Cablegate: Government Paper Hails Report by New York Elected

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

UNCLAS HARARE 002765

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA, AF/PDPA
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPAO ZI
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT PAPER HAILS REPORT BY NEW YORK ELECTED
OFFICIALS

1. Under headline "Now that the truth is out. . ." the
government-controlled daily "Chronicle" dedicated its
December 3, editorial to praising the trip report released
by a delegation of elected officials from the U.S. after
their recent visit to Zimbabwe. Excerpts:

2. ". . .A delegation of New York city councilors that
recently visited Zimbabwe on a fact-finding tour of the
country have attacked the U.S. Government for its position
on Harare's land issue, which they said was heavily
influenced by Britain. . . The chickens have finally come
to roost for the George Bushes and Tony Blairs of this
world who have been having a field day demonizing the
government of Zimbabwe at every turn. Now their citizens
are no longer consumers of cheap propaganda but chroniclers
of the story of Zimbabwe's agrarian reforms. [Members of
the delegation] are now ambassadors of the people of
Zimbabwe who are being denied the right to explain the
situation obtaining on the ground to the world because of
the so-called smart sanctions. . . We believe the report
is the most accurate picture of the situation in the
country from the eyes of impartial observers. It is
therefore imperative that the world take the report and its
recommendations seriously to assist the people of Zimbabwe
address the current impasse created by the greed of the
white man. . ."

3. The delegation, which included New York City Council
members Charles Barron (D-Brooklyn), James Davis (D-
Brooklyn), New York State Assembly member Adam Clayton
Powell IV (D-Harlem) and Illinois State Senator Donne
Trotter (D-Chicago), visited Zimbabwe October 11-23, 2002
on a trip funded by the Government of Zimbabwe.

SULLIVAN

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