Cablegate: Media Report Campaign Against Terror; Harare

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

051324Z Nov 01

UNCLASSIFIED PTO2143

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ACTION INR-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 AID-00 A-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00
INL-00 USNW-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EUR-00 UTED-00
VC-00 TEDE-00 IO-00 LAB-01 VCE-00 DCP-01 NSAE-00
IRM-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 IIP-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 NFAT-00
SAS-00 /004W
------------------39F934 051422Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0202
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS HARARE 003302

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR SCHLACHTER, AF/P,
INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT CAMPAIGN AGAINST TERROR; HARARE

1. MAINSTREAM NEWSPAPERS CONTINUE TO RUN OPINION PIECES
FOCUSING ON THE WAR AGAINST TERROR. EXCERPTS FOLLOW:

2. UNDER HEADLINE "NEW FACE OF TERRORISM TARGETS
EVERYBODY," THE NOVEMBER 4 EDITION OF THE
GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED WEEKLY "THE SUNDAY MAIL" CARRIED
THE FOLLOWING PIECE BY ITS U.S.-BASED CORRESPONDENT
TENDAYI KUMBULA:

". . .THE NEW FACE OF TERRORISM TARGETS EVERYBODY. THE
SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS. . .DID NOT SELECT VICTIMS ON THE
BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, ETHNICITY, CREED, RELIGION,
RESIDENCE OR ECONOMIC CLASS. ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAD
HAPPENED TO BE ON THE FOUR HIJACKED PLANES OR THE
BUILDINGS THAT THE PLANES CRASHED INTO WERE FAIR GAME
AND TARGETS. TODAY THE REALIZATION THAT TERRORISM IS
NOT A GAME AND IS NOT A HOLLYWOOD CREATION HAS HIT HOME.
THERE IS NO PANIC YET. BUT AMERICANS ARE CONCERNED,
CONFUSED AND SCARED. . . FOR THE FIRST TIME, AMERICANS
ARE DEALING WITH SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT THE REST OF
THE WORLD HAS FACED OVER THE YEARS. IT IS NOT A
COMFORTABLE OR COMFORTING SITUATION TO BE IN, ESPECIALLY
SINCE THIS IS A BATTLE WITH NO CLEARLY DEFINED
PARAMETERS OR RULES OF BEHAVIOR. . . ."

3. UNDER HEADLINE "GLOBAL TENSIONS OVER AFGHANISTAN
THREATEN WORLD WAR," THE SAME NEWSPAPER CARRIED THE
FOLLOWING OPINION PIECE BY ITS REGULAR COLUMNIST
TAFATAONA MAHOSO:

"THE UNITED NATIONS IS IGNORING IMPORTANT WARNINGS FROM
ISRAEL, INDIA, SYRIA, SAUDI ARABIA, IRAN AND IRAQ ABOUT
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 HARARE 03302 051421Z
THE WAY THE SO-CALLED WAR AGAINST TERROR IS BEING
CONDUCTED. IT IS UNUSUAL FOR SAUDI ARABIA TO CONTRADICT
THE U.S. FOREIGN POLICY. THEREFORE SAUDI FEARS AND
DOUBTS INDICATE A PERCEPTION OF REAL DANGER. . . THE
ANGLO-AMERICAN RESPONSE TO ATTACKS ON NEW YORK AND
WASHINGTON ON 11 SEPTEMBER 2001 IS CONTRARY TO THE
LETTER AND SPIRIT OF THE BEIJING DECLARATION. . . THE
U.S. AND ITS ALLIES ARE ONCE MORE TARGETING ENTIRE
CITIES AND VILLAGES IN PURSUIT OF THEIR OWN QUARREL WITH
AN INDIVIDUAL PERSON AND ORGANIZATION WHO AT ONE TIME
ACTUALLY SERVED AS AN INSTRUMENT OF U.S. FOREIGN
POLICY. . . THE STRENGTH OF SAUDI OBJECTIONS TO ANGLO-
AMERICAN PREPARATIONS FOR WAR SUGGESTS THAT THE SAUDIS
KNOW THAT THE OBJECTIVE IS MUCH WIDER AND MORE
INDEFINITE THAN A 'STRIKE AGAINST TERROR.'"

4. MEANWHILE THE NOVEMBER 2 EDITION OF THE
GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "THE HERALD" CARRIED AN
OP-ED BY AMBASSADOR JOSEPH SULLIVAN UNDER HEADLINE "ALL
PEOPLE VULNERABLE TO TERROR." THIS IS THE THIRD
PROMINENT PLACEMENT FOLLOWING PRIOR PUBLICATIONS IN THE
NOVEMBER 1 EDITIONS OF THE PRIVATELY-OWNED "THE DAILY
NEWS" AND THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY "THE FINANCIAL
GAZETTE."

SULLIVAN

UNCLASSIFIED

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