[The writer below is telling the truth, but let’s be careful about how we interpret the USA’s actions. As I’ve mentioned before, the US Govt and CIA do not necessarily “fight militarily”. They have a series of processes they go through. They are not going to engage in a military overthrow of Mugabe now and perhaps not for a number of years.

But, the USA approaches problems with a slow strategy whereby they turn on the heat. For years now, the USA has merely spoken out from time to time. This has achieved nothing. Now the USA is starting to channel funds. One could say that the USA is now in a phase of what we could term “Political Warfare” against Zimbabwe. In this phase, the USA is merely bolstering the political opposition. There are no weapons, no guns, no killing. Its all still, “Propaganda War” – but the USA is now providing the FUNDS for those it perceives to be fighting the propaganda war properly.

The USA has done this in many countries. In “The Pied Piper”, Dr Cummings, ex-CIA, described the same process in Portugal, Spain and South Africa. The USA is pretty patient. Don’t expect massive things soon.

Mugabe may be a scumbag, but he is NOT a fool, and certain of his pronouncements are correct. When Zanu(PF) says that the USA is out to overthrow Mugabe, they are correct. Yes, the USA does want Mugabe gone. But the USA is NOT going to assassinate him. The USA is not going to create an armed insurgency against him. Such things are still years away. All the USA is doing at this time is starting to turn the screws on the “war of words” on the “Propaganda/Political war”.

So Mugabe and Zanu(PF) are not lying. They are correctly seeing where this game is going.

But this is a long game… and Zimbabwe is smouldering… It will smoulder for a long time to come.

Tactically Mugabe is not finished. Strategically, Mugabe is in serious trouble. But Mugabe and Zanu(PF) could be around for the next 5-10 years. Jan]

Zimbabwe’s Information Minister recently addressed reports that the US was assisting the Zimbabwean opposition and boldly proclaimed that the American initiatives would fail.

It has been standard procedure for the US Embassy in various countries to offer technical assistance to any and all parties that are interested.

These projects include assistance with the electoral process, seminars that deal with economics and even financial assistance when necessary. So when the State Department announced last week it was conducting such projects no one should have been shocked.

The reaction of the Zimbabwe government was by no means a surprise either. The state-controlled media stated that this was proof that the US was out to overthrow President Mugabe.

So what exactly does the Mugabe government object to? One is the assistance in Humanitarian Aid for those who have been left vulnerable by poor governance, notably the disastrous land reform and the diabolical Operation Murambatsvina, which left parts of Harare and other cities in ruins. The numbers suffering from malnutrition and other maladies are in the millions.

Since the controversial elections of 2000, 2002 and 2005 the US has gradually increased the sanctions against Zimbabwe. Military contacts have been ended. Senior members of the ruling party are not allowed to travel to the USA and their financial holdings here have been seized.
In addition, the US wants to strengthen democratic forces in Zimbabwe. In the past the US has provided financial and other forms of aid to democratic forces around the world. So we are just continuing in a pattern that has been the norm for years.

For the reasons listed above one can read into the reaction of the Zimbabwe government and say “they are resistant to change.” Another reaction is that they just want to remain in power. And that is the sad thing for the millions suffering in Zimbabwe today.

URL: http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/viewinfo.cfm?l…/p>