US embassy cable - 03HARARE1519

UNCLAS HARARE 001519 
 
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 "U. S. shows unparalleled savagery, 
      contempt for human life" the July 28 edition of the 
      government-controlled daily "The Herald" carried the 
      following article by Barry Grey, in which he 
      criticizes the American Government for sanctioning 
      the emblazoning of the corpses of Saddam Hussein's 
      two sons, Uday and Qusay.  Excerpts: 
 
  2.   "The world was subjected to a gruesome and barbaric 
      spectacle on Thursday when the Bush administration 
      released photographs of the mutilated corpses of 
      Saddam Hussein's sons, Uday and Qusay, ambushed and 
      killed by American forces on July 22. . .The 
      overwhelming majority of people around the world, 
      and especially in the U. S., will feel only 
      revulsion and shame at this exhibition of sadism. 
      Whatever one thinks of the deposed Iraqi ruler and 
      his sons. . .the actions of the Bush administration 
      in slaughtering Uday and Qusay Hussein and then 
      gloating over their dead bodies demonstrate that the 
      U. S. ruling elite has nothing to learn from its 
      enemies when it comes to savagery and contempt for 
      human life. . .The fact that those who wield power 
      in Washington are blind to the mass revulsion that 
      will arise in response to the showing of these 
      photos highlights the insular and degenerate 
      character of the American ruling elite.  These 
      traits are concentrated in the man who sits atop the 
      government.  The political calculations of Bush and 
      his associates. . .are of the most crude and 
      backward sort.  It is no exaggeration to say they 
      reflect a criminal mentality.  Bush's inner circle 
      was intimately involved in the decision to massacre 
      the Hussein sons and release the photos of their 
      corpses. . . ." 
 
SULLIVAN