ZBC SEES LINK BETWEEN SANCTIONS AGAINST ZIMBABWEAN

UNCLAS HARARE 000513 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/S 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: ZBC SEES LINK BETWEEN SANCTIONS AGAINST ZIMBABWEAN LEADERSHIP AND U.S. POLICY ON IRAQ ¶1. THE ZIMBABWE BROADCASTING CORPORATION'S (ZBC) PRIME- TIME EVENING NEWS PROGRAM ON MARCH 12 REPORTED THAT NEWLY IMPOSED U.S. FINANCIAL SANCTIONS AGAINST ZIMBABWEAN LEADERSHIP ARE PART OF A POLITICAL ACCOMMODATION WITH GREAT BRITAIN TO ENSURE CONINTUED UK SUPPORT FOR U.S. POLICY ON IRAQ. REALLY, THEY DID. ¶2. IN ITS MAIN STORY, ZBC'S 8PM NEWS PROGRAM DEDICATED ABOUT 10 MINUTES TO PRESIDENT BUSH'S EXECUTIVE ORDER OF MARCH 6. WILLIAM NHARA, ONE OF ZBC'S FAVORED POLITICAL ANALYSTS, OFFERED A 4-MINUTE COMMENTARY ON THE SANCTIONS. HIS CENTRAL THESIS WAS THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT LED THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TO IMPOSE SANCTIONS AS A CONDITION FOR CONTINUED BRITISH SUPPORT OF U.S. POLICY ON IRAQ. NHARA POINTED TO THE TIMING OF THE MARCH 6 EXECUTIVE ORDER (PRESUMABLY AS THE U.S. IS PREPARING FOR WAR WITH IRAQ), GROWING ANTI-WAR PUBLIC OPINION IN THE U.K., AND RECENT DIPLOMATIC "TRIUMPHS" FOR ZIMBABWE (SUPPORT FROM THE GOVERNMENTS OF SOUTH AFRICA AND NIGERIA, PARTICIPATION AT THE FRENCH-AFRICA SUMMIT, SUPPORT FROM THE NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT) AS EVIDENCE THAT THE SANCTIONS WERE INSTITUTED AS A POLITICAL TRADE FOR CONTINUED BRITISH SUPPORT OF U.S. POLICY ON IRAQ. SULLIVAN