Global Research

In The Times of London, the UK-Based newspaper report titled ‘Zimbabwe running huge risk if it sends uranium to Iran, US warns’ that a US State Department official stated that the “UN Security Council Resolution 1737 prohibits the sale or transfer of uranium to Iran, except for low-enriched uranium when it is incorporated into assembled nuclear fuel elements for light-water reactors.”

It was a stern warning for the government of re-elected President Robert Mugabe according to The Times.

The United States says that it would violate international law that would result in harsh penalties for Zimbabwe.  Uranium can be used in a nuclear weapons program.  The Times stated:

 “The Government of Zimbabwe is bound by its commitments to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and relevant legally binding UN Security Council resolutions” the report continued “The United States is committed to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. We urge all countries to fully implement and enforce their obligations under multiple UN Security Council resolutions not to provide Iran with materials that could be used to develop a nuclear weapon.”

The propaganda organ of the United Kingdom claims that Zimbabwe has a secret uranium trade deal with Iran.  Zimbabwe’s Mines Minister Obert Mpofu’s reaction to the Times report clarified the government’s position on the matter “We are free to trade with any country but my ministry has not signed an agreement about uranium with Tehran.” Zimbabwe is a target of Western intervention.  “It is fiction and usual wishful thinking of the Western media. Why would we have a secret deal when we are a free country?” said Mpofu.  In a 2007 article by The Guardian called ‘US reveals its efforts to topple Mugabe regime’:

The US, compared with the UK, was initially slow to criticise Mr Mugabe, but has since adopted an increasingly critical stance, most recently at the Human Rights Council in Geneva last month.

In an unusual piece of candour, the state department report says: “To encourage greater public debate on restoring good governance in [Zimbabwe], the United States sponsored public events that presented economic and social analyses discrediting the government’s excuses for its failed policies.

“To further strengthen pro-democracy elements, the US government continued to support the efforts of the political opposition, the media and civil society to create and defend democratic space and to support persons who criticised the government.”

Robert Mugabe and The Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) won the recent election with two-thirds of the vote confirming Mugabe’s victory over his Wasington-backed rival Morgan Tsvangirai and the Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai (MDC-T).  All political strategies failed to get Morgan Tsvangirai (Washington’s and London’s preferred client) elected to office, even with continued sanctions on Zimbabwe that affects the average people.  The strategy was to make the lives of Zimbabweans difficult in hopes that they would vote for Tsvangirai since the sanctions imposed by the West was because of Mugabe’s Anti-West stance.  According to a Wikileaks cable released in 2009, Morgan Tsvangirai wrote a letter to President Obama on the role sanctions would have on Zimbabwe.  Part of the letter explains Tsvangirai’s relationship with U.S President Barack Obama and his support of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe:

 As we approach the end of 2009, a period that has turned out to be a watershed for Zimbabwe, I write to convey my appreciation for the support we have received from you personally, the government and people of your great nation. Kindly pass on my warm thanks also to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

I was very pleased, Mr. President, to note the support offered by your country and the various international Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) that expanded beyond the life saving interventions which were so important. This assistance has brought direct benefits to millions of our people and has demonstrated to the hard pressed population that the reformists in government are capable of delivering results.

Your support for my office has also been invaluable and I look forward to this continuing.

As you are no doubt aware, Your Excellency, we are at a crucial stage in our efforts to ensure the full implementation of the GPA.  Meanwhile, our political situation remains characterised by intransigence to frustrate the process of bringing about real change.

The role played by SADC, in general, and the mediator President Jacob Zuma, in particular, is greatly appreciated. I know that you have personally played a crucial role in helping this to happen, and I encourage you to continue your crucial dialogue with President Zuma.

We have had discussions with Ambassador Charles Ray on restrictive measures. I well understand that movement on the part of the International Community will need to be in response to tangible progress on GPA implementation. We should, however, ensure that movement when it comes is seen to be acknowledged in a tangible way – striking a careful balance between retaining leverage and rewarding progress. This will involve difficult judgements but it will be important to sustain momentum when it comes.

