MEDIA REPORT CAMPAIGN AGAINST TERROR; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 003302 SIPDIS AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR SCHLACHTER, AF/P, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT CAMPAIGN AGAINST TERROR; HARARE ¶1. MAINSTREAM NEWSPAPERS CONTINUE TO RUN OPINION PIECES FOCUSING ON THE WAR AGAINST TERROR. EXCERPTS FOLLOW: ¶2. UNDER HEADLINE "NEW FACE OF TERRORISM TARGETS EVERYBODY," THE NOVEMBER 4 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED WEEKLY "THE SUNDAY MAIL" CARRIED THE FOLLOWING PIECE BY ITS U.S.-BASED CORRESPONDENT TENDAYI KUMBULA: ". . .THE NEW FACE OF TERRORISM TARGETS EVERYBODY. THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS. . .DID NOT SELECT VICTIMS ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, ETHNICITY, CREED, RELIGION, RESIDENCE OR ECONOMIC CLASS. ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAD HAPPENED TO BE ON THE FOUR HIJACKED PLANES OR THE BUILDINGS THAT THE PLANES CRASHED INTO WERE FAIR GAME AND TARGETS. TODAY THE REALIZATION THAT TERRORISM IS NOT A GAME AND IS NOT A HOLLYWOOD CREATION HAS HIT HOME. THERE IS NO PANIC YET. BUT AMERICANS ARE CONCERNED, CONFUSED AND SCARED. . . FOR THE FIRST TIME, AMERICANS ARE DEALING WITH SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT THE REST OF THE WORLD HAS FACED OVER THE YEARS. IT IS NOT A COMFORTABLE OR COMFORTING SITUATION TO BE IN, ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS IS A BATTLE WITH NO CLEARLY DEFINED PARAMETERS OR RULES OF BEHAVIOR. . . ." ¶3. UNDER HEADLINE "GLOBAL TENSIONS OVER AFGHANISTAN THREATEN WORLD WAR," THE SAME NEWSPAPER CARRIED THE FOLLOWING OPINION PIECE BY ITS REGULAR COLUMNIST TAFATAONA MAHOSO: "THE UNITED NATIONS IS IGNORING IMPORTANT WARNINGS FROM ISRAEL, INDIA, SYRIA, SAUDI ARABIA, IRAN AND IRAQ ABOUT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 03302 051421Z THE WAY THE SO-CALLED WAR AGAINST TERROR IS BEING CONDUCTED. IT IS UNUSUAL FOR SAUDI ARABIA TO CONTRADICT THE U.S. FOREIGN POLICY. THEREFORE SAUDI FEARS AND DOUBTS INDICATE A PERCEPTION OF REAL DANGER. . . THE ANGLO-AMERICAN RESPONSE TO ATTACKS ON NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON ON 11 SEPTEMBER 2001 IS CONTRARY TO THE LETTER AND SPIRIT OF THE BEIJING DECLARATION. . . THE U.S. AND ITS ALLIES ARE ONCE MORE TARGETING ENTIRE CITIES AND VILLAGES IN PURSUIT OF THEIR OWN QUARREL WITH AN INDIVIDUAL PERSON AND ORGANIZATION WHO AT ONE TIME ACTUALLY SERVED AS AN INSTRUMENT OF U.S. FOREIGN POLICY. . . THE STRENGTH OF SAUDI OBJECTIONS TO ANGLO- AMERICAN PREPARATIONS FOR WAR SUGGESTS THAT THE SAUDIS KNOW THAT THE OBJECTIVE IS MUCH WIDER AND MORE INDEFINITE THAN A 'STRIKE AGAINST TERROR.'" ¶4. MEANWHILE THE NOVEMBER 2 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "THE HERALD" CARRIED AN OP-ED BY AMBASSADOR JOSEPH SULLIVAN UNDER HEADLINE "ALL PEOPLE VULNERABLE TO TERROR." THIS IS THE THIRD PROMINENT PLACEMENT FOLLOWING PRIOR PUBLICATIONS IN THE NOVEMBER 1 EDITIONS OF THE PRIVATELY-OWNED "THE DAILY NEWS" AND THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY "THE FINANCIAL GAZETTE." SULLIVAN UNCLASSIFIED >