This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001317 
 
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 POWELL ON ZIM CRISIS; HARARE 
 
  ¶1.   The op-ed column by United States Secretary of State 
      Colin Powell in the "New York Times" has made 
      front-page headlines in the mainstream print media. 
      While the independent newspapers welcomed Secretary 
      Powell's commentary and recommendations, the 
      state-controlled newspapers and electronic media 
      have used the op-ed to attack the United States 
      Government, accusing it of wanting to bring about 
      "regime change" in Zimbabwe.  Apart from writing 
      drawn-out articles concentrating on Secretary 
      Powell's clear-cut and straight-talk article, the 
      June 26 editions of the independent daily "The Daily 
      News" and the government-controlled daily "The 
      Herald" reproduced Secretary Powell's op-ed on their 
      leader pages with full credit.  The "Daily News" 
      carried the op-ed on page 8 under headline "Freeing 
      a nation from tyrant's grip," while "The Herald" 
      carried the article - also on page 8 - under 
      headline "U. S. revives anti-Zim campaign: Powell 
      calls for coup."  The paper also carried two letters 
      on the same page - one was critical of Secretary 
      Powell's position on Zimbabwe and the other labelled 
      him as "a House Negro," under headlines "African 
      Americans oppose action" and "Powell a House Negro." 
      The letters were signed Queens, New York, and 
      Friends of Zimbabwe, New York City, New York, 
      respectively.  Article excerpts follow: 
 
  ¶2.   Under headline "ZANU-PF blasts Powell: U. S. should 
      stop interfering in Zim's internal affairs, says SA 
      minister" the "Herald" (06/26) reports: 
 
      "ZANU-PF yesterday said it was unfortunate that 
      ¶U. S. Secretary of State Mr. Colin Powell, who 
      should be balanced as a diplomat and soldier, was 
      willing and ready to utter blatant falsehoods that 
      reduce him to an ordinary liar proffering ludicrous 
      scenarios which make him a crude international 
      outlaw.  The party's deputy national secretary for 
      information and publicity, Professor Jonathan Moyo, 
      said Mr. Powell's falsehoods exonerated Americans 
      who viewed him as a disgraceful Uncle Tom who always 
      sang his master's voice to the detriment of social 
      justice and the rights of the people of color. 
      `Nobody in ZANU-PF will ever join Powell and his 
      kind in selling out.  The use of lies and deception 
      by Powell and Bush has not worked in Iraq where he 
      wanted to mix it with oil.  It will never ever work 
      anywhere else and will certainly not mix with land 
      in Zimbabwe,' said Professor Moyo, who is also the 
      (junior) Minister of State for Information and 
      Publicity. . .What is worse is that his source of 
      information is Pius Ncube who is busy preaching 
      tribalism in Zimbabwe. . .'  South African Foreign 
      Affairs spokesman Mr. Ronnie Mamoepa said the U. S. 
      should stop interfering in the internal affairs of 
      Zimbabwe because Zimbabweans were capable of solving 
      their own problems.  Mr. Mamaoepa told `The Herald' 
      that not amount of pressure would force his country 
      to change its stance on Zimbabwe. . . ." 
 
  ¶3.   Under headline "U. S. announces plans to oust 
      Zimbabwean Govt." the government-controlled Bulawayo-based 
      daily "Chronicle" (06/25) carried the following front-page 
      article by Innocent Madonko, Special Projects Editor: 
 
      "The U. S. Government yesterday announced its 
      intention to foment an uprising in Zimbabwe through 
      supporting opposition elements bent on ousting 
      President Mugabe. . .In a thinly veiled threat to 
      the government of Zimbabwe, Mr. Powell, using 
      hawkish and bellicose language, said South Africa 
      and other African countries should have `greater 
      engagement' with Harare. . .Mr. Powell 
      said . . .Mugabe should be overthrown so that a 
      transitional government is put in place. . .His 
      diatribe, coming just tow weeks before President 
      George Bush's inaugural visit to Africa since he 
      assumed power, is reportedly aimed at arm-twisting 
      African states into isolating Zimbabwe in return for 
      favors from Washington. . .The U. S. used similar 
      hawkish language before invading Iraq and toppling 
      President Saddam Hussein, claiming that he had 
      weapons of mass destruction and was `cruel' to his 
      people. . . . ." 
 
  ¶4.   Back to back issues of the independent daily "The 
      Daily News" incorporated excerpts of Secretary Powell's op- 
      ed in the lead stories carried in the June 25 and 26 
      editions under the following headlines: "Zimbabwe tops 
      Bush's agenda"(06/25) and "No objections to unity 
      government: ZANU PF" (06/26), respectively. 
 
  ¶5.   Under headline "No objections to unity government: 
      ZANU PF" the "Daily News" (06/26) reports: 
 
      "The ruling ZANU PF party yesterday said it had no 
      objections to a government of national unity with 
      the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) 
      as the U. S. A. this week mounted fresh pressure on 
      the government to negotiate with the MDC a solution 
      to Zimbabwe's crisis.  In an apparent climb-down, 
      ZANU-PF spokesman Nathan Shamuyarira told `The Daily 
      News' that his party was ready for a government of 
      national unity with the MDC.  Shamuyarira said: `We 
      have had such governments in the 1970s and in 1987 
      with ZAPU.  It is a tradition that we have always 
      had and we are ready for that (with the MDC).'  But 
      Shamuyarira, who also sits in the ruling party's 
      powerful Politburo, vehemently rejected demands by 
      Washington for a transitional government that would 
      be tasked to prepare for free and fair elections 
      before American aid could be given to Harare. . . ." 
 
  ¶6.   Under headline "Zimbabwe tops Bush's agenda" the 
      "Daily News" (06/25) carried the following article by 
      Sydney Masamvu, Assistant Editor: 
 
      "A quick resolution of the political impasse in 
      Zimbabwe and the implementation of the New 
      Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), the 
      continent's economic blueprint, will top the agenda 
      of U. S. President George Bush's first ever visit to 
      Southern Africa on 9 July, diplomats disclosed 
      yesterday.  The diplomats spoke as American 
      Secretary of State Colin Powell pledged Washington's 
      full support for a transitional government in crisis- 
      weary Zimbabwe, ratcheting up pressure on President 
      Robert Mugabe to go after U. S. Senator Lamar 
      Alexander, the chairman of the Sub-Committee on 
      Africa, called for a regime change in Zimbabwe two 
      weeks ago. . . ." 
 
  ¶7.   We are sending full articles to Washington via fax. 
 
SULLIVAN