MEDIA REPORT U.S. AND EU UNDER FIRE; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 003366 SIPDIS AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT U.S. AND EU UNDER FIRE; HARARE ¶1. THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED WEEKLY "CHRONICLE" DEDICATED ITS NOVEMBER 6 EDITORIAL TO DENOUNCE THE UNITED STATES AND THE EUROPEAN UNION FOR ALLEGEDLY "GANGING UP AGAINST ZIMBABWE." UNDER HEADLINE "GANGING UP AGAINST ZIMBABWE WON'T WORK," THE PAPER COMMENTS: ¶2. "WHAT IS IT THAT ZIMBABWE HAS WHICH NECESSITATES THE PASSING OF A LAW BY A SUPER POWER, ATTRACTS THE ATTENTION OF A GROUPING OF RELATIVELY WELL-OFF EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND MAKES ITS FORMER COLONIZER WANT TO SPONSOR AN OPPOSITION POLITICAL PARTY. . .? WHEN THE GOVERNMENT, THAT FOR CLOSE TO 15 YEARS WAS SHACKLED BY CONSTITUTIONAL CLAUSES THAT PREVENTED IT FROM RE- DISTRIBUTING LAND, FINALLY GETS DOWN TO BUSINESS, THE WHOLE WORLD NOW THINKS IT IS AN ISSUE WHICH DEMANDS THEIR ACTION. IF THERE WERE NO WHITES IN ZIMBABWE, WOULD THE U.S., AUSTRALIA AND CANADA DEAL WITH US WITH THE SAME ZEAL AS THEY ARE DISPLAYING NOW? WHILE BLACKS WERE DISPOSSESSED OF THEIR HERITAGE AND TRUDGED ON UNDER THE YOKE OF COLONIALISM FOR NEARLY A CENTURY, WHERE WERE THE CHAMPIONS OF 'RULE OF LAW' AND 'DEMOCRACY?' DID WE EVER HEAR OF AN ANTI-RHODESIAN DEMOCRACY BILL. . .? THERE ARE PROBLEMS IN MANY AFRICAN COUNTRIES, BUT JUST BECAUSE OF THE ABSENCE OF WHITES, THE ABC OF THE WORLD - AMERICA, BRITAIN, AND CANADA - DO NOT LIFT A FINGER. IF A PROBLEM INVOLVES BLACKS AGAINST BLACKS: IT DOES NOT WARRANT THE INTERVENTION OF THE EU, OR A PIECE OF LEGISLATION FROM THE U. S. CONGRESS. ZIMBABWE IS A SUCCESS STORY IN LAND REVOLUTION SO MUCH THAT THE WEST IS TRYING TO THROW SPANNERS INTO THE WORKS. . . ." SULLIVAN UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 03366 131320Z UNCLASSIFIED >