US embassy cable - 03HARARE1438

UNCLAS HARARE 001438 
 
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 TRIP TO AFRICA; 
HARARE 
 
  1.   Under headline "President finally vindicated" the 
      government-controlled daily "The Herald" dedicated 
      its July 15 edition to declaring that the just-ended 
      five-nation tour in Africa, especially South Africa, 
      by President George W. Bush had managed to shore up 
      Robert Mugabe's waning political fortunes.  Excerpts 
      follow: 
 
  2.   "A clear national, regional and international 
      consensus is now emerging in support of Zimbabwe's 
      principled position to determine its own destiny with 
      events over the past week testifying to this.  After almost 
      three years of being condemned, ostracized, demonized and 
      ridiculed, President Mugabe has finally been vindicated. 
      In one swoop, the president has managed to turn the tide 
      against those who were agitating for his `overthrow' before 
      the completion of his new term. . .The football coup 
      (Zimbabwe's maiden qualification for the African Nations 
      Cup finals in Tunisia) was followed by a diplomatic victory 
      in South Africa when American President George W. Bush 
      dropped his anti-President Mugabe crusade and decided to 
      follow the lead of President Thabo Mbeki's stance that 
      Zimbabwe's problems should be solved by Zimbabweans.  Even 
      U. S. Secretary of State Mr. Collin (sic) Powell, 
      who had, prior to President Bush's visit to Africa, 
      called for the ouster of President Mugabe, 
      backtracked from this position. . . ." 
 
SULLIVAN