peaceful 
      resolution of the Iraq question within the U.N. 
      framework but, unfortunately, U.S. President 
      George W. Bush and his British and Spanish 
      allies have stubbornly refused to budge, 
      choosing instead to plunge the world body into a 
      potentially fatal credibility crisis.  The 
      ongoing attacks on Iraq are in open defiance if 
      the U.N. Charter and customary international law 
      and, therefore, constitute unlawful acts of 
      aggression. . .  The unilateral decision to 
      strike Iraq by the U.S. has introduced a 
      dangerous precedent in the conduct of 
      international relations. . . ." 
 
  3.   Under headline "Most unpopular war" the 
      independent daily "The Daily News" (02/22) comments: 
 
      "The United States' war against Iraq. . .is 
      probably the most unpopular war a U.S. President 
      has ever initiated. . .  The U.N. will be 
      criticized for a long time for not coming up 
      with a forthright condemnation of the U.S. and 
      Britain for playing the Lone Ranger and Tonto. 
      The hope around the world is that there will be 
      few civilian casualties and minimum destruction 
      of Iraq, already reeling from U.N. sanctions 
      imposed after the Gulf War of the 1990s.  Saddam 
      Hussein may be a warmonger and a dictator, but 
      dialogue ought to have been given a chance. 
      There was no cause for the U.S. to decide on war 
      regardless of the potential for inciting 
      reprisals against its allies and another 11 
      September outrage on its own.  All that will be 
      on George W. Bush's head." 
 
SULLIVAN