Cablegate: Zimbabwe Democracy Act Makes Front Pages

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

030627Z Dec 01

UNCLASSIFIED PTO7514

PAGE 01 HARARE 03601 030719Z
ACTION INR-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 AS-01 A-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00
DODE-00 DS-00 EUR-00 UTED-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00
LAB-01 VCE-00 NSAE-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 IIP-00 DSCC-00
DRL-02 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /005W
------------------460D35 030719Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0449
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS HARARE 003601

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR
SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY ACT MAKES FRONT PAGES

1. ON NOVEMBER 30 BOTH THE PRIVATELY OWNED "DAILY NEWS"
AND THE GOVERNMENT-OWNED "HERALD" GAVE FRONT-PAGE PLAY TO
NEWS OF THE HOUSE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE
APPROVAL OF THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY
ACT (ZDERA). BOTH PAPERS HIGHLIGHTED CONGRESSMAN ED
ROYCE'S COMMENTS ABOUT PRESIDENT MUGABE.

2. THE "DAILY NEWS" CARRIED THE STORY UNDER THE HEADLINE
"MUGABE DRESSED DOWN." THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY
"THE HERALD" PRINTED THE STORY UNDER THE HEADLINE "ANTI-
ZIMBABWE BILL TO GO BEFORE U.S. HOUSE." THE "HERALD"
CHARACTERIZED THE BILL AS "NEO-COLONIAL." THE INDEPENDENT
WEEKLY "ZIMBABWE INDEPENDENT" CARRIED THE STORY ON PAGE TWO
UNDER HEADLINE "EUROPE AND THE U.S. RESOLVE TO ACT AGAINST
MUGABE."

SULLIVAN

UNCLASSIFIED

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