Cablegate: Media Reaction Zim Presidential Poll; Harare

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

041633Z Mar 02

UNCLASSIFIED PTO8253

PAGE 01 HARARE 00569 050100Z
ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 EUR-00 UTED-00 TEDE-00 INR-00
NSAE-00 PRS-00 SP-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 BBG-00 ECA-00
IIP-00 DRL-02 SAS-00 /002W
------------------6F63EF 050100Z /15
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1093
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS HARARE 000569

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ZIM PRESIDENTIAL POLL; HARARE

1. WHILE THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY "ZIMBABWE INDEPENDENT"
CONDEMNED THE RECENT ATTACKS ON ELECTION OBSERVERS IN
ZIMBABWE BY ALLEGED ZANU PF SUPPORTERS IN ITS MARCH 1
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 HARARE 00569 050100Z
EDITORIAL, THE BULAWAYO-BASED GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED
DAILY "CHRONICLE" SLAMMED PRESIDENT BUSH FOR ALLEGEDLY
USING ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE U. S.-BASED "GENOCIDE
WATCH" TO FURTHER HIS POLITICAL INTERESTS. THIS BAD
TEMPERED EDITORIAL COMES IN THE WAKE OF AN ARTICLE,
BASED ON A RECENT "GENOCIDE WATCH" REPORT CARRIED IN THE
INDEPENDENT "FINANCIAL GAZETTE. ":EXCERPTS AS FOLLOWS:

2. UNDER HEADLINE "ATTACKS ON SADC OBSERVERS WERE
INEVITABLE," THE "ZIMBABWE INDEPENDENT" COMMENTS:

"WE VERY MUCH REGRET THE STAIN ON ZIMBABWEAN HOSPITALITY
THAT ATTACKS ON SOUTH AFRICAN AND SADC OBSERVERS
REPRESENT. BUT THEY WERE INEVITABLE. DESPITE PRESIDENT
MUGABE'S PUBLIC COMMITMENT TO NON-VIOLENCE, HIS
SUPPORTERS CONTINUE TO ABDUCT, TORTURE, STONE, AND BEAT
UP OTHER ZIMBABWEANS WITH IMPUNITY. . .WE HOPE THAT
FOLLOWING THESE INCIDENTS, THE SOUTH AFRICANS AND THEIR
SADC COLLEAGUES WILL STOP DANCING AROUND ISSUES OF
ELECTORAL VIOLENCE. . . ."

3. UNDER HEADLINE "GENOCIDE EXISTS ONLY IN THEIR MINDS,"
THE "CHRONICLE" COMMENTS:

"PROPHETS OF DOOM FROM THE IMPERIALIST WORLD ARE ALREADY
PREDICTING A GLOOMY POST-ELECTION PERIOD OF ZIMBABWE.
THEY TELL US THERE WILL BE 'CIVIL UNREST,' 'GENOCIDE,'
AND EVERY POSSIBLE CURSE ON THE NATION, ALL BECAUSE THE
ZANU PF CANDIDATE IS POISED FOR A RESOUNDING VICTORY
COME 9 AND 10 MARCH. . .BUT MOST PEOPLE HAVE SEEN
THROUGH THIS CHARADE AND WILL VOTE FOR UPHOLDING OF OUR
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 HARARE 00569 050100Z
SOVEREIGNTY AS A COUNTRY, HENCE THE PANIC BY THE UNITED
STATES, BRITAIN AND AUSTRALIA WHO ARE NOW SINGING THE
SANCTIONS BLUES. . .A U. S.-BASED ORGANIZATION WHICH
CALLS ITSELF 'GENOCIDE WATCH' HAS ALREADY PREDICTED THAT
ZIMBABWE WILL 'SLIDE' INTO 'GENOCIDE' AND CALLED ON THE
U. S. AND THE EU TO PREPARE FOR A POSSIBLE 'MILITARY
INTERVENTION.' THIS SOUNDS FAMILIAR. LIKE MANY OTHER
EGOCENTRIC RACISTS IN EUROPE, GAY GANGSTERS IN THE
U. S., MASQUERADING AS 'NGOS' OR 'HUMAN RIGHTS' BODIES,
WHEN IN FACT THEY ARE JUST GEORGE BUSH'S RABBLE ROUSERS
AND LAP DOGS, ARE AT IT AGAIN. THE PROBLEMS WE NOW
HAVE, THAT HAVE ERUPTED INTO POLITICAL VIOLENCE, ARE
BEING SPONSORED AND MASTERMINDED BY SUCH BODIES. .
GEORGE W. BUSH IS TRYING TO BE A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK.
HE HAS PROVED TO BE A WARMONGER AND WILL SLIDE US INTO
THE THIRD WORLD WAR IF THE WORLD DOES NOT STOP HIS
COWBOY POLITICS. . .'GENOCIDE WATCH' SHOULD CONCERN
ITSELF WITH THE MASSIVE GENOCIDE BUSH CAUSED IN
AFGHANISTAN WHERE HE KILLED INNOCENT CHILDREN AND
ORDINARY CIVILIANS."

SULLIVAN

UNCLASSIFIED

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