Ambassador Susan Rice; New York Times article about backing Kagame more damaging than Republican attacks about Benghazi
[Black Star News Editorial]
Two African Dictators Presented Problems For Rice
Most talking heads focus on the role that GOP leaders' professed outrage over the handling of the Benghazi attack played in derailing Susan Rice's prospective nomination for Secretary of State.
A New York Times December 9 article, "U.N. Ambassador Questioned on U.S. Role in Congo Violence" by Helene Cooper, played a bigger role.
It's true that Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham had launched scathing attacks against Rice, claiming that she had misled the public on national TV shows by maintaining that the attack on the U.S. Mission in Benghazi, Libya, had been inspired by the video mocking the prophet Muhammad, when in fact it was a planned terrorist attack.
And, after a recent meeting between Rice and prominent Republican senators, the lawmakers said they were even more dissatisfied with Rice's explanation of her remarks following the Benghazi attack. She had maintained that she used talking points provided by the intelligence community.
Still, Rice had the full support of President Obama and Democratic lawmakers. It's unlikely that the Republicans would have been able to prevent her confirmation as Secretary of State.
It wasn't as if Rice had been responsible for security at the Benghazi Mission and was derelict. And if the Republicans wanted a scapegoat from the State Department, why not Secretary Hillary Clinton?
Another question that came up was Rice's and her husband's investment in the Keystone XL pipeline; as Secretary of State, she would be involved in the decision whether to approve the pipeline from Canada, creating a possible conflict of interest. This would not have been an insurmountable obstacle since Rice presumably would have recused herself or divested her holdings.
What Rice would not have been able to overcome if pressed is her support for Rwanda's dictator Gen. Paul Kagame, especially given the humanitarian catastrophe created in Congo by M23 the terrorist army that invaded from Rwanda in what amounts to a war of aggression from a neighboring country.
(Charles Taylor, Liberia's former president, who played an even minor but critical role in Sierra Leone's bloody conflict is now serving a 50 year term after conviction by an International Tribunal)
A United Nations report found that both Rwanda and Uagnda, under Gen. Yoweri Museveni, trained, armed and even supported M23 with their regular army troops. The UN said M23's chain of command led to Rwanda's defense minister James Kabehere.
Nominal leaders on the ground, including Bosco Ntaganda, indicted and wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and Sultani Makenga, also reported to Uganda's police chief and the presidential advisor on the military.
Separately, Human Rights Watch issued a report about M23's "widespread war crimes" in Congo, including executions, rapes, and recruiting of child soldiers. Rwanda's and Uganda's support of various militias in Congo through the years has led to the deaths of as many as five million Congolese, according to human rights groups.
Several media outlets, including The Black Star News, deplored this relationship over the years. But the timing of The Times article could not have been worse for Susan Rice: coming when she is being vilified by Republican leaders while being considered for the State Department's top job.
As Helene Cooper reported, when France's and the United Kingdom's representatives to the United Nations proposed publicly disclosing that the UN report had found strong evidence showing Rwanda's support for M23, Susan Rice objected. She succeeded in having any direct reference to Rwanda omitted from the report. And this was not the first time that Rice had backed Gen. Kagame either, Cooper reported.
The most damaging part of Cooper's article was the revelation that Rwanda under Kagame had been Susan Rice's client when she worked at a consulting firm. This raised the question whether her alleged covering up for Kagame, in her capacity as U.S. ambassador to the UN, had been related to their earlier business connections.
The oil pipeline story in itself may not have developed into a major issue. But combined with Rice's strong support for Gen. Kagame, even with overwhelming evidence about his role in the continuing genocide in Congo, The New York Times' article effectively killed chances of Rice's confirmation.
"Speaking Truth To Empower."
Labels: M23, PAUL KAGAME, RWANDA, SUSAN RICE, UGANDA, WAR CRIMES
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COMMENT - It is time to turn away from imperialism and respect the mineral sovereignty and territorial sovereignty and integrity of foreign nations. It is also time to rid humanity of the presence of the globalist trillionairs, specifically Trilateral Commission co-founder David Rockefeller. Susan Rice is
listed among "Former Members in Public Service" of his Trilateral Commission.
