MEDIA REACTION WAR AGAINST TERROR; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 003123 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 WAR AGAINST TERROR; HARARE ¶1. UNDER HEADLINE "HE WHO SHELTERS A THIEF DIES WITH THE THIEF," THE OCTOBER 18 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT DAILY "THE DAILY NEWS" CARRIED THE FOLLOWING OPINION PIECE BY SAUL GWAKUBA NDLOVU UNDER HIS COLUMN "A VIEW FROM THE MATOPOS": ". . .IT IS VERY STRANGE THAT SOME GOVERNMENTS ARE CRITICIZING THE U.S.-BRITISH MILITARY ACTIONS AGAINST AFGHANISTAN. WHAT ALTERNATIVES DOES THE WORLD, MINUS AFGHANISTAN, HAVE EXCEPT TO ATTACK THOSE WHO GIVE PROTECTION, COMFORT AND SUCCOR TO ARCHITECTS OF INTERNATIONAL TERROR? .AN OLD AFRICAN TRUISM SAYS: HE WHO SHELTERS A THIEF DIES WITH THE THIEF. THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING IN AFGHANISTAN. .THE MODERN WORLD IS BASED ON, FIRST AND FOREMOST, TOLERANCE OF OTHER PEOPLE'S CULTURE. AN INTOLERANT CULTURE HAS NO PLACE IN THE UNITED NATIONS CHARTER, OR THE ISLAMIC NATIONS, OR THAT OF THE AFRICAN UNION, OR THAT OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES. IT HAS NO PLACE IN ISLAM, CHRISTIANITY, BUDDHISM, SHAMANISM, SHINTOISM, AND HINDUISM." ¶2. UNDER HEADLINE "THE GLOBALIZATION OF TERROR," THE OCTOBER 18 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY "THE FINANCIAL GAZETTE" CARRIED THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE BY SHIMON PERES, ISRAEL'S DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: "THE ATTACK ON THE TWIN TOWERS AND THE PENTAGON IN THE ¶U. S. A. ON SEPTEMBER 11 UNCOVERED ANOTHER SIDE OF GLOBALIZATION - GLOBALIZATION OF TERROR. .THE WORLD IS MOVING FROM A POSITION OF NATIONAL STRATEGY TO A UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 03123 190531Z POSITION OF GLOBAL STRATEGY - FROM BATTLES BETWEEN ARMIES TO A FIGHT AGAINST DANGERS. FROM A WORLD OF ENEMIES (NATIONALISTIC) TO A WORLD OF DANGERS (GLOBAL). GLOBAL DANGER HAS NO BORDERS. IT CAN STRIKE ANYWHERE AND AT ANY TIME. UNFETTERED BY HUMAN VALUES, THE ATROCITIES IT PERPETRATES ARE INDISCRIMINATE, LIMITLESS, SLAUGHTERING CIVILIANS AND INNOCENT PEOPLE. IT DISSEMINATES HORROR, IT IS THE PERSONIFICATION OF PRESENT-DAY SATAN. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR COMPROMISE BETWEEN EVIL ACTIONS AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR. .DEMOCRACY CANNOT, AND MUST NOT, DIVERT ITSELF OF ITS MORAL VALUES, EVEN IN THE FACE OF SUCH A BITTER WAR. .THE NEW DANGER IS GREAT AND TERRIBLE. IT CANNOT BE OVERCOME WITH EMPTY WORDS OR THE THREAT OF A SINGLE SWORD. YET IT MUST BE DEFEATED. AND WE SHALL PREVAIL" ¶3. UNDER HEADLINE "EXPANSIONISM AT THE HEART OF AMERICA'S WARS," THE OCTOBER 18 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT DAILY "THE DAILY NEWS" CARRIED THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE BY FRANZ SCHURMANN: "AMERICA IS 225 YEARS OLD. FROM 1776 TO 2001, IT HAS WAGED 11 MAJOR WARS. THE FIRST WAS THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR AGAINST BRITAIN (1775 - 1781). THE 11TH IS THE CURRENT WAR AGAINST AFGHANISTAN (2001). TEN OF THE WARS INVOLVED FOREIGN ENEMIES. WHY SO MANY WARS? THE SIMPLEST ANSWER IS: EXPANSIONISM. A MORE COMPLEX ANSWER IS: EXPANSIONISM AND EMPIRE BUILDING. BUT 11 SEPTEMBER 2001 DISRUPTED THIS FLOW. ONCE AGAIN WE SEE THE GREAT FEAR ARISING IN AMERICA, AS IN 1950. THEN, THE METAPHOR FOR THE FEAR WAS 'COMMUNISM.' NOW IT IS 'TERRORISM.' UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HARARE 03123 190531Z THE PRIME TERRORIST IS OSAMA BIN LADEN, HEAD OF A 'TERRORIST ORGANIZATION' CALLED AL-QAEDA, AND A CHARISMATIC MUSLIM SPIRITUAL LEADER. .IN GEOPOLITICAL TERMS THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION HAS REPLACED THE EURO- ATLANTIC REGION IN IMPORTANCE FOR AMERICAN INTERESTS." SULLIVAN UNCLASSIFIED >