MEDIA REACTION ZIM PRESIDENTIAL POLL; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 000569 SIPDIS AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND SCHLACHTER, 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 ¶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 UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HARARE 00569 050100Z 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 THE 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 HOSPITALITY THAT ATTACKS ON SOUTH AFRICAN AND SADC OBSERVERS REPRESENT. BUT THEY WERE INEVITABLE. DESPITE PRESIDENT MUGABE'S PUBLIC COMMITMENT TO NON-VIOLENCE, HIS SUPPORTERS CONTINUE TO ABDUCT, TORTURE, STONE, AND BEAT UP OTHER ZIMBABWEANS WITH IMPUNITY. . .WE HOPE THAT FOLLOWING THESE INCIDENTS, THE SOUTH AFRICANS AND THEIR 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 ALREADY 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 THE 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 OUR UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 00569 050100Z SOVEREIGNTY AS A COUNTRY, HENCE THE PANIC BY THE UNITED STATES, BRITAIN AND AUSTRALIA WHO ARE NOW SINGING THE SANCTIONS BLUES. . .A U. S.-BASED ORGANIZATION WHICH CALLS ITSELF 'GENOCIDE WATCH' HAS ALREADY PREDICTED THAT ZIMBABWE WILL 'SLIDE' INTO 'GENOCIDE' AND CALLED ON THE ¶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 ROUSERS 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 BLOCK. 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 UNCLASSIFIED >