MEDIA REACTION ZIM PRESIDENTIAL POLL; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 000557 SIPDIS AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND SCHLACHTE AF/FA FOR SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ZIM PRESIDENTIAL POLL; HARARE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HARARE 00557 041113Z ¶1. WHILE THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY "ZIMBABWE INDEPENDENT" CONDEMNED THE RECENT ATTACKS ON ELECTION OBSERVERS IN ZIMBABWE BY ALLEGED ZANU PF SUPPORTERS IN ITS MARCH 1 EDITORIAL, THE BULAWAYO-BASED GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "CHRONICLE" SLAMMED PRESIDENT BUSH FOR ALLEGEDLY USING ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE U. S.-BASED "GENOCIDE WATCH" TO FURTHER HIS POLITICAL INTERESTS. THIS BAD TEMPERED EDITORIAL COMES IN THE WAKE OF AN ARTICLE, BASED ON A RECENT "GENOCIDE WATCH" REPORT CARRIED IN T INDEPENDENT "FINANCIAL GAZETTE. ":EXCERPTS AS FOLLOWS: ¶2. UNDER HEADLINE "ATTACKS ON SADC OBSERVERS WERE INEVITABLE," THE "ZIMBABWE INDEPENDENT" COMMENTS: "WE VERY MUCH REGRET THE STAIN ON ZIMBABWEAN HOSPITALI THAT ATTACKS ON SOUTH AFRICAN AND SADC OBSERVERS REPRESENT. BUT THEY WERE INEVITABLE. DESPITE PRESIDE MUGABE'S PUBLIC COMMITMENT TO NON-VIOLENCE, HIS SUPPORTERS CONTINUE TO ABDUCT, TORTURE, STONE, AND BEA UP OTHER ZIMBABWEANS WITH IMPUNITY. . .WE HOPE THAT FOLLOWING THESE INCIDENTS, THE SOUTH AFRICANS AND THEI SADC COLLEAGUES WILL STOP DANCING AROUND ISSUES OF ELECTORAL VIOLENCE. . . ." ¶3. UNDER HEADLINE "GENOCIDE EXISTS ONLY IN THEIR MINDS," THE "CHRONICLE" COMMENTS: "PROPHETS OF DOOM FROM THE IMPERIALIST WORLD ARE ALREA PREDICTING A GLOOMY POST-ELECTION PERIOD OF ZIMBABWE. THEY TELL US THERE WILL BE 'CIVIL UNREST,' 'GENOCIDE,' AND EVERY POSSIBLE CURSE ON THE NATION, ALL BECAUSE TH UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 00557 041113Z ZANU PF CANDIDATE IS POISED FOR A RESOUNDING VICTORY COME 9 AND 10 MARCH. . .BUT MOST PEOPLE HAVE SEEN THROUGH THIS CHARADE AND WILL VOTE FOR UPHOLDING OF OU SOVEREIGNTY AS A COUNTRY, HENCE THE PANIC BY THE UNITE STATES, BRITAIN AND AUSTRALIA WHO ARE NOW SINGING THE SANCTIONS BLUES. . .A U. S.-BASED ORGANIZATION WHICH CALLS ITSELF 'GENOCIDE WATCH' HAS ALREADY PREDICTED TH ZIMBABWE WILL 'SLIDE' INTO 'GENOCIDE' AND CALLED ON TH ¶U. S. AND THE EU TO PREPARE FOR A POSSIBLE 'MILITARY INTERVENTION.' THIS SOUNDS FAMILIAR. LIKE MANY OTHER EGOCENTRIC RACISTS IN EUROPE, GAY GANGSTERS IN THE ¶U. S., MASQUERADING AS 'NGOS' OR 'HUMAN RIGHTS' BODIES WHEN IN FACT THEY ARE JUST GEORGE BUSH'S RABBLE ROUSER AND LAP DOGS, ARE AT IT AGAIN. THE PROBLEMS WE NOW HAVE, THAT HAVE ERUPTED INTO POLITICAL VIOLENCE, ARE BEING SPONSORED AND MASTERMINDED BY SUCH BODIES. . GEORGE W. BUSH IS TRYING TO BE A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOC HE HAS PROVED TO BE A WARMONGER AND WILL SLIDE US INTO THE THIRD WORLD WAR IF THE WORLD DOES NOT STOP HIS COWBOY POLITICS. . .'GENOCIDE WATCH' SHOULD CONCERN ITSELF WITH THE MASSIVE GENOCIDE BUSH CAUSED IN AFGHANISTAN WHERE HE KILLED INNOCENT CHILDREN AND ORDINARY CIVILIANS." SULLIVAN