Reader says Mugabe’s condolence message to Bush is hypocritical

A Daily News reader said it was hypocritical of President Robert Mugabe to express outrage at the terrorism which struck the United States on 11 September 2001 while he accepted terrorism as a political tool at home.

Learnmore Ndhlovu said in a letter to the editor, it was terrorism that was being used as a political weapon against the people of Zimbabwe in an effort to convince them that they had no choice but to support and vote for Mugabe.

“It cannot be any more acceptable for one person to be slaughtered in Zimbabwe for their political belief, than it is for thousands to be slaughtered in the US for whatever reason.

“It cannot be any more acceptable to kill innocent civilians and create unnecessary economic havoc and destruction in Zimbabwe than it is to kill innocent civilians and create unnecessary economic havoc and destruction in the US.

“The question of scale, numbers and location does not alter the unacceptability of terrorism by anyone against any person or people anywhere in the world.”

Full cable:

Viewing cable 01HARARE2813, MEDIA REPORT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ON U. S.

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

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AMEMBASSY GABORONE

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TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM

SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ON U. S.

BOMBINGS; HARARE

¶1.   THERE HAS BEEN AN UNPRECEDENTED OUTPOURING OF LETTERS

TO THE EDITOR, PUBLISHED IN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA,

CENTERING ON THE RECENT TERRORIST ATTACKS AT THE WORLD

TRADE CENTER AND THE PENTAGON. SAMPLES OF THE LETTERS

FOLLOW:

¶2.   UNDER HEADLINE “INJUSTICE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED” THE

SEPTEMBER 22 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY

“THE HERALD” PUBLISHED THE FOLLOWING LETTER SIGNED BY

“ALUTA CONTINUA FOR JUSTICE, UZ”:

“I SYMPATHIZE WITH THE VICTIMS OF THE RECENT BOMBING IN

AMERICA, ESPECIALLY THE FAMILIES WHO LOST THEIR BELOVED

ONES. IT IS ONLY JUSTIFIED THAT THE AMERICAN

GOVERNMENT BRINGS TO JUSTICE THOSE WHO CARRIED OUT SUCH

A BRUTAL ACT. WHENEVER AN INJUSTICE IS DONE AGAINST A

NATION, JUSTICE SHOULD FOLLOW. . . .”

¶3.   UNDER HEADLINE “TOWERS, CASTLES AND COMMITTEES,” IDEN

WETHERELL, EDITOR OF THE “ZIMBABWE INDEPENDENT” WROTE

THE FOLLOWING ON HIS WEEKLY COLUMN “EDITOR’S MEMO”:

“. . .FOLLOWING THE EVENTS OF LAST WEEK THE NEW YORK

SKYLINE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN. NEW YORKERS ARE

OF COURSE ACUTELY AWARE OF THAT, NOT LEAST BECAUSE OF

THE MANY PERSONAL TRAGEDIES THE GAP IN THEIR CITY’S

LANDSCAPE HAS LEFT. BUT I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE

RESILIENCE THEY HAVE SHOWN IN ADVERSITY THROUGHOUT THE

CRISIS OF THE PAST WEEK WILL SEE AN URBAN RENEWAL.

THAT WILL INCLUDE AN EDIFICE THAT MATCHES THE ONE THEY

HAVE LOST. IT WILL BE A MEMORIAL TO THE 5,000 DEAD AND

A STATEMENT THAT AMERICA’S BEACON CITY WILL NOT BE

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ECLIPSED BY EVIL. . .”

¶4.   UNDER HEADLINE “ACT TOGETHER ON TERRORISM,” THE

NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED THE FOLLOWING LETTER SIGNED RES

COOK:

“THE HORRENDOUS TERRORIST ACTS PERPETRATED AGAINST THE

¶U. S. HAVE RIGHTLY BEEN CONDEMNED BY ALMOST THE ENTIRE

WORLD. UNDOUBTEDLY SUCH A HIGH PROFILE AND DEADLY ACT

AGAINST THE WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL COUNTRY WILL RESULT

IN MASSIVE RETRIBUTION. HOWEVER, I CAN’T HELP BUT

THINK OF ALL THE OTHER ACTS OF TERRORISM THAT HAVE BEEN

AND STILL ARE BEING COMMITTED ON A DAILY BASIS BY

VARIOUS INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS AND GOVERNMENTS

WHICH BELIEVE IN VIOLENCE AS A LEGITIMATE MEANS OF

DEALING WITH THOSE WHO OPPOSE OR DISAGREE WITH THEM.

ALL TERRORISM SHOULD BE FOUGHT VIGOROUSLY WHEREVER IT

OCCURS – AND BY WHOEVER IT IS BEING PERPETRATED ON.

