Cablegate: Media Reaction Iraq; Harare

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

UNCLAS HARARE 001222

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR INR/R/MR AND AF/PDPA DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO KMDR OIIP ZI
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION IRAQ; HARARE

1. Under headline "Bombing out Iraq's ruins" the
pro-government weekly "The Sunday Mirror" dedicated
its June 15 editorial to calling on the United
States "to ship out" of Iraq and "hand over the
country to its rightful owners" - the Iraqis.
Excerpts:

2. ". . .While the global media was awash with images of
ululating Iraqis, celebrating the removal of Saddam
Hussein, there is no way they can hide from the world that
Iraqis simply want the Americans to ship out. For the U.
S. to insist on a post-Iraq program that seeks to
perpetuate their stay in and control over the country is an
insult to sovereign people who wish for nothing more than
to define their own existence. We register our concern
over sentiments expressed by the more conservative and
hawkish sections of the George W. Bush administration
calling for more troops to be poured into Iraq. For, what
is clear is that no amount of military presence by the
Americans will quench the Iraq people's growing opposition
to the continued occupation of their country. In fact, it
is our view that any escalation of U. S. military presence
will spur the rise of nationalist groups actively
challenging the unwelcome presence of the American forces.
What should inform the U. S. program on post-war Iraq is
the imperative to hand over the country to its rightful
owners. To argue that Iraq needs to be managed by external
forces for a longer period before the Iraqis themselves
mature to the task of self-governance is simply arrogant
and smacks of hegemonic ulterior motives."

SULLIVAN

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