Cablegate: Editorial On Food Crisis and Zimbabwe's

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

UNCLAS HARARE 002429

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/S, AF/RA, AF/PDPA
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM KPAO KMDR ZI
SUBJECT: EDITORIAL ON FOOD CRISIS AND ZIMBABWE'S
RELATIONS WITH THE WEST

1. In its November 7 editorial, "NEPAD peer review:
why it scares some leaders," the independent daily
"Daily News" challenged the Government of Zimbabwe to
address allegations of using food aid as a political
weapon. Excerpts follow.

2. ". . .The government has set itself on a
political course against the West, with the United
States this week threatening to do more than just
protest against the unfair distribution of food aid.
It is wrong-headed of the government to believe that
there are no Zimbabweans who are aggrieved by the use
of food aid as a political weapon, and that the
accusation by the West is without foundation. It is
just as wrong for the government to believe that all
the criticism and condemnation of its political and
economic blunders is confined to, or is influenced by,
the West. There are millions of Zimbabweans facing
starvation who blame the government for their
miserable situation. They don't need the West to tell
them when their empty stomachs are rumbling from
hunger. Instead of stubbornly seeing a Western spy
under every bed, the government ought to open its eyes
to the consequences of its policies. . . Sovereignty
which places little value on human life is not worth
the paper it is written on."

SULLIVAN

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