Defiant Mugabe attacks Blair (RHODESIA WATCH)

BBC News ^ | September 2, 2002 | BBC News

[MadIvan]

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has launched a stinging attack on UK Prime Minister Tony Blair at the world summit in Johannesburg.

Mr Mugabe defended his controversial land reform policies - strongly criticised by Mr Blair - and told the British leader: "Keep your England and let me keep my Zimbabwe."

His Zimbabwe? Who does he think he is, a latter day Louis XIV? Or Adolf Hitler? - Ivan

Mr Mugabe was speaking as more than 100 heads of governments and their representatives gathered for the last three days of the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

Namibia's President Sam Nujoma spoke in support of Mr Mugabe, while New Zealand's prime minister, Helen Clark, blamed his policies as a "deliberate and cynical" way to exacerbate Zimbabwe's food crisis.

'Prepared to shed blood'

Mr Mugabe rounded on the European Union and Britain, saying: "We are African we are not British or European.

"We are doing our best to sustain our environment in every way possible.

"We have fought for our land, we have fought for our sovereignty, small as we are, we have won our independence and we are prepared to shed our blood."

Mr Mugabe said that white farmers often owned several farms and would be allowed to keep at least one.

"No farmer is being left without land," he said. "We are threatening no-one."

Mr Mugabe regularly critises former colonial power Britain, but seldom in front of so many other high-profile figures.

Mr Blair was not in the hall to hear Mr Mugabe's speech.

Earlier, President Nujoma singled Britain's colonial past as being at the root of one of the region's biggest problems.

"We here in southern Africa have one big problem, created by the British," he said.

"The honourable Tony Blair is here, and he created the situation in Zimbabwe."

Speaking 10 minutes after Mr Nujoma, the British prime minister stressed the main theme of the summit - the need to fight poverty - saying the industrialised world must open up its markets to developing countries.

He said painful decisions were needed to curb environmental degradation, which could spell catastrophe.

Outside the conference later, he said Mr Nujoma was defending the "utterly indefensible behind the cloak of colonialism".

Call for action

South African President Thabo Mbeki had opened the final phase of the summit by urging leaders to take firm action on poverty and the environment.

He appealed to delegates to "set concrete goals and targets" to help developing countries and protect the planet.

"Nothing, whatsoever, can justify any failure on our part to respond to this expectation," he said.

Negotiators said on Monday they were close to a final deal on a package of measures after settling differences on climate change, trade and sanitation for the poor.

After Mr Mbeki spoke, world leaders took to the podium to deliver five-minute addresses.

[MadIvan]

We've come to expect this kind of disgusting behaviour from Mugabe. Let's get the farmers out and let Africa rot in hell.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[tet68]

Aaaaaarrrrgh! Some times I just want to kick Tony Blair in the butt, and say, "What are you doing!!!".
This WAS the time to come out and name Mugabe for the thug and murderer he is .
Baaah!

[OldFriend]

Isn't payback a b*tch. Blair attacked President Bush in a surprisingly virulent manner just before going to the 'summit'. Blasting our President on his Kyoto stance.

Wonder how he feels being on the receiving end of such ugly rhetoric and hatred.

[mewzilla]

Are any of the farmers asking for British citizenship? And if so, will it be granted?

[uncbob]

We've come to expect this kind of disgusting behaviour from Mugabe. Let's get the farmers out and let Africa rot in hell.

The liberals in Britain sealed Rhodesia's fate long ago when the sold them out

[Carry_Okie]

His Zimbabwe? Who does he think he is, a latter day Louis XIV? Or Adolf Hitler? - Ivan

Last time I checked, it looked like Muammar-baby was holding the note.

[Dog]

Thanks Ivan!

[MadIvan]

I would rather Blair had stormed out of the Summit and said something like the following:

"I wish to make an announcement on behalf of Her Majesty's Government. Effective immediately, we are withdrawing our delegation from this summit.

"It is clear from the presentations we have heard that this summit is merely an excuse for 3rd world countries to blame their failures, namely to establish the rule of law and sensible economic policies, on countries which have. They are demanding that the taxpayers of my country and others prop up their failure with massive financial injections.