Morgan Tsvangirai’s letter clearly implies he wanted continued sanctions to influence the vote so that the population would become dissatisfied with Mugabe’s rule.  By “retaining leverage” implies that his candidacy would win votes due to harsh sanctions imposed on Zimbabweans because of President Mugabe’s economic policy and his stance against Western powers.  Therefore, the sanctions would be used as leverage over the Mugabe government and the people.  But The Times had reported that the deputy mining minister, Gift Chimanikire as saying “I have seen (a memorandum of understanding) to export uranium to the Iranians” but stated that the newspaper “deliberately misrepresented” his statement because they want to “tarnish the country’s image”.  “It is a speculative and dangerous story. We have nothing to export because we have not mined” Chimanikire said.  “We have no capacity to handle uranium as a country, and besides we don’t even know the quantity of uranium. We signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran, which covers various agreements in mineral trading such as diamonds, gold and other minerals.”  Washington and its Western partners seek to control Africa’s governments and its resources.  By preventing Iran, China and other countries that are not in line with their policies from doing business in Africa only enriches Western powers and its corporate interests.

Propaganda is aimed at Mugabe’s government.  Washington wants President Mugabe out of office because it wants to control Zimbabwe’s natural resources.  President Mugabe’s re-election win did not satisfy Washington.

Reuters reported U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s statement when he said “In light of substantial electoral irregularities reported by domestic and regional observers, the United States does not believe that the results announced today represent a credible expression of the will of the Zimbabwean people” President Mugabe won with 61% of the vote while Tsvangirai received 34%.  The African Union was pleased that the elections were peaceful although there were claims of election fraud by the opposition and its Western backers (US and UK).  According to a Zimbabwean News Station ‘Bulawayo24’ Mugabe says that Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai is not the enemy when he was speaking to members of the Politburo at the Zanu PF headquarters in Harare when he said:

“Zimbabweans understood us, our history and revolutionary thrust; they also understood that other parties were not their own, they are an organisation created from outside the country to effect regime change in Zimbabwe. Even the youths understood Zanu PF‘s programmes and promises for their own future” he continued “Even as the whole of Africa sent us congratulatory messages to say well done, the west will always say the elections were not free and fair. Where are they talking from? London and Washington. For them the elections would have been free and fair if the MDC had won,” he added.

President Mugabe is correct to point out London and Washington interventionist policies in Zimbabwe’s internal politics.  Are Western powers keen on promoting democracy in Africa because they are concerned with human rights of the African people?

I doubt it.  With the history with Washington and other Western powers concerning their support for human rights, one needs not to look any further than the Gulf States in the Middle East that includes Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates where the worst human rights violations in the world are committed by the ruling Monarchies.  Washington and London would like to see Mugabe overthrown and replaced with someone who would follow their orders.  Zimbabwe is another African nation that has valuable natural resources.

Why is Washington concerned with Zimbabwe’s relationship with Iran that concerns Uranium?  Does Iran need Uranium from Zimbabwe for its nuclear program?  In an editorial by the Zimbabwe based ‘The Herald’ stated that the Times of London’s claim that Iran and Zimbabwe’s “secret Uranium deal is “Plain Stupid”.  Here’s why:

The story that Zimbabwe is selling uranium to Iran is not just wrong, it is stupid and the Times of London did nothing to check the story or even work through the logic of the story. For a start, Zimbabwe does not mine uranium. Both the Secretary for Mines and Mining Development, Mr Prince Mupazviriho, and perhaps more importantly in this case, outgoing Deputy Minister Gift Chimanikire, an MDC-T heavyweight, noted that there is no uranium mine.

Iran on the other hand has uranium deposits, the tenth largest in the world at last estimate, has at least two uranium mines of its own, and has never suggested that it will need to import fuel for the nuclear power stations it wants to build.

I do agree with “The Herald’s” statement, but I do not agree that the times of London did not check the story to see if it is accurate or not. Of course that is what true journalism requires.  But it is part of the media in both the UK and the US to spread propaganda to demonize their enemies, in this case Zimbabwe and Iran.  That is their job in the corporate media.  Deputy Minister Gift Chimanikire, a member of the MDC-T admitted that Zimbabwe is not mining for Uranium.  Washington and London want to demonize their enemies by way of propaganda.  Zimbabwe along with many other nations is resisting Western empires and their corporations that seek to exploit their resources.  Washington and London want obedient governments that do and say whatever they want and that is the bottom line.