THE FORCES FOR GOOD IN THE WORLD MUST STAND UP AND BE

COUNTED WHEREVER EVIL AND TERROR ARE BEING FOUGHT. . .

THE INDISCRIMINATE USE OF VIOLENCE AS A POLITICAL

WEAPON SHOULD BE CONDEMNED AND COUNTERED VIGOROUSLY AND

EFFECTIVELY, NOT JUST WHEN IT OCCURS IN NEW YORK BUT

ALSO WHEN IT OCCURS IN REMOTE RURAL COMMUNITIES FAR

FROM THE WORLD CENTERS OF FINANCIAL, POLITICAL AND

MILITARY POWER.     NOT JUST WHEN IT OCCURS ACROSS

INTERNATIONAL BORDERS, BUT ALSO WHEN IT OCCURS WITHIN A

COUNTRY. ONLY IF THIS TERRIBLE TRAGEDY IN THE U. S.

RESULTS IN A MORE COMMITTED INTERNATIONAL APPROACH TO

COMBATING TERRORISM – BOTH NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL –

WILL SOME GOOD COME OUT OF THIS BARBARIC ACT. . . .”

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¶5.   UNDER HEADLINE “CONDEMN ALL ACTS OF TERRORISM,” THE

SAME NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED THE FOLLOWING LETTER SIGNED

LEARNMORE NDHLOVU:

“I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY HEARTFELT SYMPATHY TO ALL

THOSE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE RECENT TERRORIST ATTACKS

IN THE U. S. . .THE MAJORITY OF ZIMBABWEANS WOULD

EXPECT THEIR PRESIDENT TO DO AS HE DID, THAT IS EXPRESS

ON THEIR BEHALF THEIR SYMPATHY AND OUTRAGE OVER THE

TRAGEDY IN THE U. S. AND EXPRESS SOLIDARITY WITH THE

WORLD’S NEW FOUND DESIRE TO BE RID OF TERRORISM. BUT

IT HAS TO BE HYPOCRITICAL FOR PRESIDENT MUGABE TO

EXPRESS HIS OUTRAGE AT THE TERRORISM, WHICH STRUCK

AMERICA SO DRAMATICALLY WHILE HE ACCEPTS TERRORISM AS A

POLITICAL TOOL AT HOME. FOR IT IS TERRORISM THAT IS

BEING USED AS POLITICAL WEAPON AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF

ZIMBABWE IN AN EFFORT TO CONVINCE US THAT WE HAVE NO

CHOICE BUT TO SUPPORT AND VOTE FOR MUGABE. . .IT CAN

NOT BE ANY MORE ACCEPTABLE FOR ONE PERSON TO BE

SLAUGHTERED IN ZIMBABWE FOR THEIR POLITICAL BELIEF,

UNCLASSIFIED

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AMEMBASSY GABORONE

AMEMBASSY LILONGWE

AMEMBASSY LONDON

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SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ON U. S.

BOMBINGS; HARARE

THAN IT IS FOR THOUSANDS TO BE SLAUGHTERED IN THE U. S.

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FOR WHATEVER REASON. IT CAN NOT BE ANY MORE ACCEPTABLE

TO KILL INNOCENT CIVILIANS AND CREATE UNNECESSARY

ECONOMIC HAVOC AND DESTRUCTION IN ZIMBABWE THAN IT IS

TO KILL INNOCENT CIVILIANS, AND CREATE UNNECESSARY

ECONOMIC HAVOC AND DESTRUCTION IN THE U. S. THE

QUESTION OF SCALE, NUMBERS AND LOCATION DOES NOT ALTER

THE UNACCEPTABILITY OF TERRORISM BY ANYONE AGAINST ANY

PERSON OR PEOPLE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. . .I CAN ONLY

HOPE THAT THE GOOD TO COME OUT OF THE TRAGEDY WILL BE

THAT THE WORLD’S NEWLY FOUND CONSCIENCE AND CONSENSUS

OF REJECTING AND DENOUNCING TERRORISM WILL BE

IMPLEMENTED ON A GLOBAL SCALE WHEREVER TERRORISM EXISTS

IN ANY FORM TO THE BENEFIT OF ALL PEOPLE.”

¶6.   UNDER HEADLINE “TIME FOR INTROSPECTION,” THE SAME

NEWSPAPER CARRIED THE FOLLOWING LETTER SIGNED MARCH

ESTRIN, U. S. A.:

“AS HORRIFYING AS THE RECENT DEATH AND DESTRUCTION IN

THE U. S. IS, THERE WILL BE NO SOLUTION UNTIL EVERY

AMERICAN REALIZES AND ADMITS THAT FOR MANY PEOPLE IN

THE WORLD – PERHAPS THE MAJORITY – THE PENTAGON AND THE

WORLD TRADE CENTER SYMBOLIZE THE GREATEST HARBINGERS OF

DEATH AND DESTRUCTION IN THEIR LIVES. THE BUSH

ADMINISTRATION WANTS ‘TO GET TO THE BOTTOM’ OF THE

TERRORISM. BUT TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT, IT MUST

ASK: WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE U. S. AND AMERICA BEHAVIOR

THAT CREATES SUCH DESPERATE HATRED AROUND THE WORLD?

