US embassy cable - 03HARARE400

UNCLAS HARARE 000400 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PDPA DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS 
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, KPAO, KMDR, ZI 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: MUGABE ATTACKS U. S. AND BRITAIN 
AT NAM SUMMIT; HARARE 
 
 
  1.   The lead story in the February 26 edition of the 
      government-controlled daily "The Herald" highlights 
      Mr. Robert Mugabe's broadside against the United 
      States and Britain at the just-ended Non Aligned 
      Movement (NAM) summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 
      accusing them "of trying to impose a new form of 
      colonialism" on weaker nations.  "The United States 
      awakened to the implications of being the sole 
      superpower, joined by Britain as a born-again 
      colonialist, and other Western countries have turned 
      themselves into ferocious hunting bull-dogs raring 
      to go as they sniff for more blood, Third World 
      Blood.  We are their hunted game for slaughter," 
      Mugabe is quoted as saying in the article printed 
      under headline "President slams Bush and Blair: `U. 
      S., UK leaders seek to impose new form of 
      colonialism on weaker nations.'"  Excerpts of the 
      article by Innocent Gore, who accompanied Mr. Mugabe 
      to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, follow: 
 
  2.   "President Mugabe yesterday accused the United States 
      and Britain of trying to impose a new form of colonialism 
      on developing countries.  Speaking at a summit of the 116- 
      member non-Aligned Movement (NAM), President Mugabe said U. 
      S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony 
      Blair were imperialists who wanted to create a world where 
      powerful `big brother' states imposed their will on weaker 
      ones.  `The U. S. awakened to the implications of being the 
      sole superpower, joined by Britain as born-again 
      colonialist, and other Western countries have turned 
      themselves into ferocious hunting bull-dogs raring to go as 
      they sniff for more blood, Third World blood.  We are their 
      hunted game for slaughter.  The charter of the United 
      Nations and its sacrosanct tenets of international peace, 
      the sovereignty of nations and non-interference in domestic 
      affairs of states, are being desecrated by the day.' 
 
      ". . .Mugabe said Iraq might have developed or 
      desired to develop weapons of mass destruction, but 
      the U. S. should demonstrate what Baghdad should do 
      by destroying its own massive heaps of nuclear 
      weapons first.  `They should surely teach by 
      example, and yet they have refused to sign the 
      treaty on nuclear disarmament.  To support the U. S. 
      administration's zest for aggression on Iraq is to 
      support a proposed inhuman campaign, which is sure 
      to see many lives lost,' he said. 
 
      ". . .Big brother could blatantly use his prejudice 
      to determine and upset the validity of any elections 
      in the Third World and declare a validly elected 
      president of a country illegitimate.  `But we must 
      remain silent about the presidential election fiasco 
      of the U. S. whose vote failed to produce a winner 
      until the U. S. Supreme Court, dominated by 
      Republican judges, imposed Mr. George Bush (Jr.) as 
      winner.  And is it not ironical that Mr. Bush who 
      was not elected, should deny my legitimacy 
      established by many observer groups from Africa and 
      Third World.  Who should the world impose sanctions 
      on, Robert Mugabe or George Bush?  The President 
      said power had become to those who hold it, the 
      determinant of justice, morality and even legality 
      and that the governing norms of the Third World had 
      been greatly eroded. . . ." 
 
SULLIVAN