United States secretary of State Colin Powell came under fire for writing an op-ed column in the New York Times critical of President Robert Mugabe.
An unnamed correspondent of The Herald wrote on 27 June 2003: “I have always asked how much Zimbabwe is worth. Is it worth the filthy American dollars Colin Powell is now promising gullible and useless Zimbabweans so that they betray President Mugabe?
“My answer is that Zimbabwe is worth much more than Powell is promising us in the form of aid. . .
“Powell is relying on lies from the US and British embassies in Harare and also from the sell-outs in the MDC ……”
Full cable:
Viewing cable 03HARARE1378, MEDIA REACTION POWELL OP-ED ON ZIM UNDER FIRE;
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UNCLAS HARARE 001378
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
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION POWELL OP-ED ON ZIM UNDER FIRE;
HARARE
¶1. The lead article in the June 27 edition of the
government-controlled daily “The Herald” and an
op-ed in the same edition collectively criticize
Secretary of State Colin Powell for writing an op-ed
column in the “New York Times” criticizing Robert
Mugabe’s government. Excerpts follow:
¶2. Under headline “Fuel talks continue: Leaders attack U.
S.’ renewed onslaught against Harare” the “The Herald”
(06/27) carried the following article by Itai Musengengeyi,
who filed the report from Tripoli, Libya where Robert
Mugabe is consumed in bilateral talks with his counterpart
Colonel Muammar Gadaffi:
“President Mugabe and his Libyan counterpart Colonel
Muammar Gaddafi. . .on their first round of
consultations on Wednesday. . .noted with concern
the United States’ renewed onslaught on Zimbabwe and
agreed that the AU Summit should unambiguously
condemn Western imperialism. This followed U. S.
Secretary of State Mr. Colin Powell’s criticism of
Zimbabwe’s land reform, which he claimed had not
benefited ordinary people. . . .”
¶3. Under headline “Keep your aid, U. S.: West, MDC
peddling lies on Zimbabwe” the same newspaper carried the
following op-ed on page 27 by an unnamed “correspondent”:
“I have always asked how much Zimbabwe is worth. Is
it worth the filthy American dollars Colin Powell is
now promising gullible and useless Zimbabweans so
that they betray President Mugabe? My answer is
that Zimbabwe is worth much more than Powell is
promising us in the form of aid. . .Powell is
relying on lies from the U. S. and British embassies
in Harare and also from the sellouts in the MDC
(Movement for Democratic Change). The violence he
talks about is being perpetrated by the MDC and not
the government of Zimbabwe. . .Powell is the worst
hypocrite I have ever seen. He dances to the tune
of his masters. U. S. President George Bush knows
that if he talks too much on Zimbabwe it would be
viewed as racism and he sends his Uncle Tom in the
form of Powell to do his dirty work. What a shame.
. .To Powell, we say keep your filthy dollars to
yourself and we will keep our country. . .Keep your
aid and channel it to the families of those whose
bread-winners were killed in Iraq after you lied to
the world that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass
destruction. . . .”
SULLIVAN
(27 VIEWS)
