Witness implicates US in Mugabe assassination plot

A key state witness in the trial of Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s treason trial said the United States government new about the alleged assassination plot of President Robert Mugabe because one of the participants at his meetings with Tsvangirai was a Central Intelligence Agency official.

Ari Ben Menashe said this during the trial of Tsvangirai who was charged with treason for allegedly plotting to assassinate Mugabe before the 2002 presidential elections.

He said participants in the alleged conspiracy to rid Zimbabwe of Robert Mugabe included former President Clinton, the Jewish community in America and the CIA, among others.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 03HARARE264, GOVERNMENT WITNESS IMPLICATES 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.

UNCLAS HARARE 000264

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/S, AF/PDPA

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: KPAO PREL ZI

SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT WITNESS IMPLICATES U.S.

GOVERNMENT IN ALLEGED ASSASSINATION PLOT

REF: Harare 259, Harare 230

¶1.   The February 6 edition of the government-owned

“Herald” newspaper reports that Ari Ben-Menashe, the

government’s star witness in the treason trial of

opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and two other

opposition leaders, claimed in court that he believed

the U.S. Government knew of the alleged assassination

plot against Robert Mugabe and that he believed that a

participant in one of his meetings with Tsvangirai was

a CIA official. The “Herald” plays these claims to

the hilt, running the page-one story under the banner

headline “Key Witness Names CIA.” Copies of the

article have been faxed to AF/S and AF/PDPA.

¶2.   According to Mr. Ben Menashe, participants in

the alleged conspiracy to rid Zimbabwe of Robert

Mugabe now include former President Clinton, the

“Jewish community in America” and the CIA, among a

long and generalized list of other groups and

individuals. Mr. Ben-Menashe offers Defense attorney

George Bizos fertile ground for cross-examination.

SULLIVAN

(70 VIEWS)