Susan Rice’s Imperial Credentials
By Stephen Lendman
Global Research, December 03, 2012
She’s favored to replace Hillary Clinton next year as secretary of state. Obama calls her “extraordinary.” She matches the current incumbent’s
bullying, bluster and arrogance. Both deplore peace, nonviolence, and social justice. They’re
pro-war, contemptuous of rule of law principles, and brazenly anti-democratic.
They represent
wrong over right. They’re
war criminals multiple times over. They’re
indifferent to human suffering. They disgrace America and humanity.
A December 1 Alaska Dispatch headline asked, “What’s so wrong with Susan Rice’s bid for Secretary of State?” Christian Science Monitor contributor Brad Knickerbocker’s article followed, saying:
If Obama nominates her as many expect, she’ll already “have undergone a blistering public vetting.” Perhaps so, but for lots of the wrong reasons.
On November 30, Washington Post contributor Chris Cillizza asked, “Who had the worst week in Washington?” Susan Rice topped the list. Again for the wrong reasons.
Her abrasiveness doesn’t help. She gives diplomacy a bad name. She’s an embarrassment to legitimate governance. She’s one of America’s worst ever envoys.
She’s also one of Obama’s richest cabinet members. He father owned a British Columbia lumber company. Her husband is a former television producer. In 2009, their net worth was estimated at between $23.5 and $43.5 million.
Wealth, of course, disqualifies no one from public office. A previous article said she has major unexplained conflicts of interest.
She and her husband own “at least $1.25 million worth of stock in four of Canada’s eight leading oil producers.” She has up to $600,000 equity in TransCanada Corp. It’s building the environmentally destructive Keystone XL pipeline.
Her holdings also include up to $11.25 million in Royal Bank of Canada, as well as lesser equity in other Canadian financial institutions funding XL.
She has lots of explaining to do. And not just about questionable financial interests. More on that below.
From October 1997 to January 2001, she was Bill Clinton’s Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. She supported Washington’s imperial Afghan war. In February 2003, weeks before Iraq was attacked, she was asked about Colin Powell’s infamous UN WMD speech.
When it was too late to matter, he called it the “lowest point in (his) life.” At the time, Rice disagreed. She thought he “proved that Iraq (had) these weapons and (was) hiding them, and (she didn’t) think many informed people doubted that.”
After America destroyed Iraq, she urged long-term occupation. She wants no quick Afghan pullout. She endorsed imperial war on Libya. She falsified claims about Gaddafi forces committing mass rapes. She ignored killer gang atrocities.
She’s silent about them now in Syria. She blames Assad for Western imperial crimes. She asked for UN authorization to wage war.
She favors partnering with Israel against Iran. She wants one regional country after another ravaged and destroyed. She wants “no daylight” between US and Israeli policy.
She endorses permanent imperial direct and proxy wars. She has blood on her hands to answer for. As UN envoy, she supports Washington’s war on humanity. As secretary of state, she’ll have more authority to wage it.
She’s for everything honorable people condemn. She’s criminally unqualified for any public position.
Washington Post contributor David Ignatius has close US intelligence ties. He openly favors America arming Western-recruited Free Syrian Army (FSA) death squads.
He spent time with their leaders. They’re “solid,” he said. They’re experienced killers. They commit other atrocities. They express no regrets. Neither does Ignatius.
On November 30, he rated Rice’s nomination “a close call.”He called Republican criticism “fabricated.” At the same time, he said she may not be Obama’s best choice.
It’s “a close call on the merits.” It’s hard imagining what he has in mind. War criminals belong in prison, not government. Perhaps Ignatius and likeminded imperial supporters forgot.
All he finds fault with Rice is that “some people don’t like her. They find her abrasive, self-promoting (and) mercurial.” He admits that State Department officials prefer John Kerry. He looks headed for Defense when Panetta steps down next year.
It’s Obama’s call. In 2008, he chose a rogue’s gallery of cabinet and other top officials. Four deplorable years followed. Expect what’s ahead to be worse domestically and abroad.
America already is a hair’s breadth from full-blown tyranny. It’s waging war on humanity at home and abroad. Rice and others like her favor continuing what should be condemned and stopped.
New York Times contributor Andrew Rosenthal thinks Republicans took her “out of the running for secretary of state.” Others disagree. Critics hope so but still think she’s top choice.
