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

UNCLAS HARARE 000366 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS 
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KPAO KMDR ZI
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION IRAQ; HARARE 
 
 
  ¶1.   Under headline "World must block Bush, Blair's 
      belligerence" the independent daily "The Daily 
      News" carried an op-ed by Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem 
      in which he calls on Arab governments to restrain 
      the United States and Britain from attacking 
      Iraq.  Excerpts: 
 
  ¶2.   "There is a kind of fatigue about the imminent 
      Anglo-American attack on Iraq that is the result 
      of media saturation and helplessness.  The talk 
      of war, preparations for it and declarations 
      about it have become so much a part of our daily 
      diet for almost a year now that even though the 
      majority of the peoples of the world. . .are 
      opposed to the war.  They are so tired of being 
      bombarded by its imminence that many no longer 
      care to read or watch anything to do with the war 
      or simply switch off mentally when they hear 
      `Iraq.'  Consequently, there seems to be a 
      general feeling of `let them get it over with.' 
      Many people are convinced that there is nothing 
      much that can be done to stop George W. Bush and 
      Tony Blair from attacking Iraq.  They are 
      committed to the United Nations track for as long 
      as it grants them the license to destroy Iraq as 
      they are so bent on doing.  So the U.N. 
      inspectors, according to London and Washington, 
      have only one function: to get them the evidence 
      they need to finish off Saddam. 
 
      ". . .However, amidst all the deceit, frustration 
      and deployment of weapons of mass deception by 
      the Americans and the British, there is an oasis 
      of hope that against all the odds some countries, 
      institutions, peoples and individuals are not 
      being cowed into submission. . .  Why can't Bush 
      and Blair be honest enough to say: `We don't 
      know.'  They do not have any evidence that will 
      convince any thinking person but they turn around 
      to accuse doubters of timidity, treachery or 
      giving succor to Saddam Hussein.  The choice is 
      not and cannot be between Bush and Saddam.  If 
      that be the case it would be limiting human 
      possibilities to their least common factor. . . 
      Whatever is being done in Europe, America and 
      other parts of the world to stop this unjust war 
      will not be successful if the Arab governments, 
      out of their own greed and desperation to hold on 
      to power continue to short-change their people. 
      They voice unease and even opposition to the war 
      while behind closed doors they are giving 
      military and strategic concessions to the 
      Americans.  Where are the peace campaigners in 
      Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Morocco, 
      Oman, Jordan, Qatar and other Gulf Stations 
      (those are not countries but gas stations!)?" 
 
SULLIVAN