US embassy cable - 03HARARE624

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Identifier:	03HARARE624
Wikileaks:	View 03HARARE624 at Wikileaks.org
Origin:	Embassy Harare
Created:	2003-03-27 10:09:00
Classification:	UNCLASSIFIED
Tags:	IZ PREL KPAO KMDR ZI
Redacted:	This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.

UNCLAS HARARE 000624 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS 
IRAQ PD FOR SMITH, PINESS AND ROOKARD 
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: IZ, PREL, KPAO, KMDR, ZI 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION WAR WITH IRAQ; HARARE 
 
 
  1.   Under headline "Humanitarian disaster in Iraq" 
      the pro-government daily "The Daily Mirror" dedicated 
      its March 27 editorial to urging the United Nations to 
      provide emergency food and medical aid to the civilian 
      population in Iraq.  Excerpts follow: 
 
  2.   ". . .The stories and reports of U. S. and 
      Britain carpet bombing Baghdad and other Iraq cities. 
      . .are graphically compelling.  With `live' television 
      coverage of the war from the `embedded' reporters and 
      cameramen and women, the media have apparently 
      forgotten to tell us the grim realities of the other 
      side of the story - the immense suffering of civilian 
      men, women and children during the course of this war. 
      . .  Iraqi civilians and not those from the invading 
      countries - are facing tremendous hardships as the war 
      has disrupted their access to food and water which 
      forces them to join hundreds of thousands of people 
      already displaced from their homes. . .  What is 
      unfolding in Iraq is a humanitarian disaster of 
      mammoth proportions. . .  Although war had been 
      predicted for months, donor governments and U.N. 
      agencies have not openly prepared for the humanitarian 
      emergency. . .  The international community must fight 
      to ensure that the humanitarian needs and security of 
      the civilian population are taken care of to address 
      the humanitarian consequences of this war that could 
      have been avoided had sense prevailed.  The U. N. must 
      allow Iraqis access to emergency food and medical aid. 
      . .  If the world looks aside, the tragedy being 
      played in the Gulf may be too ghastly to contemplate." 
 
SULLIVAN