Cablegate: Media Reaction Zim Presidential Poll; Harare

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

041032Z Mar 02

UNCLASSIFIED PTQ0382

PAGE 01 HARARE 00557 041113Z
ACTION INR-00

INFO LOG-00 AF-00 AID-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 EB-00
EUR-00 UTED-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 IO-00 L-00
AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00
PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SS-00 STR-00 TEST-00
TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00
SAS-00 /007W
------------------6EECCD 041113Z /40
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1078
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS HARARE 000557

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND SCHLACHTE
AF/FA FOR SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ZIM PRESIDENTIAL POLL; HARARE

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 HARARE 00557 041113Z
1. WHILE THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY "ZIMBABWE INDEPENDENT"
CONDEMNED THE RECENT ATTACKS ON ELECTION OBSERVERS IN
ZIMBABWE BY ALLEGED ZANU PF SUPPORTERS IN ITS MARCH 1
EDITORIAL, THE BULAWAYO-BASED GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED
DAILY "CHRONICLE" SLAMMED PRESIDENT BUSH FOR ALLEGEDLY
USING ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE U. S.-BASED "GENOCIDE
WATCH" TO FURTHER HIS POLITICAL INTERESTS. THIS BAD
TEMPERED EDITORIAL COMES IN THE WAKE OF AN ARTICLE,
BASED ON A RECENT "GENOCIDE WATCH" REPORT CARRIED IN T
INDEPENDENT "FINANCIAL GAZETTE. ":EXCERPTS AS FOLLOWS:

2. UNDER HEADLINE "ATTACKS ON SADC OBSERVERS WERE
INEVITABLE," THE "ZIMBABWE INDEPENDENT" COMMENTS:

"WE VERY MUCH REGRET THE STAIN ON ZIMBABWEAN HOSPITALI
THAT ATTACKS ON SOUTH AFRICAN AND SADC OBSERVERS
REPRESENT. BUT THEY WERE INEVITABLE. DESPITE PRESIDE
MUGABE'S PUBLIC COMMITMENT TO NON-VIOLENCE, HIS
SUPPORTERS CONTINUE TO ABDUCT, TORTURE, STONE, AND BEA
UP OTHER ZIMBABWEANS WITH IMPUNITY. . .WE HOPE THAT
FOLLOWING THESE INCIDENTS, THE SOUTH AFRICANS AND THEI
SADC COLLEAGUES WILL STOP DANCING AROUND ISSUES OF
ELECTORAL VIOLENCE. . . ."

3. UNDER HEADLINE "GENOCIDE EXISTS ONLY IN THEIR MINDS,"
THE "CHRONICLE" COMMENTS:

"PROPHETS OF DOOM FROM THE IMPERIALIST WORLD ARE ALREA
PREDICTING A GLOOMY POST-ELECTION PERIOD OF ZIMBABWE.
THEY TELL US THERE WILL BE 'CIVIL UNREST,' 'GENOCIDE,'
AND EVERY POSSIBLE CURSE ON THE NATION, ALL BECAUSE TH
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 HARARE 00557 041113Z
ZANU PF CANDIDATE IS POISED FOR A RESOUNDING VICTORY
COME 9 AND 10 MARCH. . .BUT MOST PEOPLE HAVE SEEN
THROUGH THIS CHARADE AND WILL VOTE FOR UPHOLDING OF OU
SOVEREIGNTY AS A COUNTRY, HENCE THE PANIC BY THE UNITE
STATES, BRITAIN AND AUSTRALIA WHO ARE NOW SINGING THE
SANCTIONS BLUES. . .A U. S.-BASED ORGANIZATION WHICH
CALLS ITSELF 'GENOCIDE WATCH' HAS ALREADY PREDICTED TH
ZIMBABWE WILL 'SLIDE' INTO 'GENOCIDE' AND CALLED ON TH
U. S. AND THE EU TO PREPARE FOR A POSSIBLE 'MILITARY
INTERVENTION.' THIS SOUNDS FAMILIAR. LIKE MANY OTHER
EGOCENTRIC RACISTS IN EUROPE, GAY GANGSTERS IN THE
U. S., MASQUERADING AS 'NGOS' OR 'HUMAN RIGHTS' BODIES
WHEN IN FACT THEY ARE JUST GEORGE BUSH'S RABBLE ROUSER
AND LAP DOGS, ARE AT IT AGAIN. THE PROBLEMS WE NOW
HAVE, THAT HAVE ERUPTED INTO POLITICAL VIOLENCE, ARE
BEING SPONSORED AND MASTERMINDED BY SUCH BODIES. .
GEORGE W. BUSH IS TRYING TO BE A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOC
HE HAS PROVED TO BE A WARMONGER AND WILL SLIDE US INTO
THE THIRD WORLD WAR IF THE WORLD DOES NOT STOP HIS
COWBOY POLITICS. . .'GENOCIDE WATCH' SHOULD CONCERN
ITSELF WITH THE MASSIVE GENOCIDE BUSH CAUSED IN
AFGHANISTAN WHERE HE KILLED INNOCENT CHILDREN AND
ORDINARY CIVILIANS."

SULLIVAN

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