MEDIA REACTION U. N. RACE CONFERENCE; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 002595 SIPDIS AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/P, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION U. N. RACE CONFERENCE; HARARE ¶1. LENGTHY EDITORIALS IN TWO GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED NEWSPAPERS FOCUS ON THE U. N. CONFERENCE ON RACISM, XENOPHOBIA AND INTOLERANCE TAKING PLACE IN DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA. EDITORIAL EXCERPTS FOLLOW: ¶2. UNDER HEADLINE "RESOLVE EVILS OF RACISM AT U. N. TALKS," THE SEPTEMBER 4 EDITION OF THE DAILY "HERALD" COMMENTS: "THE U. N. CONFERENCE ON RACISM HAS LED. . .TO MUCH HEAT AND SOME REGRETTABLE ACTIONS, INCLUDING YESTERDAY'S WITHDRAWAL BY THE U. S. AND ISRAEL. THE TWO ITEMS THAT HAVE RAISED THE GREATEST EMOTIONS ARE THE SLAVE TRADE FROM AFRICA THAT ENDED LAST CENTURY AND THE ACTIONS OF ISRAEL IN THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES. . .THERE ARE TWO ASPECTS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. THE FIRST IS THE FORMAL APOLOGY FROM THOSE COUNTRIES THAT PRACTICED THE TRADE. . .THE SECOND ASPECT IS TRYING TO PUT RIGHT SOME OF THE LINGERING EFFECTS OF THE TRADE. WHETHER THESE EFFORTS ARE CALLED 'REPARATIONS' OR WHETHER THEY ARE CALLED 'EXTRA DEVELOPMENT AID' IS LESS IMPORTANT THAN A REALISTIC EFFORT TO END THE UNDERDEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA. THE GENERAL FEELING THAT ISRAEL IS PRACTICING A FORM OF APARTHEID IN PALESTINE HAS TO BE HONESTLY ADDRESSED. . .ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE, RELIGION, CULTURE, NATIONALITY AND THE LIKE ARE EVIL. ALL MUST BE CONDEMNED. . .SURELY THE MOST VITAL PART OF THE U. N. CONFERENCE IS FACING DOWN HORRORS THAT HAVE DONE SO MUCH HARM TO PEOPLE, BOTH TO THE VICTIMS AND, MORALLY, TO THE VICTIMIZERS. AND SURELY SUCCESS AT THE CONFERENCE IS TO RECOGNIZE THE EVILS OF RACISM AND XENOPHOBIA IN ALL THEIR FORMS, AND TO UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 02595 041317Z RESOLVE THAT SUCH HORRORS AND SUCH EVILS CAN NEVER AGAIN BE TOLERATED. . . ." ¶3. UNDER HEADLINE "U. S. ATTITUDE SMACKS OF DIPLOMATIC ARROGANCE," THE SEPTEMBER 2 EDITION OF THE WEEKLY "SUNDAY MAIL" COMMENTS: "NOT SO LONG AGO, AMERICAN SECRETARY OF STATE, GENERAL COLLIN (SIC) POWELL WAS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA, PONTIFICATING ABOUT DEMOCRACY, TRANSPARENCY AND MANY OTHER 'FREEDOMS.' HE WAS FETED IN SOME QUARTERS WHERE WHAT HE SAID WAS TAKEN AS A FITTING LECTURE TO AFRICA'S 'WAYWARD LEADERS.' WE, AMONG OTHERS, DISMISSED HIM AS AN 'UNCLE TOM. . .' NOW HE HAS FAILED TO SHOW UP IN DURBAN FOR THE WORLD CONFERENCE ON RACISM, XENOPHOBIA AND INTOLERANCE. THIS WAS CONFIRMATION THAT NEITHER POWELL NOR THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IS FIT TO GIVE AFRICA ANY LECTURE ON DEMOCRACY AND TOLERANCE, WHEN THEY CANNOT TOLERATE DIVERGENT VIEWS. IN FUTURE DEALINGS WITH DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN GENERAL AND AFRICA IN PARTICULAR, THE UNITED STATES AND SPECIFICALLY POWELL, WILL FACE A SERIOUS CREDIBILITY CRISIS. IT HAS BECOME OBVIOUS THAT THEY PREACH THINGS THAT THEY DO NOT PRACTICE THEMSELVES. THE CREDIBILITY CRISIS WILL ALSO EXTEND TO U. N. SECRETARY GENERAL, KOFFI ANNAN. ALREADY DELEGATES TO THE CONFERENCE ARE QUESTIONING IF THEIR RESOLUTIONS WILL BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY THE U. N. GIVEN THE EXTENT TO WHICH IT PANDERS TO AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY AND INTERESTS. . .THE DEMONSTRATIONS GOING ON IN DURBAN UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HARARE 02595 041317Z ARE ALSO A SHARP INDICTMENT ON THE FOREIGN POLICIES OF THE U. S. AND ITS ALLIES. WE NOW WONDER HOW THE U. S. PLANS TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUE OF SLAVERY AND COLONIALISM WHEN IT SENDS A JUNIOR DELEGATION THAT IS ONLY MATCHED BY THAT OF ISRAEL. THE ISSUE OF ZIONISM BEING EQUATED TO RACISM, WHICH HAS CAUSED SUCH A FURORE, IS AN ISSUE THAT WILL FOR LONG CONTINUE TO BE DEBATED AT VARIOUS FORUMS, WITH OR WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE UNITED STATES. WE DO NOT SEE WHY IT SHOULD NOT REMAIN ON THE AGENDA IN DURBAN. IT IS DEBATABLE. . .BUT THE FACT THAT THE U. S. CAN DECREE WHAT THE WORLD SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT DISCUSS IS REALLY THE HEIGHT OF DIPLOMATIC ARROGANCE. . . ." ROTH UNCLASSIFIED >