Categories: Stories

US ambassador’s anti-terror opinion piece receives wide coverage

United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Joseph Sullivan’s opinion piece on the anti-terror campaign following the attacks in the United States on 11 September 2001 received wide coverage in two local papers, the Daily News and the Financial Gazette.

The piece said more than 30 Africans, including two Zimbabweans, had been killed in the attack at the World Trade Centre in New York.

“Terrorism’s evil and pervasive nature means no one can feel truly safe. This is true in all places, in all lands,” the ambassador said.

 

Full cable:


Viewing cable 01HARARE3277, ANTI-TERROR OP-ED BY AMBASSADOR SULLIVAN

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Reference ID

Created

Released

Classification

Origin

01HARARE3277

2001-11-02 05:23

2011-08-30 01:44

UNCLASSIFIED

Embassy Harare

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

 

020523Z Nov 01

 

 

UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ5544

 

PAGE 01       HARARE 03277 01 OF 02 020557Z

ACTION AF-00

 

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   AID-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00 INL-00   USNW-00

DODE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00   UTED-00 VC-00   TEDE-00 INR-00

IO-00   VCE-00   DCP-01   NSAE-00 NSCE-00 IRM-00   TEST-00

USIE-00 EPAE-00 DSCC-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00     /001W

——————38D9E3 020557Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0178

INFO OAU COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 003277

 

SIPDIS

 

DEPT FOR AF, AF/S, AF/PD (COX, ROBERTSON, SANDERS)

 

NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER

 

LONDON FOR GURNEY

 

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

 

NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

 

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: KPAO PREL ZI

SUBJECT: ANTI-TERROR OP-ED BY AMBASSADOR SULLIVAN

 

 

1.   AN OP-ED BY AMBASSADOR JOSEPH SULLIVAN RECEIVED

PROMINENT PUBLICATION IN TWO INFLUENTIAL ZIMBABWEAN

NEWSPAPERS ON NOVEMBER 1. THE PRIVATELY-OWNED “DAILY

NEWS” CARRIED THE PIECE AS THE ONLY OPINION PIECE ON

THEIR OP-ED PAGE. THE PRIVATELY OWNED WEEKLY

“FINANCIAL GAZETTE” DEDICATED AN ENTIRE PAGE TO THE

ARTICLE. TEXT OF THE OP-ED PIECE FOLLOWS.

 

2. ACTING TOGETHER AGAINST TERROR

BY JOSEPH G. SULLIVAN

UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO ZIMBABWE

 

TERRORISM POSES AN OVERRIDING THREAT TO INNOCENT PEOPLE

EVERYWHERE. AS THE LONG LIST OF NATIONS WHO LOST

CITIZENS IN THE ATTACKS ON THE WORLD TRADE CENTER

SHOWS, TERROR’S INNOCENT VICTIMS ARE OF ALL

NATIONALITIES, AND ALL FAITHS. AMONG THE NATIONS

ATTACKED IN NEW YORK WAS ZIMBABWE, TWO OF WHOSE

CITIZENS ARE AMONG THE MORE THAN 30 AFRICANS KILLED OR

MISSING. TERRORISM’S EVIL AND PERVASIVE NATURE MEANS

NO ONE CAN FEEL TRULY SAFE. THIS IS TRUE IN ALL

PLACES, IN ALL LANDS.

 

ACKNOWLEDGING THIS FACT, THE COMMUNITY OF NATIONS IS

WORKING TOGETHER IN A GLOBAL EFFORT TO PROTECT THE

SAFETY AND RIGHTS OF ALL THE WORLD’S PEOPLE. MORE THAN

40 COUNTRIES IN EUROPE, THE MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA AND

ASIA HAVE GRANTED AIR TRANSIT OR LANDING RIGHTS TO U.S.

AND BRITISH MILITARY AIRCRAFT. MORE COUNTRIES HAVE

SHARED INTELLIGENCE.   MANY MORE NATIONS, INCLUDING

ZIMBABWE, HAVE EXPRESSED OUTRAGE AT THE SEPTEMBER 11

ATTACKS AND HAVE STATED THEIR DETERMINATION TO TAKE

UNCLASSIFIED

 

PAGE 03       HARARE 03277 01 OF 02 020557Z

PART IN THE GLOBAL EFFORT TO COMBAT TERRORISM.

 

THESE NATIONS UNDERSTAND, AS DO MOST ZIMBABWEANS, THAT

THE WAR AGAINST TERROR IS NOT ABOUT THE WEST VS. ISLAM

OR ABOUT DISAGREEMENT WITH PAST OR PRESENT AMERICAN

FOREIGN POLICIES. THIS IS A WAR AGAINST THE HATE-

FILLED, UNILATERAL INTOLERANCE OF A TINY NUMBER OF

PEOPLE AND THEIR PROTECTORS. AS PRESIDENT BUSH PUT IT,

“THIS IS A WAR AGAINST HATRED.” IT IS A WAR TO PROTECT

THE RIGHTS AND DREAMS OF THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE

WORLD’S PEOPLE. IT IS A WAR TO PRESERVE FREEDOM OF

RELIGION, THE RIGHT OF ALL PEOPLE TO EDUCATION AND

PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT, THE RIGHT TO SPEAK FREELY

AND ENGAGE IN PEACEFUL DEBATE, THE RIGHT TO TRAVEL, THE

RIGHT TO ENJOY MUSIC, THEATER, DANCE, ART AND

LITERATURE, AND THE RIGHT TO BE FREE OF FEAR.

