Cablegate: Media Report Mugabe On Travel Restrictions; Harare

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

UNCLAS HARARE 001838

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, INR/R/MR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KMDR KPAO ZI
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT MUGABE ON TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS; HARARE

1. Under headline "Mugabe vows to slap sanctions on EU,
U. S.," the August 13 edition of the independent daily "The
Daily News" carried the following article as its lead
story. In the piece, President Mugabe promises to strike
back against the punitive travel restrictions imposed
against himself and members of his administration by the
United States, European Union and other Western countries:

2. "President Mugabe yesterday (August 12) announced his
government would take measures against U. S. and E. U.
interests in Zimbabwe, in retaliation against their own
restrictions on him and his close allies. Stung by U. S.
and E. U. travel bans and smart sanctions, Mugabe said in
an unusually emotional speech: `Britain, Europe and America
can impose sanctions or do worse devilish things. Let
Europe, in the name of their monstrous `god,' banish all
the disabled, banish all wives, banish all children, all
brothers and sisters and all cousins of our men and women
of conscience.'

". . .Mugabe said his government would in due course
implement its own phased but comprehensive measures
against countries that had imposed sanctions on his
government. . .' We refuse to be hapless victims.
That is never the response of revolutionaries. Just
as they regard their right to impose sanctions on us,
they should recognize that we reserve the right to
respond as best we know how. They appear to have
forgotten that they also have interests here,' Mugabe
said. . .' Let Europe's list grow by another 50, and
100, another thousand, another million. . .grow by
all but the puppets and stooges they sponsor here,
who gladden them by dancing to their tune. But we
shall not budge, we shall not be deterred on this one
vital issue. Shame to them. . . .!"'

SULLIVAN

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