US embassy cable - 01HARARE3547

UNCLAS HARARE 003547 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/PD (COX, ROBERTSON), AF/S FOR SCHLACHTER, AF/RA 
(SWANN), INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ZI, PREL, PHUM 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT -- GOZ "FIGHTING TERRORISM" 
 
 
1.   GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE (GOZ) OFFICIALS ARE 
    ATTEMPTING TO PORTRAY THE POLITICAL OPPOSITION AND 
    INDEPENDENT MEDIA AS "TERRORISTS."  GOZ OFFICIALS, 
    INCLUDING PRESIDENT MUGABE AND INFORMATION MINISTER 
    MOYO, HAVE RECENTLY DESCRIBED THE MOVEMENT FOR 
    DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC), ITS LEADERS AND SUPPORTERS, 
    AND FOREIGN AND LOCAL JOURNALISTS AS "TERRORISTS." 
    GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS' USE OF THE WORDS "TERRORISM" AND 
    "TERRORIST" BEGAN WITH CHARACTERIZATIONS OF THE PEOPLE 
    RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ABDUCTION AND MURDER OF WAR VETERAN 
    CAIN NKALA IN BULAWAYO IN EARLY NOVEMBER.  IN THE LAST 
    THREE WEEKS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAVE USED THOSE TERMS 
    MORE BROADLY TO DESCRIBE THE OPPOSITION AND THE 
    INDEPENDENT MEDIA. 
 
2.   PRESIDENT MUGABE, DELIVERING A EULOGY AT THE 
    BURIAL OF WAR VETERAN CAIN NKALA, WARNED: ".THE 
    OPPOSITION MDC WILL BE CRUSHED VIOLENTLY FOR SPONSORING 
    TERRORISTS." 
 
3.   PICKING UP FROM WHERE PRESIDENT MUGABE LEFT OFF, 
    INFORMATION MINISTER JONATHAN MOYO HAS EXPANDED ON THE 
    GOZ'S "FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM."  UNDER MOYO'S CONTROL, 
    THE GOVERNMENT-OWNED PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA MAKE 
    EXTREMELY FREQUENT USE OF THE WORDS "TERRORIST" AND 
    "TERRORISM" IN THEIR REPORTING ON THE NKALA CASE.  MOYO 
    HAS ALSO USED THE TERMS "TERRORIST" AND "TERRORISM" TO 
    DESCRIBE INDEPENDENT JOURNALISTS.  HE HAS THREATENED 
    "TO GO AFTER" FOREIGN AND LOCAL JOURNALISTS WHOM HE 
    ACCUSED OF "GROSS AND OBSCENE MISREPRESENTATION OF 
    FACTS" IN THEIR REPORTING ON EVENTS IN ZIMBABWE.  IN 
    THE NOVEMBER 23 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-OWNED DAILY 
    "THE HERALD," MOYO OFFERS THE FOLLOWING THOUGHTS ON 
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    FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS AND THE INDEPENDENT MEDIA:  "AS 
    FOR THE CORRESPONDENTS WE WOULD LIKE THEM TO KNOW THAT 
    WE AGREE WITH PRESIDENT BUSH THAT ANYONE WHO IN ANY WAY 
    FINANCES, HARBORS OR DEFENDS TERRORISTS IS HIMSELF A 
    TERRORIST.  WE TOO WILL NOT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 
    TERRORISTS AND THEIR FRIENDS OR SUPPORTERS. . .  THIS 
    KIND OF MEDIA TERRORISM WILL NOT BE ALLOWED . . ." 
 
4.   MINISTER MOYO ALSO WROTE AN OP-ED PIECE ON THIS 
    TOPIC FOR THE NOVEMBER 25 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT- 
    OWNED WEEKLY "SUNDAY MAIL."  THE ARTICLE OFFERED 
    FURTHER INSIGHT INTO MINISTER MOYO'S ATTITUDE TOWARD 
    THE OPPOSITION AND THE INDEPENDENT MEDIA.  UNDER THE 
    TITLE "MDC 'CLEAN-UP' STRATEGY EXPOSED" MOYO WROTE: ". 
    . .DOES THE MDC, WITH THE SUPPORT OF SOME DIPLOMATIC 
    INTERESTS AND MEDIA HOUSES, REALLY THINK THAT IT CAN 
    HOODWINK ZIMBABWEANS AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY 
    ABOUT ITS COWARDLY TERRORISM UNDERTAKEN UNDER COVER OF 
    DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE RULE OF LAW. . .? THE 
    TIME HAS COME FOR THE MDC TERRORISTS AND THEIR MEDIA 
    AND DIPLOMATIC SUPPORTERS TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THAT 
    THE ONLY WEAPON THAT CAN AND WILL BE USED AGAINST THEM 
    WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOR IS THE LAW THROUGH THE COURTS. 
    NOTHING ELSE.  SO THE MDC TERRORISTS AND THEIR MEDIA 
    AND DIPLOMATIC SUPPORTERS CAN RUN, RAVE AND RANT FOR 
    ALL THEY WANT, BUT THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HIDE. 
    JUSTICE WILL CATCH UP WITH THEM.  THE LAW WILL SMOKE 
    THEM OUT. . ." 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
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