> Is Mugabe negotiating? Is that stupid trial w/
> "evidence" via fabulist Victor Ostrovsky, w/
> "conviction" of Tsvangirai for treason, going to be
> thrown out?
& fwd'd:
> KIMBERLEY, South Africa, July 9 (UPI) -- A casual
> statement by South African President Thabo Mbeki
> during a Wednesday news conference with President
> Bush has produced anger in neighboring Zimbabwe.
>
> Zimbabwe's opposition leader accuses Mbeki of
> making false statements to Bush about the crisis in
> his country by saying talks between Zimbabwe
> President Robert Mugabe and the opposition are
> progressing.
>
> Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for
> Democratic Change, told the BBC, "Such statements
> are manifestly partisan, designed to buy time for the
> beleaguered illegitimate Mugabe regime."
>
> Bush is on a five-day tour of Africa and has pledged
> to work towards bringing stability to the continent.
I saw a tape of the Bush press conference with Mbeki on Wednesday. He got embarrassingly nervous when a reporter asked about differences between he and Mbeki over Zimbabwe. Bush driveled, but never so much as acknowledged Mugabe's existence. Bizarre.
What Michael Pollak wrote about Liberia makes a tremendous amount of sense. Bush reiterated that Charles Taylor must step down, but hedged any commitment about troops with assurances of the US being "involved" and deferring to the assessment team. His is hardly the posture of one eager to slam another "crappy" little country against the wall. More the imitation of deer negotiating with headlights. Sure he's a dunce, but he seems particularly overwhelmed by this -- and oil is hardly something he finds disorienting.
-- Shane
________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today!