Mugabe

[* ORM *]

Other than Oil - can someone please explain the difference between Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden and Robert Mugabe and why we only seem to be pursuing military options in two of the three cases (Iraq rather than the original obviously)

Incidentally I was at an event last night and got speaking to an Iraqi who has lived in Belgium for the last 20 years. I wish I could remember everything he said because his take on Western policies over the last 40 years was the most fascinating and accurate insight I've ever been given on world politics. Basic premise is along the lines of putting in stooges to do a job then dumping them when they get too big for their boots - Saddam vs Shah of Iran, no problem until Saddam had ambitions beyond his borders even though brutality within Iraq was well known for years. Osama Bin Laden, great as a freedom fighter and supported until he got bigger ideas. I haven't explained it nearly as well. For all the stories of brutality before the first Gulf War he said that Iraq was a fantastic place to live with a real community spirit and no-one needed to lock doors because burglary and ****ting on your neighbours just didn't happen.

 

[stoy_redstar]

the guy seems to have same opinion as me then. the same thing happened in yugoslavia....

 

[A Century United]

To be fair, military intervention in Zimbabwe is completely out of the question because of the Colonial overtones that Zimbabwe's neighbors would perceive in it. With Afghanistan and Iraq, the majority of the neighbouring countries where either unwilling to intervene against us, or actively providing us with support and bases. That just won't happen in Zimbabwe's case.

And don't forget that in the one case where we were allowed to intervene to help an African country, we managed to put a stop to some frankly horrendous barbarity going on in Sierra Leone. It's not all bad!

 

[Cricko]

That **** Mugabe again

The latest quote from it..."Only God can remove me from Power".....Why is the world allowing this madness to continue , surely he could be assassinated by some undercover agents somewhere.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Sounds quite Saddam-ish, trouble is, do we want yet another war going on over the actions of one bullying dictator?

 

[canveyshrimper]

The latest quote from it..."Only God can remove me from Power".....Why is the world allowing this madness to continue , surely he could be assassinated by some undercover agents somewhere.

John, sadly the answer is in the post by ACU. Beyond sanctions by the UN and these really only affect the poor benighted people of this country, there is nothing more tangible that can be done. We cannot intervene as it would give the appearance of the old colonial overtones.

Any lead must come from the African nations and in particular South Africa, however there appears to be no will to do his.

The only hope we can have is that the will of the people overcomes him and Morgan Tsvangari becomes president. Or more likely the old despot kicks the bucket sooner rather than later.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Simple: If Zimbabwe had oil Mugabe would have been booted out ages ago.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Simple: If Zimbabwe had oil Mugabe would have been booted out ages ago.

Sorry but that is nonsense, see the post above by A Century United which is right on the money.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Sorry but that is nonsense, see the post above by A Century United which is right on the money.

Have to disagree. For the West oil is the most important resource in the world and any talk of colonialism would be brushed aside with a few American cluster bombs.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Have to disagree. For the West oil is the most important resource in the world and any talk of colonialism would be brushed aside with a few American cluster bombs.

In that case why were the US involved in Somalia? A country that if anything is in a worse state than Zimbabwe.

 

[Andyhsufc]

I think that, poltically, it would be very hard to launch an attack on Zimbabwe due to our previous ownership and we would probably get little support in Zimbabwe which would make it doubley hard!

 

[A Century United]

Have to disagree. For the West oil is the most important resource in the world and any talk of colonialism would be brushed aside with a few American cluster bombs.

I think that's far too simplistic, MK. There are plenty of nations in the world who have oil but hate the West. We don't invade them all. This has slight undertones of "lets bash the US". Before we go hollering down that trail again, can we all please have a good look at the way the Russians and the Chinese are quietly bolstering bloody unpleasant regimes all over the world because they find it in their national interest to do so. The Yanks do many, many wrong and unpleasant things, but at least we can criticise them and to some extent hold them to account. Try that as a Chinese citizen or Russian journalist just now....

And in belated answer to the question asked in a thread a while ago, China has Muslim separitist terrorists, Russia has Chechnyan terrorists, and anyone who thinks that Zimbabwe doesn't have terrorists - the Government ARE the terrorists!

 

[dloman]

There was a great cartoon in The Times the other day regarding The EU Treaty and Zimbabwe. Apart from the bloodshed, what is the difference between the elections there and the EU treaty ?

Both are going to keep going until they get the result they want.

 

[sufc_tom]

Mugabe on headcases is just brilliant!!:D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rd_V2PVZbA

 

[Bob Cratchitt]

An interesting site Showing some graphic pictures of the government sponsored violence occurring in Zim.

Such as shame as it was a really beautiful place, and the people were great.

 

[stoy_redstar]

Sorry but that is nonsense, see the post above by A Century United which is right on the money.

did mr bush tell u that himself?

 

[stoy_redstar]

it may be cynical...but i really dont think that US actually involves into anything they cant profit from in some way. And to be honest there isnt a lot wrong with that if you think about it. Russians and chinese are the same just not as subtle about it.

John, sadly the answer is in the post by ACU. Beyond sanctions by the UN and these really only affect the poor benighted people of this country, there is nothing more tangible that can be done. We cannot intervene as it would give the appearance of the old colonial overtones.

.....Kosovo was bombed in 1999 and there was an open threat of invasion against Milosevic, even though this was openly oposed by the UN