MEDIA REPORT -- GOZ "FIGHTING TERRORISM"

UNCLAS HARARE 003547 SIPDIS AF/PD (COX, ROBERTSON),AF/S FOR SCHLACHTER, AF/RA (SWANN),INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT -- GOZ "FIGHTING TERRORISM" ¶1. GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE (GOZ) OFFICIALS ARE ATTEMPTING TO PORTRAY THE POLITICAL OPPOSITION AND INDEPENDENT MEDIA AS "TERRORISTS." GOZ OFFICIALS, INCLUDING PRESIDENT MUGABE AND INFORMATION MINISTER MOYO, HAVE RECENTLY DESCRIBED THE MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC),ITS LEADERS AND SUPPORTERS, AND FOREIGN AND LOCAL JOURNALISTS AS "TERRORISTS." GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS' USE OF THE WORDS "TERRORISM" AND "TERRORIST" BEGAN WITH CHARACTERIZATIONS OF THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ABDUCTION AND MURDER OF WAR VETERAN CAIN NKALA IN BULAWAYO IN EARLY NOVEMBER. IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAVE USED THOSE TERMS MORE BROADLY TO DESCRIBE THE OPPOSITION AND THE INDEPENDENT MEDIA. ¶2. PRESIDENT MUGABE, DELIVERING A EULOGY AT THE BURIAL OF WAR VETERAN CAIN NKALA, WARNED: ".THE OPPOSITION MDC WILL BE CRUSHED VIOLENTLY FOR SPONSORING TERRORISTS." ¶3. PICKING UP FROM WHERE PRESIDENT MUGABE LEFT OFF, INFORMATION MINISTER JONATHAN MOYO HAS EXPANDED ON THE GOZ'S "FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM." UNDER MOYO'S CONTROL, THE GOVERNMENT-OWNED PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA MAKE EXTREMELY FREQUENT USE OF THE WORDS "TERRORIST" AND "TERRORISM" IN THEIR REPORTING ON THE NKALA CASE. MOYO HAS ALSO USED THE TERMS "TERRORIST" AND "TERRORISM" TO DESCRIBE INDEPENDENT JOURNALISTS. HE HAS THREATENED "TO GO AFTER" FOREIGN AND LOCAL JOURNALISTS WHOM HE ACCUSED OF "GROSS AND OBSCENE MISREPRESENTATION OF FACTS" IN THEIR REPORTING ON EVENTS IN ZIMBABWE. IN THE NOVEMBER 23 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-OWNED DAILY "THE HERALD," MOYO OFFERS THE FOLLOWING THOUGHTS ON UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 03547 270550Z FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS AND THE INDEPENDENT MEDIA: "AS FOR THE CORRESPONDENTS WE WOULD LIKE THEM TO KNOW THAT WE AGREE WITH PRESIDENT BUSH THAT ANYONE WHO IN ANY WAY FINANCES, HARBORS OR DEFENDS TERRORISTS IS HIMSELF A TERRORIST. WE TOO WILL NOT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TERRORISTS AND THEIR FRIENDS OR SUPPORTERS. . . THIS KIND OF MEDIA TERRORISM WILL NOT BE ALLOWED . . ." ¶4. MINISTER MOYO ALSO WROTE AN OP-ED PIECE ON THIS TOPIC FOR THE NOVEMBER 25 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT- OWNED WEEKLY "SUNDAY MAIL." THE ARTICLE OFFERED FURTHER INSIGHT INTO MINISTER MOYO'S ATTITUDE TOWARD THE OPPOSITION AND THE INDEPENDENT MEDIA. UNDER THE TITLE "MDC 'CLEAN-UP' STRATEGY EXPOSED" MOYO WROTE: ". . .DOES THE MDC, WITH THE SUPPORT OF SOME DIPLOMATIC INTERESTS AND MEDIA HOUSES, REALLY THINK THAT IT CAN HOODWINK ZIMBABWEANS AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ABOUT ITS COWARDLY TERRORISM UNDERTAKEN UNDER COVER OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE RULE OF LAW. . .? THE TIME HAS COME FOR THE MDC TERRORISTS AND THEIR MEDIA AND DIPLOMATIC SUPPORTERS TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THAT THE ONLY WEAPON THAT CAN AND WILL BE USED AGAINST THEM WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOR IS THE LAW THROUGH THE COURTS. NOTHING ELSE. SO THE MDC TERRORISTS AND THEIR MEDIA AND DIPLOMATIC SUPPORTERS CAN RUN, RAVE AND RANT FOR ALL THEY WANT, BUT THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HIDE. JUSTICE WILL CATCH UP WITH THEM. THE LAW WILL SMOKE THEM OUT. . ." SULLIVAN UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HARARE 03547 270550Z UNCLASSIFIED >