MEDIA REACTION U. S. IMPLICATED IN PLAN TO

UNCLAS HARARE 000706 SIPDIS AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION U. S. IMPLICATED IN PLAN TO OUST MUGABE; HARARE ¶1. THE LEAD STORY IN THE MARCH 16 EDITION OF THE BULAWAYO-BASED GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "CHRONICLE" ASSERTS THAT THE UNITED STATES SUPPORTS A "SECRET" PLAN TO OUST PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE. THE ARTICLE, HEADLINED "MASS STAYAWAY PLANNED: BRITAIN AND U.S. PLAN TO OUST PRESIDENT MUGABE," ACCUSES THE U.S. AND BRITAIN OF "PLANNING AND DIRECTING" WORK STOPPAGES AS "AN EXCUSE" TO LAUNCH "A MILITARY INTERVENTION AGAINST ZIMBABWE." EXCERPTS OF ARTICLE, AUTHORED BY "SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR" INNOCENT MADONKO, FOLLOW: ¶2. "LACK OF STRUCTURE HAS FORCED THE OPPOSITION MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) PARTY TO ENLIST SERVICES OF THE HEAVILY WESTERN-FUNDED NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL ASSEMBLY (NCA) AND THE ZIMBABWE CONGRESS OF TRADE UNIONS (ZCTU) TO MOBILIZE WORKERS FOR MASS ACTION FOLLOWING DEFEAT OF ITS LEADER, MR. MORGAN TSVANGIRAI BY PRESIDENT MUGABE, 'CHRONICLE' LEARNT THIS WEEK. THE MASS ACTIONS, BEING PLANNED AND DIRECTED BY THE U.S. AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS WILL BE USED AS 'AN EXCUSE' TO LAUNCH A MILITARY INTERVENTION AGAINST ZIMBABWE. THE TERMS 'CIVIC SOCIETY' AND 'LABOR' ARE BEING BANDIED ABOUT AS THE WEST ACCELERATES PLANS TO OUST THE LEGITIMATELY ELECTED (MR.) MUGABE. . . MUGABE CREAMED MR. TSVANGIRAI IN THE JUST-ENDED ELECTION ON 9 AND 10 MARCH. MOST OBSERVERS EXCEPT NORWAY HAVE DECLARED THE POLLS FREE AND FAIR. THE U.S. HAS CONDEMNED THE POLLS AS 'FLAWED' SETTING THE STAGE FOR THE PLANNED MILITARY INTERVENTION. BUT THE BIGGEST HITCH OF THE PLAN IS THE FACT THAT MDC HAS NO GRASSROOTS STRUCTURES HENCE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 00706 181452Z THE DECISION TO USE THE ZCTU AND NCA, BODIES THAT MR. TSVANGIRAI ONCE ADMITTED ARE 'THE SOUL OF MDC. . .' ACCORDING TO. . .SOURCES, WESTERN GOVERNMENTS LED BY THE U. S. AND BRITAIN, WERE PRESSURING THE MDC TO UTILIZE NON POLITICAL STRUCTURES TO AUTHENTICATE THE VIOLENCE AS 'CIVIL UNREST' A MOVE EXPECTED TO FURTHER CRIPPLE THE ECONOMY. . . ." SULLIVAN UNCLASSIFIED >