Cablegate: Media Reaction President Bush's Trip to Africa;

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

UNCLAS HARARE 001438

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPAO KMDR ZI
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION PRESIDENT BUSH'S TRIP TO AFRICA;
HARARE

1. Under headline "President finally vindicated" the
government-controlled daily "The Herald" dedicated
its July 15 edition to declaring that the just-ended
five-nation tour in Africa, especially South Africa,
by President George W. Bush had managed to shore up
Robert Mugabe's waning political fortunes. Excerpts
follow:

2. "A clear national, regional and international
consensus is now emerging in support of Zimbabwe's
principled position to determine its own destiny with
events over the past week testifying to this. After almost
three years of being condemned, ostracized, demonized and
ridiculed, President Mugabe has finally been vindicated.
In one swoop, the president has managed to turn the tide
against those who were agitating for his `overthrow' before
the completion of his new term. . .The football coup
(Zimbabwe's maiden qualification for the African Nations
Cup finals in Tunisia) was followed by a diplomatic victory
in South Africa when American President George W. Bush
dropped his anti-President Mugabe crusade and decided to
follow the lead of President Thabo Mbeki's stance that
Zimbabwe's problems should be solved by Zimbabweans. Even
U. S. Secretary of State Mr. Collin (sic) Powell,
who had, prior to President Bush's visit to Africa,
called for the ouster of President Mugabe,
backtracked from this position. . . ."

SULLIVAN

© Scoop Media