Cablegate: Media Reaction War with Iraq; Harare

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

UNCLAS HARARE 000622

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS
IRAQ PF DOR SMITH, PINESS AND ROOKARD
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: IZ PREL KPAO KMDR ZI
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION WAR WITH IRAQ; HARARE

1. Under headline "Economic effect of war
devastating" the government-controlled daily "The
Herald" dedicated its March 27 editorial to denouncing
the war to disarm Iraq, saying the invasion could sap
the strength of the global economy for years to come.
"Tougher times lie ahead unless ways are found to stop
the war," the editorial warned. Excerpts:

2. "Markets are bleeding profusely as U.S.-led troops
drop bombs in Iraq, causing major economic
reverberations throughout the whole world. The Iraq
invasion has so far proved disastrous, not only in
terms of loss of life, but also on the global socio-
economic landscape. The U.S. arrogance, which it has
once again demonstrated by ignoring peaceful and
diplomatic resolution to the Iraq crisis, is having
serious repercussions on the entire globe. All the
commodity, financial and equity markets are trembling
and the global economy is already counting heavy
losses, with only a week into the war. . . As a direct
result of the Iraqi crisis, world oil supply will
dwindle substantially and the market is already feeling
the jitters as reflected by the rise in oil prices
since the war began last week. . . Tougher times lie
ahead unless ways are found to stop the war."

SULLIVAN

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