Washington Post contributor Dana Milbank headlined “Susan Rice’s tarnished resume,” saying:
She’s “ill-equipped to be the nation’s top diplomat.” It’s for reasons unrelated to Libya. She “managed to make an impressive array of enemies – on Capitol Hill, in Foggy Bottom and abroad.”
Compared to John Kerry, she’s “a most undiplomatic diplomat.” Milbank doubts enough votes exist to confirm her. “Colleagues talk of shouting matches and insults.”
She’s an equal opportunity offender. She doesn’t care who she insults. Perhaps her chickens are coming home to roost.
Moscow complained that with her at State, relations with Washington would be “more difficult.” They’re strained enough now.
Compared to many reasons why Rice is a deplorable choice, “the flap over Libya is relatively minor.” She’s accused of misleading the public on events preceding ambassador Stevens’ death and three other Americans in Benghazi.
Others say she goes out of her way to make enemies. Diplomats are supposed to show statesmanship, tact, discretion, prudence and thoughtfulness.
Rice fails on all counts and more. Her position on major issues is hugely destructive. Her language is over the top.
Calling Russian and Chinese Syrian resolution vetoes “disgusting” and “shameful” is no way to make friends. Rice excels at making enemies.
Some ask what’s wrong with her? A better question is what’s right? Her Stanford and Oxford degrees don’t help. Her public service record matters most.
It reflects complicity in major crimes. In 1993, she served on Clinton’s National Security Council. As explained above, she was his Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from October 1997 to January 2001.
She was involved in proxy genocidal wars on Congo. Washington unleashed Ugandan and Rwandan forces. Eastern Congo was ravaged. It’s happening again. At stake are vast mineral resources. They’re largely untapped.
They include oil, gold, diamonds, copper, uranium, cobalt, and tantalum. It’s a rare earth essential for manufacturing high-tech electronics. Nuclear power producers also need it.
Rice has close ties to Rwanda’s US puppet leader Paul Kagame. Washington trained him at Fort Leavenworth, KS. She’s also connected to Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni. He recruits child soldiers. He trains them to kill.
African expert Keith Harmon Snow believes the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) is “a tool of the Museveni government used to manipulate public opinion, create chaos across the region, gain international sympathy from foreign donors, (and serve as a) perfect ruse to facilitate permanent foreign military intervention.”
In 2001, the State Department named it a terrorist organization. Since 2008, it’s been called a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group. Washington uses Al Qaeda and various other groups as allies and enemies.
Rice perhaps is perfect to front for no-holds-barred imperial ravaging. She’s uberhawkish, thuggish, and contemptuous of fundamental human rights.
Obama favors her for the wrong reasons. It remains to be seen if she’ll become America’s top diplomat. With her at Foggy Bottom, “humanitarian” wars may destroy humanity on her watch.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
His new book is titled “How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and Class War”
http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.
http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour
Labels: LIBYA, NATO, SUSAN RICE, SYRIA, TERRORISM, WAR CRIMES
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COMMENT - What's the difference between Susan Rice and Condi Rice?
US envoy says UN sanctions should target Gbagbo
ABIDJAN, CôTE D'IVOIRE Jan 10 2011 14:04
The UN Security Council should consider expanding sanctions on Côte d'Ivoire to target Laurent Gbagbo, who has refused to resign as president after a disputed election, the US envoy to the United Nations said on Thursday.
US Ambassador Susan Rice, speaking to reporters after a closed-door council meeting on Sudan, said the United States, European Union and others have imposed travel bans and asset freezes on Gbagbo and those close to him in recent days.
Under pressure
"We think that kind of pressure is warranted given the continued refusal to accept and act on the will of the Ivorian people," she said.
"In the case of the UN, we have a sanctions regime that exists on Cote d'Ivoire and to the extent that this remains stalled, I think we are obliged to look at whether it needs to be augmented and invigorated," Rice added.
"I think it's time to begin to discuss that seriously."
Gbagbo, who has ruled Côte d'Ivoire since 2000, has clung to power and ordered UN forces out of the country. The world body, which has 10 000 soldiers and police in Côte d'Ivoire, rejected Gbagbo's order to leave and called on Wednesday for an extra 1 000 to 2 000 peacekeepers.
The United Nations says Gbagbo's rival Alassane Ouattara won the November 28 election and recognses him as the country's legitimate president. Ggagbo's camp rejects the UN-certified results of the vote and insists Ouattara lost.
