Cablegate: Media Reaction Mep; Harare

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

UNCLAS HARARE 002858

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/PDPA, AF/S, AF/RA
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM KPAO KMDR ZI
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION MEP; HARARE

1. Under headline "U.S. stumbling block to
Palestinian state" the pro-government weekly "The
Sunday Mirror" dedicated its December 22 editorial to
accusing the United States of stalling the peace
process in the Middle East. Excerpts:

2. "Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat will next month
send a delegation to London for talks on a peace
blueprint, which envisages an end to two years of
violence in the region and a Palestinian state by 2005.
However, the call by Israel on the United States. . .to
go slowly on the `road map' until Israeli elections on
January 28 has poured cold water on expectations that a
definitive document on the peace plan would be produced
soon. America's veto last week of a United Nations
resolution blaming Israel for the killings of three
U.N. staff in Palestinian territories and its excessive
use of force raises serious questions about the
commitment of both Israel and the U.S. to the peace
plan. It appears the unholy alliance between America
and Israel is the single most significant impediment in
the way of a lasting solution to the Palestinian
crisis. While U.S. President George W. Bush has
expressed his commitment to the establishment of a
Palestinian state, last week's veto underscored the
hypocrisy in American foreign policy on Palestine.
America's blatant bias towards Israel will certainly
determine their response to the resolutions that will
come out of the London peace conference, which has been
called by British prime Minister, Tony Blair."

WHITEHEAD

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