MEDIA REACTION PRESIDENT BUSH ON "CAPTIVE NATIONS

UNCLAS HARARE 001477 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR GURNEY PARIS FOR NEARY NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KPAO KMDR ZI SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION PRESIDENT BUSH ON "CAPTIVE NATIONS WEEK"; HARARE ¶1. Under headline "Africa must resist" the government-controlled Bulawayo-based weekly "Sunday News" dedicated its July 20 editorial to criticizing President George W. Bush for including Zimbabwe on the list of country's he said, in a proclamation to mark "Captive Nations Week," were guilty of oppression and human rights abuses. Excerpts: ¶2. "On Friday, in the aftermath of his road show in Africa, President George W. Bush demonized Zimbabwe accusing the government of `violence, corruption and mismanagement.' When a United States President who came to power through electoral fraud decides to bully an African country from his base in Texas yet he had a golden opportunity to confront Zimbabwe head-on when he toured Africa. . .the world should question his racist convictions. In a proclamation issued to mark `captive nations week. . .' the warmongering cowboy directed his rightwing insults at Zimbabwe, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Belarus and Myanmar. . .For Africa, the announcement of this so-called blacklist is a non-event. That is why Africa refused to be bullied and actually elected President Mugabe Vice-Chairman of the African Union during the meddlesome U. S. leader's visit to the continent. Less than two and a half years after he came to power. . .President Bush has been dismal. Instead of pursuing enlightened policies abroad, he has championed imperial conquest. Thankfully, Africa has resisted this onslaught." SULLIVAN