Some 210 people have been killed since the dispute started, according to the United Nations, rekindling divisions in the country that have festered since a 2002-03 civil war.
UN Security Council sanctions have been in place since 2004 and include an arms embargo, travel bans, asset freezes and restrictions on the export of Ivorian diamonds to prevent so-called blood diamonds from reaching international markets.
- Reuters
Labels: IVORY COAST, NEOCOLONIALISM, SECURITY COUNCIL, SUSAN RICE
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FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7738
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
Wednesday, 29 November 2000, 13:59
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 006677
SIPDIS
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH
LONDON FOR CHARLES GURNEY
PARIS FOR BISA WILLIAMS
EO 12958 DECL: 11/29/10
TAGS PGOV, PREL, ECON, PINR, ZI, SA
SUBJECT: ASSISTANT SECRETARY MEETS WITH ZIMBABWE
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REFTEL: HARARE 6584
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D).
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: ASSISTANT SECRETARY SUSAN E. RICE MET MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) PRESIDENT MORGAN TSVANGIRAI ON NOVEMBER 16.
TSVANGIRAI OFFERED FOUR SIPDIS SCENARIOS UNDER WHICH THE CURRENT POLITICAL CRISIS COULD UNFOLD. HE BELIEVES A TRANSITIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT IS THE BEST WAY OUT OF THE CRISIS PITTING THE PEOPLE AGAINST THEIR UNPOPULAR LEADER.
MASS ACTION WILL BE CONSIDERED INITIALLY AT THE MDC’S NATIONAL COUNCIL MEETING NOVEMBER 24. MASS ACTION WOULD BE
INTENDED TO PRESSURE PRESIDENT MUGABE TO RESIGN. THE MDC UNDERSTANDS THE SERIOUS RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH MASS ACTION, TSVANGIRAI PROFESSED, AND RECOGNIZES THAT IT IS IN THE COUNTRY’S BEST INTEREST TO AVOID BLOODSHED. EVERYONE IS FOCUSED ON SEEING MUGABE GO, BUT IT WILL PROBABLY TAKE A CONVERGENCE OF OPPOSITION FROM ZANU-PF, THE MILITARY, AND REGIONAL LEADERS TO FORCE HIM OUT. END SUMMARY.
¶2. (C) ON NOVEMBER 16, ASSISTANT SECRETARY SUSAN E. RICE, HER DELEGATION, AMBASSADOR MCDONALD, DCM, AND POLOFF (NOTETAKER) HAD A BREAKFAST MEETING WITH MDC PRESIDENT MORGAN TSVANGIRAI. TSVANGIRAI WAS ACCOMPANIED BY MDC NATIONAL CHAIRMAN ISAAC MATONGO.
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TSVANGIRAI LOOKS INTO THE CRYSTAL BALL
SIPDIS
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¶3. (C) TSVANGIRAI BEGAN BY SAYING THAT HE SEES THREE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS IN ZIMBABWE: LAWLESSNESS, THE LAND QUESTION, AND THE ECONOMY, AND EMPHASIZED THAT THE ECONOMY IS THE MOST DIRE PROBLEM. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE (GOZ) IS TRYING TO POLARIZE THE POLITICAL PLAYERS IN THE COUNTRY.
THE MDC LEADER SEES FOUR POTENTIAL SCENARIOS EMERGING FROM THE CURRENT POLITICAL CRISIS:
1) THE PEOPLE WAIT 18 MONTHS TO VOTE MUGABE OUT--THIS IS THE MOST CONSTITUTIONAL, BUT LEAST LIKELY SCENARIO.
2) THERE IS AN ACCELERATED, BUT STILL CONSTITUTIONAL, PROCESS WHEREBY MUGABE RESIGNS OR IS EASED OUT AT THE DECEMBER ZANU-PF CONGRESS. THIS IS NOT VERY LIKELY EITHER SINCE MUGABE HAS OUSTED THE PROVINCIAL PARTY EXECUTIVES THAT MIGHT CHALLENGE HIS INTENTION TO RUN AGAIN IN 2002.
3) MASS ACTION IS UNDERTAKEN, FORCING MUGABE TO LEAVE THE SCENE EARLY. TSVANGIRAI STATED THAT THIS OPTION MUST BE CAREFULLY SIPDIS CONSIDERED, AND HE ASKED RHETORICALLY: DO WE WANT TO PUSH OUT AN ELECTED PRESIDENT BEFORE HIS TERM IS UP?
