Cablegate: Media Report Racism Conference; Harare

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

230954Z Aug 01

UNCLASSIFIED PTO6494

PAGE 01 HARARE 02493 231002Z
ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 A-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 USNW-00 DODE-00
DS-00 EUR-00 UTED-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00
LAB-01 VCE-00 NEA-00 NSAE-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 IIP-00
DSCC-00 DRL-02 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /003W
------------------157CCC 231002Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9535
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV

UNCLAS HARARE 002493

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/PD (COX, ROBERTSON), AF/S (KRAFT), AF/P,
INR/R/MR

NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER

LONDON FOR GURNEY
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 HARARE 02493 231002Z

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM ZI
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT RACISM CONFERENCE; HARARE

1. THE INDEPENDENT DAILY "THE DAILY NEWS" DEDICATED ITS
AUGUST 23 EDITORIAL TO THE UNITED NATIONS WORLD CONFERENCE
ON RACISM TO BE HELD IN DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA, ON AUGUST 31.
UNDER HEADLINE "POLITICAL POSTURING THREATENS RACISM
TALKS," THE PAPER COMMENTS:

2. "SO WHAT IF THE SUBJECT OF ZIONISM BEING EQUATED WITH
RACISM IS TABLED AT THE U. N. CONFERENCE ON RACISM IN
DURBAN ON 31 AUGUST? WOULD THAT BE EQUATED, BY THE
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, AT LEAST, WITH GRANTING ON A
SILVER PLATTER A PSYCHOLOGICAL VICTORY FOR YASSER
ARAFAT'S FATAH MOVEMENT AND THE HIZBOLLAH GUERRILLA
GROUP OVER ARIEL SHARON AND SHIMON PERES? THERE WILL
CLEARLY BE LIVELY AND, ADMITTEDLY, EMOTIONAL DEBATE
OVER RACISM. . . WHAT IS VITAL IS THAT THE SUBJECT BE
VENTILATED CALMLY AND THOROUGHLY. . . THE U. S.
GOVERNMENT MUST, THEREFORE, CONCENTRATE ON THE BIG
PICTURE. RACISM IN THE U. S. ITSELF DID NOT DISAPPEAR
WITH THE END OF SLAVERY. FROM FREDERICK DOUGLASS TO
MARTIN LUTHER KING JNR., THE DESCENDANTS OF AFRICAN
SLAVES HAVE FOUGHT TO GAIN EQUAL STATUS WITH THEIR
FORMER MASTERS. THE LIKES OF THURGOOD MARSHALL PROVED
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 HARARE 02493 231002Z
THAT BEING THE DESCENDANT OF AFRICAN SLAVES WAS NO
BARRIER TO REACHING THE PINNACLE OF SUCCESS IN ANY
FIELD OF HUMAN ENDEAVOR. . . THE U. N. CONFERENCE ON
RACISM MUST SUCCEED AND THE THREAT OF A BOYCOTT BY THE
U. S. OVER ZIONISM BEING EQUATED WITH RACISM MUST BE
ELIMINATED BY OFFICIALS IN GEORGE W. BUSH'S
ADMINISTRATION WHO KNOW THAT IF THE THREAT IS CARRIED
OUT, THEN THEIR COUNTRY COULD LOSE THE RESPECT OF MANY
FRIENDS."

ROTH

UNCLASSIFIED

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