US embassy cable - 03HARARE513

UNCLAS HARARE 000513 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/S 
AF/PDPA FOR 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: ZBC SEES LINK BETWEEN SANCTIONS AGAINST ZIMBABWEAN 
LEADERSHIP AND U.S. POLICY ON IRAQ 
 
 
  1.   THE ZIMBABWE BROADCASTING CORPORATION'S (ZBC) PRIME- 
      TIME EVENING NEWS PROGRAM ON MARCH 12 REPORTED THAT NEWLY 
      IMPOSED U.S. FINANCIAL SANCTIONS AGAINST ZIMBABWEAN 
      LEADERSHIP ARE PART OF A POLITICAL ACCOMMODATION WITH GREAT 
      BRITAIN TO ENSURE CONINTUED UK SUPPORT FOR U.S. POLICY ON 
      IRAQ.  REALLY, THEY DID. 
 
  2.   IN ITS MAIN STORY, ZBC'S 8PM NEWS PROGRAM DEDICATED 
      ABOUT 10 MINUTES TO PRESIDENT BUSH'S EXECUTIVE ORDER OF 
      MARCH 6.  WILLIAM NHARA, ONE OF ZBC'S FAVORED POLITICAL 
      ANALYSTS, OFFERED A 4-MINUTE COMMENTARY ON THE SANCTIONS. 
      HIS CENTRAL THESIS WAS THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT LED THE 
      U.S. GOVERNMENT TO IMPOSE SANCTIONS AS A CONDITION FOR 
      CONTINUED BRITISH SUPPORT OF U.S. POLICY ON IRAQ.  NHARA 
      POINTED TO THE TIMING OF THE MARCH 6 EXECUTIVE ORDER 
      (PRESUMABLY AS THE U.S. IS PREPARING FOR WAR WITH IRAQ), 
      GROWING ANTI-WAR PUBLIC OPINION IN THE U.K., AND RECENT 
      DIPLOMATIC "TRIUMPHS" FOR ZIMBABWE (SUPPORT FROM THE 
      GOVERNMENTS OF SOUTH AFRICA AND NIGERIA, PARTICIPATION AT 
      THE FRENCH-AFRICA SUMMIT, SUPPORT FROM THE NON-ALIGNED 
      MOVEMENT) AS EVIDENCE THAT THE SANCTIONS WERE INSTITUTED AS 
      A POLITICAL TRADE FOR CONTINUED BRITISH SUPPORT OF U.S. 
      POLICY ON IRAQ. 
 
SULLIVAN