4) AN ARMY COUP THAT REMOVES MUGABE, POSSIBLY WITH A GREAT DEAL OF BLOODSHED, FROM WHICH IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR ZIMBABWE TO RECOVER.
¶4. (C) IDEALLY, TSVANGIRAI CONTINUED, THE MDC WOULD LIKE TO SEE A TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENT FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS WHERE ZANU-PF REMAINED IN CONTROL OF THE GOVERNMENT BUT BROUGHT IN MDC MINISTERS--ESSENTIALLY, A
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COALITION GOVERNMENT. THE GOAL OF A TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT WOULD BE TO ARREST THE ECONOMIC DECLINE, RESTORE INTERNATIONAL CONFIDENCE IN ZIMBABWE, AND ESTABLISH THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. WHEN ASKED ABOUT AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION FIRST TO MAKE A COALITION GOVERNMENT MORE FEASIBLE, TSVANGIRAI STATED THAT A CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM PROCESS SIPDIS SHOULD BE BROAD-BASED AND WELL-CONSIDERED. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS NOW. HE SAID THE ECONOMY IS THE PRIORITY ISSUE BECAUSE CONFIDENCE MUST BE RESTORED IN IT BEFORE THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN 2002. IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE TO TALK ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION WHILE THE PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING.
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MASS ACTION IS ON THE TABLE
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¶5. (C) THE OPPOSITION LEADER WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE COUNTRY CANNOT CONTINUE AS IT HAS FOR ANOTHER SIX MONTHS. WE KNOW THAT ZIMBABWE IS NOT LIKE YUGOSLAVIA, BUT THE PEOPLE ARE DEMANDING CHANGE BEFORE THE SITUATION GETS WORSE, HE PROFESSED. UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, THE MDC WOULD WAIT UNTIL 2002 FOR CHANGE, BUT THE ECONOMIC DECLINE IS SO STEEP THAT IF IT WAITS THAT LONG,
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THERE WILL BE “NOTHING TO VOTE FOR” BY THE TIME THE ELECTION ARRIVES. THE MDC’S NATIONAL COUNCIL , AT LEAST INITIALLY, WILL MEET NOVEMBER 24 TO CONSIDER MASS ACTION. IF THE EXECUTIVE DECIDES TO CONDUCT A MASS ACTION, IT WILL MOST LIKELY BE IN THE FORM OF GENERAL STRIKE TO BEGIN IN MID-DECEMBER WHEN CHILDREN ARE HOME FROM SCHOOL AND BUSINESSES BEGIN TO CLOSE ANYWAY FOR THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY. THIS WOULD MINIMIZE THE ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE POPULATION, TSVANGIRAI BELIEVES.
(NOTE: THE MDC’S NATIONAL COUNCIL CANCELLED PLANS FOR MASS ACTION AT ITS NOVEMBER 24 MEETING. SEE REFTEL. END NOTE.) HE SAID THE MDC UNDERSTANDS THE MAGNITUDE AND SERIOUSNESS OF MASS ACTION, AND IT HAS TRIED TO POSTPONE IT FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, BUT THE POPULAR SENTIMENT IS TO DO IT. A GENERAL STAY-AWAY IS PREFERABLE TO CONFRONTATION SINCE IT IS NOT IN THE COUNTRY’S BEST INTEREST TO HAVE VIOLENCE OR BLOODSHED.
¶6. (C) ON THE GOZ’S REACTION TO A MASS DEMONSTRATION IN HARARE, TSVANGIRAI BELIEVED THE ARMY WOULDN’T HESITATE TO SHOOT A LOT OF PEOPLE. HE THOUGHT ITS REACTION WOULD BE LESS SEVERE IN OTHER CITIES LIKE BULAWAYO AND MUTARE, WHERE THE NUMBER OF TROOPS IS MUCH FEWER AND THEIR LOYALTY TO MUGABE MORE QUESTIONABLE. ON THE OTHER HAND, HE SEES THE MILITARY AS DIVIDED. MUGABE HAS APPROPRIATED THE TOP BRASS FOR HIS OWN ENDS, AND THEY ARE LOYAL TO HIM. HOWEVER, THE BULK OF THE MILITARY’S LOWER RANKS DO NOT SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT, TSVANGIRAI CLAIMED.
