US embassy cable - 02HARARE615

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MEDIA REACTION ZIMBABWE DECIDES; HARARE UNCLASSIFIED

Identifier: 02HARARE615
Wikileaks: View 02HARARE615 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Harare
Created: 2002-03-08 10:41:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Tags: ZI PREL PHUM
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

081041Z Mar 02

 

                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTO5775

PAGE 01        HARARE  00615  082349Z 
ACTION INR-00   

INFO  LOG-00   AF-00    AID-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  EB-00    
      EUR-00   UTED-00  VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  IO-00    L-00     
      AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   PA-00    PM-00    
      PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    SS-00    STR-00   TEST-00  
      TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  PMB-00   PRM-00   DRL-02   G-00     
      SAS-00     /007W
                  ------------------71C7FF  082349Z /30    
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1132
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA 
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK 
AMEMBASSY GABORONE 
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
UNCLAS HARARE 000615 
 
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 ZIMBABWE DECIDES; HARARE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  00615  082349Z 
 
1.   THE BULAWAYO-BASED GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY 
   "CHRONICLE" HAS CARRIED AN ARTICLE, BASED ON 
   ANONYMOUS "HIGHLY PLACED SOURCES," ACCUSING THE 
   UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN OF PLANNING A "MAJOR 
   MILITARY OFFENSIVE" TO OUST THE MUGABE 
   ADMINISTRATION IF IT STAYS IN POWER AFTER THE MARCH 
   9 AND 10 PRESIDENTIAL POLL.  ACCORDING TO THE LEAD 
   ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE MARCH 6 EDITION OF THE 
   "CHRONICLE," UNDER HEADLINE "MAJOR MILITARY 
   OFFENSIVE PLANNED," A U. S. AND BRITISH-LED 
   INSURGENCY IS EXPECTED TO TAKE PLACE IN 
   MATABELELAND SOON AFTER THIS WEEKEND'S ELECTION. 
   EXCERPTS OF THIS LENGTHY PIECE FOLLOW: 
 
2.   "THE BRITISH AND AMERICAN GOVERNMENTS ARE 
   ALLEGEDLY SETTING THE STAGE FOR A MAJOR MILITARY 
   OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE 
   SPONSORING OF AN INSURGENCY INTO MATABELELAND 
   AFTER THIS WEEKEND'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS WHICH 
   PRESIDENT MUGABE IS HEAVILY TIPPED TO WIN, 'CHRONICLE' 
   LEARNT THIS WEEK.  HIGHLY PLACED SOURCES IN LONDON AND 
   WASHINGTON SAID THE DEPLOYMENT OF A PARAMILITARY 
   GROUP CODE NAMED CIRA (CAMPAIGN IN RURAL AREAS) BY 
   THE OPPOSITION MDC IN RURAL MATABELELAND WAS AIMED 
   AT 'TESTING THE WATERS' AHEAD OF THE FULL 
   DEPLOYMENT OF ARMED UNITS IN THE REGION TO FIGHT 
   THE 'MUGABE REGIME' AFTER THE ELECTIONS. . . 
   ACCORDING TO SOURCES, BRITAIN AND THE U.S. PLAN TO 
   SPONSOR AN INSURGENCY USING MDC'S STRONGHOLD OF 
   MATABELELAND AND LATER JUSTIFY MILITARY 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  00615  082349Z 
   INTERVENTION AND THE TOPPLING OF PRESIDENT MUGABE. 
   'THE PEOPLE OF MATABELELAND WILL ONCE AGAIN BE USED 
   AS SACRIFICIAL LAMBS IN A POWER GAME BY THE WEST 
   WHICH IS INTENT ON INSTALLING A PUPPET REGIME IN 
   ZIMBABWE.  THE PLAN WILL TAKE SHAPE AFTER THE 
   PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.  AN INSURGENCY WILL START 
   IN RURAL MATABELELAND.  THESE PEOPLE WILL 
   SUPPOSEDLY BE FIGHTING THE OUTCOME OF THE POLLS. 
   WHEN THE GOVERNMENT MOVES IN TO CRUSH THE 
   INSURGENCY, THE WEST WILL THEN INTERVENE AND TOPPLE 
   PRESIDENT MUGABE,' SAID A HIGHLY PLACED SOURCE 
   PRIVY TO THE PLAN.  BRITAIN AND AMERICA WILL 
   JUSTIFY THEIR INTERVENTION BY PROFFERING THE 
   ARGUMENT THAT THEY WILL HAVE PREVENTED MASS 
   GENOCIDE OF THE NDEBELE PEOPLE. . . ." 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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