"As the dutiful and responsible representative of the British people, I have to say No in the strongest possible terms. While we are generous nation, we will not have that generosity abused by nations which seek only to squander the wealth which has been created by the industry and efforts of our citizenry.

"This conference is also a sham as it is dominated by regimes of the worst kind, in particular that of Robert Mugabe. This is a man of blood and violence, who tortures, starves and kills his countrymen without conscience, and yet we find he is feted here as if he were a hero, rather than justly treated as a pariah.

"I would urge the United Nations and by extension, Kofi Annan, to reconsider what its priorities are. The organisation is suffering from a reputation for waste, as this conference shows, a reputation for petulance, as the demands from the 3rd world delegates show, and a reputation for turning a blind eye to evil, as they have shown in their treatment of Zimbabwe. If a nation stands for civilisation, it cannot stand with the UN under these circumstances."

"Thank you and good-bye."

But Blair would never say it.

Regards, Ivan

[tet68]

They NEED you in govenment!
I would have just told them to piss off.

[Tailgunner Joe]

Who does he think he is, a latter day Louis XIV? Or Adolf Hitler?

Well, 'Hitler' is already taken, so I guess it's Louis.

[MadIvan]

They NEED you in govenment!

I would offend too many people. Were I in Blair's position, Mugabe would be dead already. I would have either engaged a military operation or had MI6 kill him in a gruesome way.

I hate the idea that anyone thinks they can trifle with my country. I would rather reinforce the idea that painful death follows for people who make the attempt.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Actually, I spoke in haste. Mugabe thinks he's Stalin. His purge of the white farmers is much like what Stalin did to the kulaks, the forced starvation included.

Regards, Ivan

[Southack]

"We here in southern Africa have one big problem, created by the British," he said.

"The honourable Tony Blair is here, and he created the situation in Zimbabwe."

Ah, blame colonialism. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Of course, the problem (at least to anyone who values facts) with blaming Colonialism is that the U.S., Australia, and Canada were ALSO colonies of England, and in the case of the U.S., shed blood to win their independence.

Yet the U.S., Canada, and Australia don't find their societies mired in the prehistoric mud of Zimbabwe's current problems.

Perhaps then, another cause is responsible for Zimbabwe's ills...

[tet68]

I hate the idea that anyone thinks they can trifle with my country. I would rather reinforce the idea that painful death follows for people who make the attempt.

And quickly too, justice delayed , while fulfilling the letter of the law, leaves the spirit wanting.

By next year, the view of Mugabe will be somewhat different, the piles of stick like corpses will preclude any illusions.

[Cuttnhorse]

Were I in Blair's position, Mugabe would be dead already. I would have either engaged a military operation or had MI6 kill him in a gruesome way.

I like your style!

[End Times Sentinel]

Mr Mugabe was speaking as more than 100 heads of governments and their representatives gathered for the last three days of the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

 

DAMN!  This was a great opportunity for W to rub elbows with some of the worlds finest tin pot despots, islamo fascist and tin cup rattlers.  He won't have the opportunity to meet with a cadre of scumbags like this until the U.N. gets back in session...

                                                                                                               

Owl_Eagle

”Unleash the Hogs of Peace.”
P.J. O’Rourke Parliament of Whores

[shaggy eel]

,,, Clive posted this relevant thread.

[Brian Allen]

<< Isn't payback a b*tch. Blair attacked President Bush in a surprisingly virulent manner just before going to the 'summit'. Blasting our President on his Kyoto stance.

Wonder how he feels being on the receiving end of such ugly rhetoric and hatred. >>

Like all of his fascisocialist ilk, Herr KKKli'ton'd former Neo-Axis founder, Turd Way Tony Blair, knows ugliness and hatred only to well. Those characteristics -- and envy and rage are what drive such evil and gutless little men.

And how sad that poor poor once great Britain has been reduced, most certainly in the short to mid term, by the waves of hostile, hatefilled, rage driven, assimilable turd-wurld migrants encouraged there by such moronic cowards as Blair and every one of his post-1945 predecessors, to nothing much more than a third world forward staging camp and launching pad for the loathesome and fearsome third world assault the dullard British and other EUropeans have called in upon themselves!