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HOW TO GET MUGABE OUT
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¶7. (C) THE MILITARY IS ONE OF THE THREE MAJOR INFLUENCES ON MUGABE, TSVANGIRAI CONTINUED. THE OTHER TWO ARE ZANU-PF AND REGIONAL LEADERS. IF MUGABE IS TO BE PRESSURED TO LEAVE THE SCENE, ALL THREE MUST TURN AGAINST HIM, THE OPPOSITION LEADER DECLARED. WHEN ASKED WHAT ELSE MIGHT INDUCE MUGABE TO STEP DOWN, TSVANGIRAI SAID THE PRESIDENT WILL DO SO ONLY AFTER HE HAS HAD HIS REVENGE AGAINST THE WHITES AND ONLY AFTER HE HAS REIGNED IN ZANU-PF DISSIDENTS AND UNIFIED HIS PARTY. MUGABE IS A VINDICTIVE PERSON, TSVANGIRAI PROFESSED. FOR ITS PART, THE MDC RECOGNIZES MUGABE AS THE NATION’S FIRST LEADER AND A VERY IMPORTANT ONE IN ITS HISTORY. THE MDC WON’T ENGAGE IN RETRIBUTION AGAINST MUGABE AND HIS SUPPORTERS, TSVANGIRAI HINTED, BECAUSE “WE CAN’T FOCUS ON THE PAST IF WE ARE TO MOVE FORWARD.” WHILE MUGABE IS PRESIDENT, THE MDC LEADERSHIP WON’T MAKE PERSONAL COMMENTS ABOUT HIM, AS THAT WOULD JUST INFLAME THE SITUATION.
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ROLE OF REGIONAL LEADERS
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¶8. (C) THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY ASKED THE MDC LEADER ABOUT THE ROLE REGIONAL LEADERS COULD PLAY IN RESOLVING THE SITUATION. TSVANGIRAI STATED THAT AFTER INITIALLY
CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HARARE 06677 02 OF 03 291401Z
SHOWING AMBIVALENCE TOWARD ZIMBABWE, SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT MBEKI HAS RECENTLY STARTED TO TALK MORE FIRMLY AND IS SHOWING SIGNS HE WILL NO LONGER TOLERATE THE SITUATION IN ZIMBABWE. TSVANGIRAI MENTIONED THAT ON HIS LAST VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA, HE MET WITH FORMER PRESIDENT MANDELA--WHO STILL EXERTS GREAT INFLUENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA, HE STATED--AND URGED THE LEADER TO INTERVENE IN ZIMBABWE. HE DID NOT RECEIVE A FIRM COMMITMENT FROM MANDELA, HOWEVER, AND DID NOT SEE MBEKI. ZAMBIAN PRESIDENT CHILUBA HAS BEEN DISTANT WITH THE MDC..
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MDC’S VIEW ON LAND ISSUE
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¶9. (C) ON THE LAND ISSUE, TSVANGIRAI ACKNOWLEDGED THAT LAND REFORM WAS “UNFINISHED” BUSINESS AND MUST BE ADDRESSED SERIOUSLY BY ANY GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE. HOWEVER, EQUITY, LEGALITY AND ECONOMIC VIABILITY MUST BE KEYSTONES TO ANY SUCCESSFUL LAND REFORM PROGRAM. THE MDC SUPPORTS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A LAND COMMISSION TO OVERSEE THE REDISTRIBUTION OF LAND. THE MDC ALSO SEES THE 1998 DONORS CONFERENCE AS THE STARTING POINT FOR LAND REFORM, AND IT WOULD SUPPORT THE UNDP LAND INITIATIVE, THE OPPOSITION LEADER STATED. TSVANGIRAI SAID THAT WHEN HE WAS IN THE UK RECENTLY, HE TOLD THE
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BRITISH TO REFRAIN FROM MAKING PUBLIC STATEMENTS ON LAND REFORM IN ZIMBABWE AND TO USE ITS INFLUENCE BEHIND THE SCENES TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.
