MEDIA REACTION IRAQ; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 000453 SIPDIS DEPT FOR INR/R/MR AND AF/PDPA DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KPAO KMDR ZI SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION IRAQ; HARARE ¶1. The March 2 edition of the independent weekly "The Standard" carried an article by its United States- based stringer, Ken Mafuka, in which he accused the ¶U. S. of creating policies that could give President George W. Bush unilateral powers to "declare war on any country he regards as harboring terrorists." "For instance, Zimbabwe could find itself declared a terrorist state and therefore excluded from participation in the multi-lateral organizations in which the U. S. has a stake," Mafuka wrote in his weekly column "Americannotes." Excerpts of the article printed under headline "The two sides of terror" follow: ¶2. "The U. S. has designed two weapons for the war against terror. The first weapon is called the Patriot Act that allowed the U. S. Government to coordinate the activities of twenty-one spy agencies. Sharing information enables them to take quick action against possible threats. The second weapon is the Bush Doctrine - which is very contentious. Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, and security advisor, Sister Condoleeza Rice are its main supporters. The doctrine would allow the U. S. to attack and destroy any nation, or unit on the world stage, if the ¶U. S. president decided. It means that one man, without the approval of Congress can declare war on any country he regards as harboring terrorists. A memo, which was traced to communications between an Israeli think tank and the Bush cabinet, was leaked. This memo said after Iraqi, `we can go after Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.' What is important for the Third World is that the U. S. may declare any country a terrorist state. This can be done for any number of reasons that have nothing to do with terrorism against the U. S. For instances, Zimbabwe could find itself declared a terrorist state and therefore excluded from participation in the multi-lateral organizations in which the U. S. has a stake. . . ." SULLIVAN