 

IN RESPONSE TO THE ATTACKS ON HUMANITY THAT TOOK PLACE

IN THE UNITED STATES ON SEPTEMBER 11, THE UNITED STATES

AND GREAT BRITAIN HAVE BEGUN THE MILITARY ACTIONS THAT

FORM PART OF THE GLOBAL CAMPAIGN TO DEFEAT TERRORISM.

THE UNITED NATIONS CHARTER AND THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL

RECOGNIZE THESE ACTIONS AS LEGITIMATE MEASURES OF SELF-

DEFENSE. THEY ARE ALSO THE MOST VISIBLE PART OF A VAST

AND UNPRECEDENTED INTERNATIONAL EFFORT TO EXTEND THE

REACH OF JUSTICE TO THOSE PLACES WHERE THE GERM OF

TERROR HAS FESTERED.

 

PRESIDENT BUSH’S ORDER DIRECTING MILITARY ACTION

AGAINST THE AL-QAEDA NETWORK AND THE TALIBAN REGIME

THAT GIVES THEM SHELTER WAS DELIBERATE AND FOCUSED IN

UNCLASSIFIED

 

PAGE 04       HARARE 03277 01 OF 02 020557Z

TIMING AND SCOPE. ALTHOUGH THE RAGE OF THE AMERICAN

PEOPLE AND THE WORLD IS WELL JUSTIFIED, THE U.S. DOES

NOT STRIKE IN ANGER AND DOES NOT TARGET INNOCENTS. IN

THE DAYS FOLLOWING SEPTEMBER 11, THE WORLD HAS COME TO

REALIZE, THAT NATIONS MUST WORK TOGETHER TO DEFEAT

TERROR. GOVERNMENTS HAVE COME TO REALIZE THAT ACTING

RESOLUTELY IN THE INTEREST OF COMMON GLOBAL SECURITY IS

A MATTER OF URGENT NECESSITY. PRESIDENT MUGABE AND

MINISTER OF JUSTICE CHINAMASA, IN THEIR STRONG

CONDEMNATIONS OF TERRORISM, HAVE MADE ZIMBABWE’S

POSITION CLEAR.

 

LEFT UNCHECKED, TERRORISM WILL AFFECT THE LIVES OF

EVERYONE. TERRORISTS ROB INNOCENT VICTIMS OF LIFE, AND

ROB ALL OF US OF OUR SECURITY. TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE

VERY FREEDOMS THAT ARE THE HALLMARKS OF DEMOCRATIC

SOCIETIES, TERRORISTS HAVE DEMONSTRATED COLD-BLOODED

SKILLS OF INFILTRATION. DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY, THEY

THREATEN OUR FREEDOM.

 

THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TRAGEDIES OF SEPTEMBER

11 DO NOT UNDERSTAND DISCUSSION, NEGOTIATION OR

 

UNCLASSIFIED

 

UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ5545

 

PAGE 01       HARARE 03277 02 OF 02 020557Z

ACTION AF-00

 

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   AID-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00

DS-00   UTED-00 VC-00   TEDE-00 INR-00   VCE-00   NSAE-00

NSCE-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 DSCC-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00     /000W

——————38D9E5 020557Z /38

R 020523Z NOV 01

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0179

INFO OAU COLLECTIVE

 

UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 003277

 

SIPDIS

 

DEPT FOR AF, AF/S, AF/PD (COX, ROBERTSON, SANDERS)

 

NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER

 

LONDON FOR GURNEY

 

PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS

 

NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

 

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: KPAO PREL ZI

SUBJECT: ANTI-TERROR OP-ED BY AMBASSADOR SULLIVAN

 

COMPROMISE. THEY DO NOT RESPECT THE MECHANISMS

HUMANKIND HAS PAINSTAKINGLY BUILT TO PROTECT INNOCENTS

UNCLASSIFIED

 

PAGE 02       HARARE 03277 02 OF 02 020557Z

AND SAFEGUARD LIBERTY. SADLY, THEY HAVE LEFT THE WORLD

NO OPTION BUT TO DESTROY THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE,

ELIMINATE THEIR FINANCIAL SUPPORT, BRING THEIR LEADERS

TO JUSTICE, AND END THEIR ABILITY TO HOLD THE REST OF

THE WORLD HOSTAGE TO THEIR MADNESS. THAT IS WHAT THE

CURRENT MILITARY ACTIONS, AND THE MANY OTHER EFFORTS

NOW UNDERWAY, SEEK TO DO.

 

PEOPLE OF ALL NATIONS AND FAITHS KNOW THAT WE ARE ALL

VULNERABLE TO TERROR, WHICH BY ITS NATURE IS CARELESS

OF ITS TARGETS AND INDIFFERENT TO HUMAN LIFE. SUCH

SOLIDARITY HAS NOW TURNED TO SUPPORT OF WORLD ACTION TO

ROOT OUT TERROR. THIS COALITION OF CONCERNED NATIONS IS

A TRULY HISTORIC RESPONSE TO AN UNPARALLELED ATTACK AND

CONTINUING THREAT AGAINST EVERYONE.

 

WORKING TOGETHER WITH A SHARED SENSE OF PURPOSE WE CAN

EXTEND THE REACH OF JUSTICE EVEN INTO THE DARKEST CAVES

WHERE TERROR HIDES, AND MAKE OUR WORLD A SAFER PLACE.

 

SULLIVAN

 

UNCLASSIFIED

 

>

 

(25 VIEWS)

Charles Rukuni

The Insider is a political and business bulletin about Zimbabwe, edited by Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was a printed 12-page subscription only newsletter until 2003 when Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation made it impossible to continue printing.

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