MEDIA REPORT MUGABE ON TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 001838 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, INR/R/MR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KMDR KPAO ZI SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT MUGABE ON TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS; HARARE ¶1. Under headline "Mugabe vows to slap sanctions on EU, ¶U. S.," the August 13 edition of the independent daily "The Daily News" carried the following article as its lead story. In the piece, President Mugabe promises to strike back against the punitive travel restrictions imposed against himself and members of his administration by the United States, European Union and other Western countries: ¶2. "President Mugabe yesterday (August 12) announced his government would take measures against U. S. and E. U. interests in Zimbabwe, in retaliation against their own restrictions on him and his close allies. Stung by U. S. and E. U. travel bans and smart sanctions, Mugabe said in an unusually emotional speech: `Britain, Europe and America can impose sanctions or do worse devilish things. Let Europe, in the name of their monstrous `god,' banish all the disabled, banish all wives, banish all children, all brothers and sisters and all cousins of our men and women of conscience.' ". . .Mugabe said his government would in due course implement its own phased but comprehensive measures against countries that had imposed sanctions on his government. . .' We refuse to be hapless victims. That is never the response of revolutionaries. Just as they regard their right to impose sanctions on us, they should recognize that we reserve the right to respond as best we know how. They appear to have forgotten that they also have interests here,' Mugabe said. . .' Let Europe's list grow by another 50, and 100, another thousand, another million. . .grow by all but the puppets and stooges they sponsor here, who gladden them by dancing to their tune. But we shall not budge, we shall not be deterred on this one vital issue. Shame to them. . . .!"' SULLIVAN