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ZIMBABWE NEEDS A PEACEFUL TRANSITION
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¶10. (C) THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF A PEACEFUL POLITICAL TRANSITION TO THE OPPOSITION LEADER. THE USG SEES HUGE RISKS--WITH FEW, IF ANY, UPSIDES--TO MASS ACTION, AND URGED THE MDC TO MANAGE THE POLITICAL TRANSITION CAREFULLY. WE HAVE URGED THE GOZ NOT TO USE LETHAL FORCE ON DEMONSTRATORS, AND WE URGE THE OPPOSITION NOT TO GET IN A SITUATION WHERE LETHAL FORCE MIGHT BE USED, THE SECRETARY SAID. THE USG ALSO WANTS TO ENCOURAGE THE MDC TO ENGAGE IN A DIALOGUE WITH MODERATES IN ZANU-PF, EVEN IF PRIVATELY. A/S RICE AFFIRMED THE USG’S WILLINGNESS TO FACILITATE SUCH CONTACTS, IF DESIRED. SHE ALSO PUSHED THE MDC TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GOVERNANCE OF THE COUNTRY THROUGH ITS SUBSTANTIAL PRESENCE IN PARLIAMENT, AND LAMENTED THE MDC FAILURE TO ENGAGE IN THE PREPARATION OF THE BUDGET, DESPITE THE FINANCE MINISTER’S SOLICITATION OF MDC INPUT. SUCH ENGAGEMENT, RICE ARGUED, WOULD SHOW THAT THE MDC IS A SERIOUS AND CREDIBLE ALTERNATIVE TO ZANU- PF. TSVANGIRAI, WHEN PRESSED, RELUCTANTLY TOOK THIS POINT ON BOARD.
CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 06677 03 OF 03 291401Z 11.
(C) COMMENT: TSVANGIRAI WAS FRANK, CONFIDENT AND RELAXED. HOWEVER, HE DID NOT CONVINCE US THAT THE MDC HAS A CLEAR OR WELL-THOUGHT-OUT PLAN FOR MASS ACTION OR WHAT IT WOULD ACCOMPLISH. HIS COMMENTS SUGGESTED THE MDC IS PINNING HOPE ON INTERNAL ZANU-PF MACHINATIONS TO FORCE MUGABE FROM POWER. HIS PUBLIC APPROVAL OF FINANCE MINISTER MAKONI’S BUDGET, AS REPORTED IN THE NOVEMBER 17 “THE DAILY NEWS,” MAY BE AN INDICATION OF HIS UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEED TO DEMONSTRATE CREDIBLE POLITICAL LEADERSHIP. TSVANGIRAI IS CLEARLY UNDER PRESSURE FROM THE PUBLIC TO LEAD A CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT. OTHER INTERLOCUTORS HAVE TOLD US THAT IF HE DOES NOT DO SO SOON, HE HIMSELF MAY BE FORCED FROM THE PARTY LEADERSHIP. NOW THAT THE QUESTION OF MASS ACTION IS MOOT FOR THE TIME-BEING, IT WILL BE UP TO TSVANGIRAI TO CHANNEL THE PEOPLE’S, AND HIS OWN PARTY MEMBERS’, FRUSTRATION INTO CONSTRUCTIVE CHANGE. IF TSVANGIRAI CAN DO THAT, HIS POSITION WILL BE STRENGTHENED IMMEASURABLY, BOTH HERE AND ABROAD. END COMMENT.
¶12. (U) A/S RICE HAS CLEARED THIS MESSAGE.
MCDONALD
CONFIDENTIAL
Labels: MDC, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, NEOCOLONIALISM, SUSAN RICE, WIKILEAKS
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Mugabe coup
by David Smith I Guardian
09/12/2010 00:00:00
A BLOODLESS coup was planned to remove Robert Mugabe as Zimbabwe's president with the help of pressure from the UN secretary general, according to classified US documents.
A group of exiled Zimbabwean businessman proposed in 2007 that Mugabe could be persuaded to hand over executive power to a prime minister before leaving office completely three years later. American officials welcomed the idea, noting that it was "increasingly in circulation" in the capital, Harare, and "may not require outside intervention".
The plot came to nothing, although it does bear similarities to the power sharing deal that saw Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai become prime minister after violent elections in 2008.
A confidential memo from the US embassy in South Africa is entitled "Secret power sharing plan" and dated 30 January 2007. At the time Zimbabwe was plunging into an unprecedented economic crisis.
The cable names a group of prominent Zimbabwean businessmen living in South Africa who were pushing for change but says their leader's identity should be "strictly protected".
