US embassy cable - 02HARARE2765

UNCLAS HARARE 002765 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA, AF/PDPA 
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, KPAO, ZI 
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT PAPER HAILS REPORT BY NEW YORK ELECTED 
OFFICIALS 
 
 
  1.   Under headline "Now that the truth is out. . ." the 
      government-controlled daily "Chronicle" dedicated its 
      December 3, editorial to praising the trip report  released 
      by a delegation of elected officials from the U.S. after 
      their recent visit to Zimbabwe. Excerpts: 
 
  2.   ". . .A delegation of New York city councilors that 
      recently visited Zimbabwe on a fact-finding tour of the 
      country have attacked the U.S. Government for its position 
      on Harare's land issue, which they said was heavily 
      influenced by Britain. . .  The chickens have finally come 
      to roost for the George Bushes and Tony Blairs of this 
      world who have been having a field day demonizing the 
      government of Zimbabwe at every turn.  Now their citizens 
      are no longer consumers of cheap propaganda but chroniclers 
      of the story of Zimbabwe's agrarian reforms.  [Members of 
      the delegation] are now ambassadors of the people of 
      Zimbabwe who are being denied the right to explain the 
      situation obtaining on the ground to the world because of 
      the so-called smart sanctions. . .  We believe the report 
      is the most accurate picture of the situation in the 
      country from the eyes of impartial observers.  It is 
      therefore imperative that the world take the report and its 
      recommendations seriously to assist the people of Zimbabwe 
      address the current impasse created by the greed of the 
      white man. . ." 
 
  3.   The delegation, which included New York City Council 
      members Charles Barron (D-Brooklyn), James Davis (D- 
      Brooklyn), New York State Assembly member Adam Clayton 
      Powell IV (D-Harlem) and Illinois State Senator Donne 
      Trotter (D-Chicago), visited Zimbabwe October 11-23, 2002 
      on a trip funded by the Government of Zimbabwe. 
 
SULLIVAN