US embassy cable - 02HARARE706

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MEDIA REACTION U. S. IMPLICATED IN PLAN TO OUST MUGABE; HARARE

Identifier: 02HARARE706
Wikileaks: View 02HARARE706 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Harare
Created: 2002-03-18 14:40:00
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.

181440Z Mar 02

 

                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTO5572

PAGE 01        HARARE  00706  181452Z 
ACTION INR-00   

INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AF-00    A-00     ACQ-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  
      DS-00    EUR-00   UTED-00  VC-00    TEDE-00  IO-00    LAB-01   
      VCE-00   NSAE-00  TEST-00  USIE-00  IIP-00   DSCC-00  DRL-02   
      NFAT-00  SAS-00     /003W
                  ------------------76A917  181452Z /38    
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1242
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA 
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK 
AMEMBASSY GABORONE 
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
UNCLAS HARARE 000706 
 
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 U. S. IMPLICATED IN PLAN TO 
OUST MUGABE; HARARE 
 
 
1.   THE LEAD STORY IN THE MARCH 16 EDITION OF THE 
    BULAWAYO-BASED GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "CHRONICLE" 
    ASSERTS THAT THE UNITED STATES SUPPORTS A "SECRET" 
    PLAN TO OUST PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE.  THE ARTICLE, 
    HEADLINED "MASS STAYAWAY PLANNED: BRITAIN AND U.S. 
    PLAN TO OUST PRESIDENT MUGABE," ACCUSES THE U.S. AND 
    BRITAIN OF "PLANNING AND DIRECTING" WORK STOPPAGES AS 
    "AN EXCUSE" TO LAUNCH "A MILITARY INTERVENTION AGAINST 
    ZIMBABWE."  EXCERPTS OF ARTICLE, AUTHORED BY "SPECIAL 
    PROJECTS EDITOR" INNOCENT MADONKO, FOLLOW: 
 
2.   "LACK OF STRUCTURE HAS FORCED THE OPPOSITION 
    MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) PARTY TO ENLIST 
    SERVICES OF THE HEAVILY WESTERN-FUNDED NATIONAL 
    CONSTITUTIONAL ASSEMBLY (NCA) AND THE ZIMBABWE 
    CONGRESS OF TRADE UNIONS (ZCTU) TO MOBILIZE WORKERS 
    FOR MASS ACTION FOLLOWING DEFEAT OF ITS LEADER, MR. 
    MORGAN TSVANGIRAI BY PRESIDENT MUGABE, 'CHRONICLE' 
    LEARNT THIS WEEK.  THE MASS ACTIONS, BEING PLANNED AND 
    DIRECTED BY THE U.S. AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS WILL BE 
    USED AS 'AN EXCUSE' TO LAUNCH A MILITARY INTERVENTION 
    AGAINST ZIMBABWE.  THE TERMS 'CIVIC SOCIETY' AND 
    'LABOR' ARE BEING BANDIED ABOUT AS THE WEST 
    ACCELERATES PLANS TO OUST THE LEGITIMATELY ELECTED 
    (MR.) MUGABE. . .  MUGABE CREAMED MR. TSVANGIRAI IN 
    THE JUST-ENDED ELECTION ON 9 AND 10 MARCH.  MOST 
    OBSERVERS EXCEPT NORWAY HAVE DECLARED THE POLLS FREE 
    AND FAIR.  THE U.S. HAS CONDEMNED THE POLLS AS 
    'FLAWED' SETTING THE STAGE FOR THE PLANNED MILITARY 
    INTERVENTION.  BUT THE BIGGEST HITCH OF THE PLAN IS 
    THE FACT THAT MDC HAS NO GRASSROOTS STRUCTURES HENCE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  00706  181452Z 
    THE DECISION TO USE THE ZCTU AND NCA, BODIES THAT MR. 
    TSVANGIRAI ONCE ADMITTED ARE 'THE SOUL OF MDC. . .' 
    ACCORDING TO. . .SOURCES, WESTERN GOVERNMENTS LED BY 
    THE U. S. AND BRITAIN, WERE PRESSURING THE MDC TO 
    UTILIZE NON POLITICAL STRUCTURES TO AUTHENTICATE THE 
    VIOLENCE AS 'CIVIL UNREST' A MOVE EXPECTED TO FURTHER 
    CRIPPLE THE ECONOMY. . . ." 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
> 

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