MEDIA REPORT RACISM CONFERENCE; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 002493 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/PD (COX, ROBERTSON),AF/S (KRAFT),AF/P, INR/R/MR NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR GURNEY UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HARARE 02493 231002Z PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM ZI SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT RACISM CONFERENCE; HARARE ¶1. THE INDEPENDENT DAILY "THE DAILY NEWS" DEDICATED ITS AUGUST 23 EDITORIAL TO THE UNITED NATIONS WORLD CONFERENCE ON RACISM TO BE HELD IN DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA, ON AUGUST 31. UNDER HEADLINE "POLITICAL POSTURING THREATENS RACISM TALKS," THE PAPER COMMENTS: ¶2. "SO WHAT IF THE SUBJECT OF ZIONISM BEING EQUATED WITH RACISM IS TABLED AT THE U. N. CONFERENCE ON RACISM IN DURBAN ON 31 AUGUST? WOULD THAT BE EQUATED, BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, AT LEAST, WITH GRANTING ON A SILVER PLATTER A PSYCHOLOGICAL VICTORY FOR YASSER ARAFAT'S FATAH MOVEMENT AND THE HIZBOLLAH GUERRILLA GROUP OVER ARIEL SHARON AND SHIMON PERES? THERE WILL CLEARLY BE LIVELY AND, ADMITTEDLY, EMOTIONAL DEBATE OVER RACISM. . . WHAT IS VITAL IS THAT THE SUBJECT BE VENTILATED CALMLY AND THOROUGHLY. . . THE U. S. GOVERNMENT MUST, THEREFORE, CONCENTRATE ON THE BIG PICTURE. RACISM IN THE U. S. ITSELF DID NOT DISAPPEAR WITH THE END OF SLAVERY. FROM FREDERICK DOUGLASS TO MARTIN LUTHER KING JNR., THE DESCENDANTS OF AFRICAN SLAVES HAVE FOUGHT TO GAIN EQUAL STATUS WITH THEIR FORMER MASTERS. THE LIKES OF THURGOOD MARSHALL PROVED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 02493 231002Z THAT BEING THE DESCENDANT OF AFRICAN SLAVES WAS NO BARRIER TO REACHING THE PINNACLE OF SUCCESS IN ANY FIELD OF HUMAN ENDEAVOR. . . THE U. N. CONFERENCE ON RACISM MUST SUCCEED AND THE THREAT OF A BOYCOTT BY THE ¶U. S. OVER ZIONISM BEING EQUATED WITH RACISM MUST BE ELIMINATED BY OFFICIALS IN GEORGE W. BUSH'S ADMINISTRATION WHO KNOW THAT IF THE THREAT IS CARRIED OUT, THEN THEIR COUNTRY COULD LOSE THE RESPECT OF MANY FRIENDS." ROTH UNCLASSIFIED >