Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05LILONGWE748
2005-08-31 14:20:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Lilongwe
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION - IRAQ, LILONGWE

Tags:  KMDR KPAO PTER MI 
pdf how-to read a cable
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS LILONGWE 000748 

SIPDIS

FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PTER MI
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION - IRAQ, LILONGWE

UNCLAS LILONGWE 000748

SIPDIS

FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PTER MI
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION - IRAQ, LILONGWE


1. "Come to the rescue now"


2. The independent weekly, "Malawi News" of
August 27, carried an opinion piece by prominent
journalist/editor, Jika Nkolokosa, in his
regular column "All I can say". Nkolokosa
blames the world for a belated intervention to
stop atrocities Saddam Hussein committed in
Iraq. Excerpts follow.


3. When Saddam was overthrown, all accusing
fingers pointed at the former dictator who, in
fact took the rap for all evil that ever
occurred in Iraq. But it has got me wondering
where they were all the time Saddam wreaked
havoc.


4. How did the world let this unsavory man
wreak so much havoc for so long? Surely, the
rest of the world must be guilty of complicity
in his atrocities, because he could never have
done half the harm he did if the world had stood
firm against him from the word go.


5. But the world let Saddam have his own way
for so long under the guise of never interfering
in a sovereign state. What absurdity! No
single madman has the right, under whatever
international charter or convention, to bring
such misery to a whole nation in the name of
sovereignty.


6. The world has to share the blame for
allowing the Pol Pots and the Idi Amins, the Kim
Jong Ils and the Saddam Husseins to
systematically apply their madness to millions
of people and ensure their every single day on
earth was miserable. It sickens me today to
hear people take all kinds of credit for
returning Iraq to a semblance of normality.
Good gracious, where were they when sanity was
passing Iraq by? It makes me very sad. Very sad.
Damn it.


7. Is there a possibility that that you are
failing in your good neighborliness, especially
here in Africa where we have no shortage of self-
appointed messiahs. All I can say is, the world
failed the Iraqis. Let's not fail those who
need to be rescued now from the clutches of
someone with a similar or worse homicidal
streak.

Eastham