This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS HARARE 000452
SIPDIS
FOR INR/R/MR AND AF/PDPA DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPAO KMDR ZI
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION NAM/IRAQ; HARARE
1. Under headline "New challenges for NAM" the
pro-government weekly the "Sunday Mirror" dedicated
its March 2 editorial to calling on the Non Aligned
Movement (NAM) to transform into "a reasonable,
balanced and objective counter-force" in
international issues. "In this regard, the call by
NAM for a peaceful resolution to the Iraq arms
crisis becomes even more relevant," the editorial
stated.
2. "The NAM, created forty-eight years ago, was born to
defend the freedom of those countries in the
developing world that did not want to be constrained
by allegiance to any of the super-powers of the
time, namely the U. S. A. and the Soviet Union.
Today, that bipolar scenario has changed with the
demise of the Soviet Union, leaving the U. S. A. as
the only superpower. However, a unipolar situation
has not made the world a safer place to live in and
smaller nations, especially in the Third World, have
become even more vulnerable. Therefore, NAM becomes
even more relevant as it now has to protect its
members from being swallowed up by the one
increasingly dictatorial superpower, the U. S. A.
In this lopsided world order, the prospect of a
world divided on lines of wealth, race or religious
faith is real, but a calamitous one for human kind.
Because of the diversity of its nationalities, NAM
offers the only hope for a reasonable, balanced and
objective counter-force. But in order for that hope
to be translated into reality, NAM members are
required to strengthen their solidarity with each
other.
". . .In order not be misunderstood, NAM needs to
proclaim loudly and clearly that for which the
movement stands. First, it should acknowledge the
supremacy of the United Nations while demanding that
the world body be reformed so that its structures
and actions follow modern concepts of democracy,
which the developed world has been preaching to the
rest of the world. NAM should further affirm its
adherence to the rule of law, while not only
agitating for, but acting to ensure collective peace
and human security. In this regard, the call by NAM
for a peaceful resolution to the Iraq arms crisis
becomes even more relevant. NAM reiterated its call
to Iraq to comply with resolution 1441 of the U. N.
Security Council, while at the same time condemning
the planned unilateral military actions of the U.
S., and a few of its allies who seek to plunge the
world into catastrophe for no better reason than to
secure for themselves the rich oil fields of the
Gulf region. In the final analysis, NAM should not
only be aware of the economic motives of the latest
imperialist wars of the U. S. and its allies, but
should demand responses to the needs of the majority
of the people of the world."
SULLIVAN