Executive power was to be shifted from Mugabe to a "technocratic" prime minister. "To get Mugabe to accept the deal, Mugabe would remain president until 2010 with some power over the security apparatus, but the prime minister would run the economy and get the country back on its feet," the dispatch says.
"All parties would work together to draft a new constitution. [The businessman] was open to ideas on who best to sell the plan, but suggested new UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, working through an envoy like former Malaysian PM Mahathir, as possible mediators."
Mugabe would have retained the power to appoint the ministers of defence, home affairs and national security. The prime minister would have appointed other cabinet members, particularly in the economic arena. Deployment of troops would have required the approval of both the PM and president.
In return for various reforms the international community was to agree on a phased lifting of sanctions, the "acceptance" of the extension of Mugabe's term to 2010 and economic assistance to help rehabilitate the Zimbabwean economy. The prime minister would have needed the backing of 85% of parliament and therefore the support of the opposition MDC.
The US embassy said it could not comment on the merits of the plan but found it "encouraging" that senior Zimbabwean businessmen abroad were discussing solutions to the country's political and economic malaise.
"The four businessmen agreed that there is a 'window of opportunity' to bring positive change to Zimbabwe, opened by the deteriorating economic situation and Mugabe's advancing age and declining health."
Little detail was given on how Mugabe, a hero of the liberation struggle who came to power in 1980, could be persuaded to stand aside.
Moeletsi Mbeki, a South African businessman and brother of its then president, Thabo Mbeki, recommended against South Africa playing the mediation role, arguing instead for a combination such as Ban and Mahathir.
An additional note from the US embassy in Harare suggests the MDC endorsed the concept. It says Tsvangirai told embassy officials that "this is Mugabe's Plan B as he runs into growing resistance" and that the prime minister would be Simba Makoni, a former Mugabe ally turned rival.
"Significant outside intervention, therefore, may not be necessary; however, gentle encouragement from Pretoria is unlikely to be amiss. UN SYG [secretary general] Ban may not wish to engage on this issue at the beginning of his tenure, especially in view of the way Mugabe treated former UN SYG [Kofi] Annan.
"He fears for his future if he steps down – citing the Charles Taylor example [the former Liberian president now on trial for war crimes] – and perhaps even more importantly fears for the future of his wife and young children."
Another memo from the US embassy in Harare – with subheadings that include "How to get Mugabe out" – shows that a decade ago the MDC considered a "mass action" intended to force the president from office.
It details a breakfast meeting on 16 November 2000 between Tsvangirai and Susan Rice, then-president Bill Clinton's assistant secretary for African affairs.
"Mass action would be intended to pressure president Mugabe to resign," it says. "The MDC understands the serious risks associated with mass action, Tsvangirai professed, and recognises that it is in the country's best interest to avoid bloodshed."
Mass action would most likely have taken the form of a general strike that December, it adds. But brutal government retaliation was a genuine fear: "Tsvangirai believed the army wouldn't hesitate to shoot a lot of people.
"Tsvangirai was frank, confident and relaxed. However he did not convince us that the MDC has a clear or well thought out plan for mass action or what it would accomplish.
"Everyone is focused on seeing Mugabe go but it will probably take a convergence of opposition from Zanu-PF, the military and regional leaders to force him out."
The MDC leader was seeking foreign assistance with little success. "Tsvangirai mentioned that on his last visit to South Africa he met with former president [Nelson] Mandela – who still exerts great influence in South Africa, he stated – and urged the leader to intervene in Zimbabwe. He did not receive a firm commitment from Mandela, however, and did not see [Thabo] Mbeki.
"Tsvangirai said that when he was in the UK recently he told the British to refrain from making public statements on land reform in Zimbabwe and to use their influence behind the scenes to resolve the problem."
Even in 2000 Tsvangirai said that ideally the MDC would like to see a "transitional arrangement" over two years where Mugabe's Zanu-PF remained in power but brought in MDC ministers to arrest economic decline. Another eight years, with much bloodshed and hardship, were to pass before this became reality.
[Enough of the editorializing. This article does not even mention the economic sanctions that destroyed the Zimbabwean economy - ZDERA. - MrK]
Labels: LYING, MDC, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, NEOCOLONIALISM, SUSAN RICE, TREASON, WIKILEAKS
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