US embassy cable - 03HARARE950

UNCLAS HARARE 000950 
 
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: PREL, KPAO, KMDR, ZI 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION IRAQ; HARARE 
 
 
  1.   Under headline "Washington and London acting 
      irresponsibly" the pro-government weekly the 
      "Sunday Mirror" dedicated its May 18 editorial 
      to calling on the United States and Britain "to 
      move out of Iraq and let the Iraqis to handle 
      their own affairs."  Excerpts follow: 
 
  2.   "Latest developments relating to the running of 
      post-Saddam Iraq should give the world every 
      reason to worry. . .  While the suspension or 
      total lifting of sanctions would be desirable, 
      what is disturbing is the conditionality - that 
      Iraqi oil riches be under U.S./UK control for a 
      year - that the two countries are seeking to 
      impose.  That in itself sounds like an admission 
      on the part of the two powers that they were not 
      prepared for a purely Iraqi administration 
      following the ouster of Saddam Hussein, a 
      possibility that gives rise to the fear that the 
      two could actually be intending to hold onto, 
      and plunder, Iraq's oil.  Of vital importance is 
      for the U.S. and the UK to move out of Iraq and 
      let the Iraqis handle their own affairs." 
 
WHITEHEAD