Cablegate: More Negative Commentary in Government Media
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS HARARE 001028
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR NEARY
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPAO KMDR ZI
SUBJECT: MORE NEGATIVE COMMENTARY IN GOVERNMENT MEDIA
TO POWELL-NCUBE MEETING
1. Under the headline "Archbishop Ncube shameless" the
government-controlled daily "Herald's" May 24 editorial
criticized Archbishop Pius Ncube for meeting with
Secretary Powell. Excerpts follow:
SIPDIS
2. "Like the proverbial Judas Iscariot, Roman Catholic
Archbishop Pius Ncube was in Washington on Tuesday to
sacrifice his country to the altar of the mighty U.S.
and to be thanked by the Americans for being in tune
with their grand plans on Zimbabwe. . . Instead of
reporting to God, who is his Master, he now reports to
the American Government. He shamelessly scurries to
the imperial master for advice and guidance on how to
deal with the Zimbabwean government. Archbishop Ncube
knows that Colin Powell wields enough power to order
the overthrow of a government as the Americans have
already done in Afghanistan and Iraq. . . Instead of
seeking God's intervention for whatever he believes
needs to be solved in Zimbabwe, Archbishop Ncube has
gone to the U.S. for them to do to Zimbabwe what Pilate
and Herod did to Jesus Christ. The Archbishop knows
very well that the American Government has no higher
moral ground than anyone else on human rights or the
rule of law as its track record in Iraq, Afghanistan or
the U.S. is atrocious. . . It would have been
understandable if the Archbishop was called to the
Vatican to be thanked by the Pope for standing up to
what he believes to be right. He has lost the dignity
and sanctity of the cloth he wears. . ."
SULLIVAN