COULD IT BE THAT OUR OWN BOMBING OF CITIES AND CROPS

AND INNOCENT CIVILIANS MIGHT BE INVOLVED? MIGHT OUR

SUPPORT OF DICTATORS, OUR ECONOMIC STRANGULATIONS AND

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OUR DEATH-DEALING EMBARGOES HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH

IT? MIGHT OUR SCORN FOR INTERNATIONAL TREATIES AGAINST

GLOBAL WARMING, OR BIOLOGICAL WARFARE, OR WEAPONS IN

SPACE, OR LANDMINES ON EARTH, OR RACISM, OR THE FIGHT

FOR THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN PROMPT JUSTIFIABLE

HOSTILITY. MEDIA AND GOVERNMENT ARE WHIPPING UP CALLS

FOR REVENGE. A LARGE PART OF OUR VIOLENCE WILL NO

DOUBT FALL UPON THE INNOCENT INITIALLY AND IN ITS LONG-

TERM CONSEQUENCES. THUS THE VICIOUS CYCLE WILL

CONTINUE UNTIL WE FIND OURSELVES SO ‘PROTECTED AGAINST

EVER-GROWING HATRED THAT WE PROUDLY LOSE THE EVERY

IDEALS AMERICA IS SUPPOSED TO STAND FOR. THERE IS NO

ALTERNATIVE: THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO RETHINK AND REFORM

OUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD WE HAVE SO

BADLY HURT. OTHERWISE WE WILL PLUNGE THE PLANET INTO

SIEGE OF ALL AGAINST ALL.”

¶7.   UNDER HEADLINE “AMERICA MUST SEEK DIALOGUE” THE

SEPTEMBER 21 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY

“THE CHRONICLE” PUBLISHED THE FOLLOWING LETTER SIGNED

DANFORD MUPFUDZE, BULAWAYO:

“. . .THOUGH I DO NOT CONDONE ACTS OF VIOLENCE,

TERRORISM, AND MERCILESS KILLINGS OF INNOCENT CIVILIANS

BOTH IN NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON LAST WEEK, I STILL

REITERATE MY STANCE ON AMERICA’S ACTS OF AGGRESSION AND

USE OF EXCESSIVE FORCE ON WEAKER NATIONS. THIS IS NOT

THE ONLY WAY OF SETTLING DISPUTES. ALREADY THE

AMERICANS HAVE DECLARED WAR ON AFGHANISTAN BY ITS

REFUSAL TO CO-OPERATE AND EXTRADITE OSAMA BIN LADEN,

THE MAN AMERICANS BELIEVE MASTERMINDED THE RECENT

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ATTACKS. NOW WITH THE HELP OF ITS ALLIES WHO IT HAS

FORCED TO CO-OPERATE, ANOTHER WEAK AND POOR NATION IS

ON THE THRESHOLD OF BEING PULVERIZED WITH POWERFUL

AMERICAN BOMBS AND HEAVY ARTILLERY, LEFT, RIGHT AND

CENTER. MY QUESTION NOW IS WHO IS GOING TO BEAR THE

BRUNT OF THIS UNCALLED FOR WAR? IS IT GOING TO BE

OSAMA BIN LADEN OR THE INNOCENT CITIZENS? THE

AMERICANS DO NOT GIVE A DAMN AS LONG AS THEY ARE

SATISFIED THEY HAVE REVENGED. THIS IS WHERE I ALWAYS

HATE THE AMERICANS AND HAVE BRANDED THEM THE MOST

VICIOUS BULLIES ON THIS PLANET. THE ONLY PRUDENT THING

FOR THEM TO DO IS TO SEEK DIALOGUE WITH THE AFGHAN

GOVERNMENT AND OTHER ARAB STATES TO TRY TO FIND AN

AMICABLE WAY OF STOPPING THESE TERRORISTS ACTIVITIES

RATHER THAN RESORTING TO WAR. . . .”

¶8.   UNDER HEADLINE “PLEA FOR REASONED RESPONSE TO U. S.

BOMBING,” THE SEPTEMBER 21 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT

WEEKLY “THE ZIMBABWE MIRROR” PUBLISHED THE FOLLOWING

LETTER SIGNED DOUGLAS MACHIRIDZA, PUBLICITY SECRETARY,

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS OF ZIMBABWE

UNCLASSIFIED

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AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK

AMEMBASSY GABORONE

AMEMBASSY LILONGWE

AMEMBASSY LONDON

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SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ON U. S.

