THE TAKE FROM ZIMBABWE ON WORKING WITH UNSC 1373

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001610

SIPDIS

AF FOR A/S KANSTEINER
AF/S FOR DELISI AND KRAFT
AF/RA FOR JOHN WALSER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2007
TAGS: PREL PTER PGOV ZI
SUBJECT: THE TAKE FROM ZIMBABWE ON WORKING WITH UNSC 1373
AND REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO BOLSTER AFRICAN
COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS

REF: STATE 128067

Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY DCM ROBERT E. WHITEHEAD
FOR REASONS 1.5 B AND D.


1. (C) Embassy Harare strongly endorses the use of SADC to
bolster counterterrorism efforts in this region generally,
and specifically in the Zimbabwe context. On the ground in
Zimbabwe, we have enjoyed close, instantaneous and productive
cooperation from the Zimbabwean security services, both
police and intelligence, on counterterrorism (CT) matters.
To date, this collaboration has produced tangible results.


2. (C) In other areas, both on the political and economic
planes, we have fared less well. Following September 11, the
GOZ paid ample lip service to counterterrorism and, at our
request, offered a senior MFA official as their point of
contact with us. In practical terms, this has yielded almost
nothing. Consumed by pre-electoral politics, obsessed by the
notion of an anti-Zimbabwe conspiracy in the West, and now
facing famine and a catastrophic economic decline, the
preoccupied Zimbabweans have taken action in virtually none
of the non-operational CT areas where we solicited
cooperation. There has been no movement on parliamentary
ratification of several unsigned UN counterterrorism
conventions or Central Bank pressure for stiffer anti-money
laundering legislation that has real teeth. Given our
current estrangement from the GOZ, and a virtual (GOZ
imposed) freeze on relations with the MFA, we harbor little
hope that additional lobbying efforts on this end will yield
the results we seek.


3. (C) In this context, SADC is probably the best vehicle
available to engage the Zimbabweans constructively on
counterterrorism issues of importance to us. The GOZ has
apparently not engaged the UN Counterterrorism Council to
date, but we think that they would be more responsive to
regional pressure to undertake regional initiatives or to
coordinate to a greater degree with the UN. In the event
that USG contacts with SADC present opportunities for greater
multilateral CT activities, we think that it would be in our
own interest to make certain that Zimbabweans are encouraged
and allowed to participate.
SULLIVAN