MEDIA REPORT TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 001780 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, INR/R/MR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAO KMDR ZI SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS; HARARE ¶1. Under headline "Ban sanction campaigners" the government-controlled daily "Chronicle" dedicated its August 5 editorial to calling on the government of Zimbabwe to retaliate against the "smart sanctions" imposed by the European Union and the United States against Robert Mugabe's administration. Excerpts: ¶2. ". . .We believe that the government, being the people's representative, should not let neo-colonialists have a field day dragging the good name of the country and its citizens in mud. The time to act is now. It is high time that the government responded to this wanton blackmail by first blacklisting the local champions of sanctions against Zimbabwe, principal among them Morgan Tsvangirai of the dubious opposition party, MDC (Movement for Democratic Change). . .If Tsvangirai et al want to continue on their anti-Zimbabwe crusade, they must travel on British or American documents because the interests that they are serving have nothing to do with the people of this country. We believe, therefore, that the first step that the government should take is to withdraw the privilege of using the Zimbabwean passport. "In addition, politicians from Britain and America should be barred from coming into this country, as they only want to poison the populace. We have in mind, Tony Blair, George Bush and their Chihuahuas. . .There is no need for the government to waste resources going to court when it wants to deport British and American spies. It should just deport them in the same fashion that Zimbabweans are being humiliated in the hands of British and American immigration officials. Why should we continue to treat enemies with kid gloves when it is clear that they want to destroy us?" WHITEHEAD