US embassy cable - 03HARARE1607

UNCLAS HARARE 001607 
 
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 MUGABE/TAYLOR ARROGANT; HARARE 
 
 
  1.   Under headline "Alternative to dialogue" the 
      independent daily "The Daily News" dedicated its 
      August 13 editorial to urging Robert Mugabe to be 
      sincere in finding a durable solution to the current 
      political impasse in Zimbabwe, adding that Mugabe's 
      "demand that others should repent" is "arrogant 
      hypocrisy of the worst kind. . .The kind of arrogant 
      hypocrisy the world has come to expect from the 
      likes of Liberia's embattled Charles Taylor." 
      Excerpts: 
 
  2.   "An unrepentant President Robert Mugabe on Monday used 
      Heroes' Day. . .to inflict more despair and anguish on 
      crisis-weary Zimbabweans.  When he could have used the 
      occasion to rally the nation behind the search for a 
      negotiated end to Zimbabwe's bitter crisis, Mugabe single- 
      handedly tried to scuttle prospects for an end to the 
      country's political impasse when he demanded that the 
      opposition `repent' before there can be co-operation with 
      his government. . .That in the face of all this, Mugabe - 
      who as President of Zimbabwe bears the most responsibility 
      for the way things have fallen apart in this country - can 
      turn around and demand that others should repent and beg 
      for forgiveness is arrogant hypocrisy of the worst kind. 
      The kind of arrogant hypocrisy the world has come to expect 
      from the likes of Liberia's embattled Charles 
      Taylor. . .But then Taylor was always an uncouth 
      warlord prepared to do anything for the love of 
      political power and diamonds.  This is not the kind 
      of behavior that Zimbabweans want or expect from 
      Robert Mugabe. . .Zimbabweans expect Mugabe to 
      negotiate, not only with the opposition Movement for 
      Democratic Change (MDC), but with the devil himself 
      if that is the only way to break the country's 
      political impasse and allow Zimbabwe a chance to 
      make a fresh beginning. . . ." 
 
WHITEHEAD