US embassy cable - 03HARARE1377

UNCLAS HARARE 001377 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR 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: MEDIA REACTION PRESIDENT BUSH'S VISIT TO AFRICA; 
HARARE 
 
  1.   Weekend editorials continue to focus on President 
      Bush's first trip to Africa.  Excerpts follow: 
 
  2.   Under headline "Rude awakening awaits Bush" the 
      government-controlled weekly "Sunday News" (06/29) 
      comments: 
 
      "The announcement that U. S. President George W. 
      Bush, whose hands are dripping with the blood of 
      brave Iraqi soldiers and defenseless Iraqi women and 
      children, is set to visit Africa from 7 to 12 July 
      should surely send chills in the spines of 
      independent thinking, peace loving Africans and anti- 
      imperial forces on the continent.  Already one such 
      peace loving statesman on the African continent. . 
      .Mr. Nelson Mandela has set the tone for the sort of 
      reception which Bush should expect from independent 
      Africans when he visits next month. . .The United 
      States leader, George W. Bush is now a loose canon 
      in world politics. . .It is clear therefore that 
      during his visit to Africa, Bush will try and 
      influence African leaders to `rein in' President 
      Mugabe who is exposing U. S.'s hegemonic tendencies 
      in return for aid.  Americans are known for their 
      belief in the carrot and stick approach as a 
      political arsenal in world politics. . .Like what he 
      did in Iraq, he is playing the savior for what he 
      regards as `poor Zimbabweans' under a dictatorship. 
      Such a patronizing attitude can never be brooked by 
      any serious independent African both in the 
      continent and in the Diaspora unless they are 
      prepared for the re-colonization of the continent. 
      There is no need for U. S. involvement in the 
      solution of the problems bedeviling 
      Zimbabweans. . .If America is genuinely interested 
      in helping Zimbabweans solve their problems it 
      should stop fuelling politics of hatred and 
      sponsoring attempts to overthrow a legitimate 
      government. . .The British and American machinations 
      to isolate Zimbabwe are well documented and so is 
      the resistance by African countries to be used in 
      this game. . .We therefore call upon all Africans to 
      continue with this African solidarity when Bush 
      visits the continent next month.  Africans for 
      Africans - that should be the guiding rule. . . ." 
 
  3.   Under headline "Act against American meddling" the 
      government-controlled daily "Chronicle" (06/28) 
      comments: 
 
      "The world, it appears, is yet to see more of 
      American meddling and indiscriminate bullying at the 
      instigation of the Bush administration.  This is the 
      same administration that took over from Bill Clinton 
      and further dented the credibility of the United 
      Nations.  The U. N. could be mistaken for some 
      department in Bush's administration since he can 
      veto its decisions and out rightly defy others with 
      no fear of punishment.  While the rest of the world 
      has complained about the flagrant disregard for 
      international law where the U. S. seeks to protect 
      or expand its interests, very little had come our 
      way from the State's people with regard to the way 
      it conducts its business, and even other 
      people's. . .Zimbabwe, in its small way has tried to 
      play its part in bringing order to the region by 
      sending its troops to trouble spots on the 
      continent, with the most recent under the auspices 
      of SADC, in the DRC.  However, the Americans have 
      been the stumbling block since they have backed the 
      two countries whose armies invaded the DRC. . .To 
      this day, that country has not seen peace, and the 
      U. S. seems content. . .And the plunder by a country 
      that fails to run its own elections yet accusing all 
      other countries of failing to run theirs, seems to 
      be going a gear up amid reports that Bush will be 
      visiting the Southern African region, where he is 
      threatening to unleash his disastrous recipe on 
      Zimbabwe.  He is so obsessed with regime change 
      throughout the world under the false belief that it 
      would guarantee him some emperor tag. . .Zimbabwe is 
      presently under Western-imposed sanctions.  So was 
      Iraqi before the American invasion that has resulted 
      in misery for the Iraqi people.  The U. N. has to 
      act against the continued invasions or the little 
      that remains of its credibility will vanish. . . ." 
 
SULLIVAN