Cablegate: Media Report: President Bush Sanctions Mugabe

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

UNCLAS HARARE 000497

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR INR/R/MR AND AF/PDPA DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS
INFO AF/S RAYNOR
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EFIN KPAO KMDR ZI
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT: PRESIDENT BUSH SANCTIONS MUGABE
GOVERNMENT; HARARE

Two mainstream newspapers have carried articles reporting
on President George W. Bush's March 7, 2003 executive order
imposing financial sanctions on 77 individuals linked to
President Mugabe's government. The independent weekly "The
Standard" broke the story in the March 9 edition. The
paper carried the article on page two under headline "U. S.
Freezes Mugabe and cronies' assets. The March 10 edition
of the pro-government "Daily Mirror" picked up a Reuters
article and published it on page two under headline "U. S.
sanctions are racist, says govt official." The name of the
quoted Government of Zimbabwe official was not revealed in
the article. So far the government-controlled print and
electronic media appear to have ignored the story.
However, Post will continue to monitor the media for
additional placements or editorial commentaries and will
report accordingly.

SULLIVAN

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