MEDIA REPORT PAPER ACCUSES U. S. OF FUNDING A

UNCLAS HARARE 000245 SIPDIS AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, SCHLACTHER, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/P, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT PAPER ACCUSES U. S. OF FUNDING A PIRATE RADIO STATION; HARARE ¶1. THE JANUARY 25 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "THE HERALD" CARRIED AN ARTICLE ON PAGE ONE, PICKED UP FROM THE JANUARY 24 EDITION OF THE BRITISH GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER, ACCUSING THE U. S. OF FUNDING A "PIRATE RADIO STATION" BROADCASTING TO ZIMBABWE. THE ARTICLE, UNDER HEADLINE "U. S. FUNDING PIRATE RADIO STATION: PAPER," ACCUSES THE U. S. OF PAYING OUT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO THE STATION THROUGH A DEPARTMENT OF THE U. S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (USAID) AND THE OFFICE OF TRANSITION INITIATIVES. THE STATION, WHICH HAS BEEN ON AIR FOR A MONTH AND BROADCASTS THREE HOURS A NIGHT ON SHORT-WAVE IS HEADED BY GERRY JACKSON, A BRITISH NATIONAL WHO WAS SACKED BY THE STATE-RUN ZIMBABWE BROADCASTING CORPORATION FIVE YEARS AGO. ARTICLE EXCERPTS FOLLOW: ¶2. "THE U. S. IS SECRETLY FUNDING A PIRATE RADIO STATION IN LONDON, SW RADIO AFRICA, WIDELY ACCUSED OF FUELLING POLITICAL VIOLENCE AND TRIBAL HATRED WITH ITS NIGHTLY BROADCASTS TO ZIMBABWE. . .MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ARE BEING CHANNELED TO THE STATION FROM A DEPARTMENT OF THE USAID AND THE OFFICE OF THE TRANSITION INITIATIVES. . .THE STATION'S SPOKESWOMAN AND FORMER ZBC PRESENTER, GEORGINA GODWIN, SAID THAT FUNDING FOR THE STATION CAME FROM 'HUMAN RIGHTS AND MEDIA FREEDOM GROUPS,' BUT WOULD ANSWER NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. THE GUARDIAN REPORT SAID THAT SW RADIO AFRICA. . .WAS GIVING THE OPPOSITION A PLATFORM, PROVIDING AN ENDLESS DIET OF PROPAGANDA AND FALSEHOODS ON THE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL SITUATION IN THE COUNTRY. . . ." UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 00245 280646Z SULLIVAN UNCLASSIFIED >