Cablegate: Media Reaction U. S. Implicated in Plan To

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

181440Z Mar 02

UNCLASSIFIED PTO5572

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ACTION INR-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 A-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00
DS-00 EUR-00 UTED-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 IO-00 LAB-01
VCE-00 NSAE-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 IIP-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02
NFAT-00 SAS-00 /003W
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FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1242
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS HARARE 000706

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION U. S. IMPLICATED IN PLAN TO
OUST MUGABE; HARARE

1. THE LEAD STORY IN THE MARCH 16 EDITION OF THE
BULAWAYO-BASED GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "CHRONICLE"
ASSERTS THAT THE UNITED STATES SUPPORTS A "SECRET"
PLAN TO OUST PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE. THE ARTICLE,
HEADLINED "MASS STAYAWAY PLANNED: BRITAIN AND U.S.
PLAN TO OUST PRESIDENT MUGABE," ACCUSES THE U.S. AND
BRITAIN OF "PLANNING AND DIRECTING" WORK STOPPAGES AS
"AN EXCUSE" TO LAUNCH "A MILITARY INTERVENTION AGAINST
ZIMBABWE." EXCERPTS OF ARTICLE, AUTHORED BY "SPECIAL
PROJECTS EDITOR" INNOCENT MADONKO, FOLLOW:

2. "LACK OF STRUCTURE HAS FORCED THE OPPOSITION
MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) PARTY TO ENLIST
SERVICES OF THE HEAVILY WESTERN-FUNDED NATIONAL
CONSTITUTIONAL ASSEMBLY (NCA) AND THE ZIMBABWE
CONGRESS OF TRADE UNIONS (ZCTU) TO MOBILIZE WORKERS
FOR MASS ACTION FOLLOWING DEFEAT OF ITS LEADER, MR.
MORGAN TSVANGIRAI BY PRESIDENT MUGABE, 'CHRONICLE'
LEARNT THIS WEEK. THE MASS ACTIONS, BEING PLANNED AND
DIRECTED BY THE U.S. AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS WILL BE
USED AS 'AN EXCUSE' TO LAUNCH A MILITARY INTERVENTION
AGAINST ZIMBABWE. THE TERMS 'CIVIC SOCIETY' AND
'LABOR' ARE BEING BANDIED ABOUT AS THE WEST
ACCELERATES PLANS TO OUST THE LEGITIMATELY ELECTED
(MR.) MUGABE. . . MUGABE CREAMED MR. TSVANGIRAI IN
THE JUST-ENDED ELECTION ON 9 AND 10 MARCH. MOST
OBSERVERS EXCEPT NORWAY HAVE DECLARED THE POLLS FREE
AND FAIR. THE U.S. HAS CONDEMNED THE POLLS AS
'FLAWED' SETTING THE STAGE FOR THE PLANNED MILITARY
INTERVENTION. BUT THE BIGGEST HITCH OF THE PLAN IS
THE FACT THAT MDC HAS NO GRASSROOTS STRUCTURES HENCE
UNCLASSIFIED

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THE DECISION TO USE THE ZCTU AND NCA, BODIES THAT MR.
TSVANGIRAI ONCE ADMITTED ARE 'THE SOUL OF MDC. . .'
ACCORDING TO. . .SOURCES, WESTERN GOVERNMENTS LED BY
THE U. S. AND BRITAIN, WERE PRESSURING THE MDC TO
UTILIZE NON POLITICAL STRUCTURES TO AUTHENTICATE THE
VIOLENCE AS 'CIVIL UNREST' A MOVE EXPECTED TO FURTHER
CRIPPLE THE ECONOMY. . . ."

SULLIVAN

UNCLASSIFIED

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