BOMBINGS; HARARE

(NASWZ):

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“THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS OF ZIMBABWE

(NASWZ) EXPRESSES ITS PROFOUND SHOCK AND HORROR AT THE

EVENTS IN NEW YORK, WASHINGTON AND PENNSYLVANIA. . .

TOGETHER WITH THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF SOCIAL

WORKER’S (IFSW), AS A COMMUNITY OF SOCIAL WORKERS, WE

EXPRESS OUR SINCERE GRIEF FOR THE VICTIMS AND OUR

DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND OTHER

NATIONALS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR DEAR ONES. OUR THOUGHTS

GO TO OUR COLLEAGUES IN THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF

SOCIAL WORKERS AND IN PARTICULAR ITS NEW YORK CITY

CHAPTER, THEIR FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES.   WHAT WE HAVE

WITNESSED IS A TRAGIC CULMINATION OF A WORLDWIDE

ESCALATION IN TENSION OVER A NUMBER OF MONTHS AND

INDEED YEARS. THE POSITIVE WORK TOWARDS AN EFFECTIVE

PEACE PROCESS IN A NUMBER OF REGIONS HAS BEEN PLACED AT

EVEN GREATER RISK. ACTS OF TERRORISM CAN NEVER BE

CONDONED, AND THOSE RESPONSIBLE CARRY WITH THEM A MORAL

RESPONSIBILITY THAT NEVER CAN BE ERADICATED. HOWEVER,

SOCIAL WORKERS WORLDWIDE WILL JOIN IN A PLEA FOR A

REASONED AND NON-VIOLENT RESPONSE TO SUCH AN ATROCITY,

AND THAT THE ACTIONS AHEAD SEEK JUSTICE BUT NOT

REVENGE. IT IS CRITICAL THAT IN RESPONDING TO THESE

BARBARIC ACTS, THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT DOES NOT LEAD TO

A SIMILAR LOSS OF INNOCENT LIVES ELSEWHERE IN THE

WORLD. ABOVE ALL WE APPEAL TO INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS AND

GOVERNMENTS, NOT TO EXERCISE ANY JUDGEMENT ON ANY

PARTICULAR NATION, ETHNIC GROUP OR CULTURE. TERRORISM

AND WARS ARE THE PRODUCTS OF INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPINGS

WITH A DISTORTED VIEW OF POWER AND ITS USE. THEIR

BEHAVIOR CANNOT AND MUST NOT BE ATTRIBUTED TO ENTIRE

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COMMUNITIES WHO SHARE A COMMON BACKGROUND. WE CONDEMN

VIOLENCE IN ALL ITS FORMS AND IN ALL PLACES. . .   AS

OUR COLLEAGUES, ALONG WITH OTHER PROFESSIONS IN THE U.

¶S. PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN THE RECOVERY PROCESS, WE STAND

READY TO ASSIST IN WHATEVER WAY POSSIBLE.”

¶9.   UNDER HEADLINE “U. S. SOLIDARITY MESSAGE,” THE SAME

NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED THE FOLLOWING LETTER SIGNED M.

BIDI, NATIONAL DIRECTOR, ZIMRIGHTS:

“ZIMRIGHTS HAS LEARNT WITH DEEP SHOCK AND DISBELIEF OF

THE ‘ORCHESTRATED’ HORRENDOUS TERRORIST ATTACKS ON THE

NATION OF THE U. S. ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11. WE

BELIEVE THAT IN ANY CONFLICT SITUATION, A DELIBERATE

INFLICTION OF SUFFERING AND PAIN ON UNSUSPECTING

CITIZENS TO DERIVE SOME POLITICAL RESPONSE CAN NEVER BE

JUSTIFIED. AS A HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATION, WE BELIEVE

SUCH AN ATTACK ON DEFENSELESS AND INNOCENT CITIZENS IS

A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY. IT IS ON THIS FIRM BELIEF

THAT WE JOIN YOU IN MORNING THOUSANDS OF LIVES LOST AND

THOUSANDS INJURED. WE WISH YOU COURAGE AND WISDOM FROM

GOD TO STAND AND FACE UP EVEN THE FUTURE CHALLENGES OF

A WORLD THAT IN INCREASINGLY WITNESSING UNTOLD LEVELS

OF HATRED. WE WOULD ALSO WANT TO EXTEND OUR HEARTFELT

CONDOLENCES TO THE BEREAVED FAMILIES AND THE ENTIRE

PEOPLE OF THE U. S.”

ROTH

UNCLASSIFIED

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