GOVERNMENT PRESS STILL INDIGNANT

UNCLAS HARARE 001977 SIPDIS NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR GURNEY PARIS FOR NEARY NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KPAO KMDR ZI SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT PRESS STILL INDIGNANT ¶1. Under headline "We stand by our cause" the government-controlled daily "Chronicle" dedicated its August 27 editorial to criticizing the United States for meddling in Zimbabwe's internal affairs. Excerpts: ¶2. "The American and their cousins in Europe have perfected the art of seeking to protect their interests through interference in the affairs of sovereign states. Moreover, where they seem to be failing, they always try to divide the people along ethnic lines in order to find means of achieving their ends. . . It is sad that Americans, who have long touted themselves as the paragons of democracy, should be engaging in nefarious activities that only despots would fathom. News that America is fantasizing about removing President Mugabe - the people's choice - violently from power in cahoots with some supposedly lily-livered states with whom Zimbabwe shares a border, made interesting reading. As expected those countries that were named as party to the conspiracy. . .have distanced themselves from the American madness. . . We will not brook any nonsense from Uncle Toms et al who think they know it all. Zimbabweans have a right to decide their destiny, and we demand that right! SULLIVAN