US embassy cable - 02HARARE1389

UNCLAS HARARE 001389 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA 
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ZI, PREL, PHUM 
SUBJECT: EDITORIALS SUPPORT AND CRITICIZE MUGABE 
TRAVEL TO FAO MEETING IN ROME 
 
 
1.   Editorials in the June 10 editions of the 
   government-controlled daily "The Herald" and the 
   independent daily "The Daily News" focus on Robert 
   Mugabe's presence in Rome for the United Nations 
   meeting on hunger.  Excerpts: 
 
2.   Under headline "Travel bans prove ineffective" 
   the 
   government-controlled daily "The Herald" dismisses 
   travel restrictions against Robert Mugabe and his 
   government as meaningless.  Excerpts: 
 
   "Despite the imposition of travel sanctions against 
   President Mugabe, government officials and other 
   Zimbabwean business people by the United States and 
   the European Union (EU), the Zimbabwean leader and 
   his entourage have once again managed to travel to 
   a European destination without any hindrance.  This 
   puts to shame political upstarts and Uncle Toms who 
   were gleefully celebrating the imposition of the 
   travel ban against Zimbabwe's leaders and 
   entrepreneurs. . .  The failure of the travel ban 
   has also exposed another fallacy that the US and EU 
   were going to seize foreign assets of President 
   Mugabe and his officials.  Several months after 
   this announcement, nothing has been found despite 
   the celebrated international intelligence network 
   of the Americans, British and other Western super 
   powers. 
 
   "If President Mugabe was such an abomination to the 
   international notion of civil liberties, democracy 
   and human rights how come his two international 
   visits to the US and Italy have not caused any stir 
   in these two countries?  We have not seen the 
   public outrage against his visits unlike that which 
   was attracted by the American President and British 
   prime minister in some of their travels outside 
   their own countries, which saw thousands of people 
   taking to the streets in protest.  Maybe it is now 
   time to turn the tables against those who have been 
   fighting for the isolation of Zimbabwe, the 
   imposition of sanctions, among other things meant 
   to bring suffering on the people.  Why should they 
   continue to enjoy international travel to advocate 
   evil against their own people and nothing is done 
   to hold them accountable.  No other country would 
   tolerate such nonsense and Zimbabwe should be no 
   exception." 
 
3.   "The Daily News" editorial blames the Mugabe 
   government for the food crisis.  Excerpts: 
 
   ". . .The government (of Zimbabwe) is the chief 
   architect of the food shortage, but the tragedy is 
   that it is unwilling to see or acknowledge its 
   authorship of the crisis.  Instead, it prefers to 
   blame the weather and an alleged conspiracy by 
   commercial farmers. . .   By being in Rome, Mugabe 
   is demonstrating the futility of the 'smart' 
   sanctions against himself and his government, but 
   he is also saying he can create a crisis and leave 
   the international community to assume 
   responsibility for his actions. . .  If the FAO 
   summit produces pledges food aid for starving 
   Zimbabweans, it must be on condition that non- 
   governmental organizations - and not the 
   government - be involved in its distribution. . ." 
 
SULLIVAN