MEDIA REACTION MEP; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 002081 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS AF FOR RAYNOR 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 MEP; HARARE ¶1. Under headline "U. S. double standards on Israel deplorable" the pro-government weekly "The Sunday Mirror" dedicated its October 12 editorial to accusing the United States of treating Israel with kid gloves. "The U. S.'s hypocrisy and double standards when it comes to dealing with Israel's travesties against international law and conventions has done irreparable damage to its credibility as an honest mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," the editorial charged. Excerpts: ¶2. "Once again, the U. S. is threatening to use its veto power in the U. N. Security Council to upstage a resolution that does not favor its erstwhile ally, Israel. The U. N. Security Council will this week hold an open session on Israel's construction of a security barrier in the Palestinian West bank, but the U. S. has hinted it will veto an Arab-proposed resolution declaring the barrier illegal. . .The U. S. has used its veto power in the council to block several resolutions it had considered to be anti-Israel. Recently, President George W. Bush lamely defended Israel's military attack on Syria on the grounds that Israel had a right to defend itself. The U. S.'s hypocrisy and double standards when it comes to dealing with Israel's travesties against international law and conventions has done irreparable damage to its credibility as an honest mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. SULLIVAN