Rice: Mugabe Regime Is A "Disgrace"

Secretary Of State Expresses Concern About Fairness Of Zimbabwe's Presidential Election

(AP)  U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Sunday branded Zimbabwe's president a "disgrace" to his people and to Africa, and expressed concerns about verifying whether the country held free and fair elections.

Rice, in the Mideast for peace talks, made the harsh comments after balloting Saturday in Zimbabwe that presented Robert Mugabe with the toughest challenge to his 28-year rule. The main opposition party on Sunday claimed an early lead; preliminary results were expected by Monday.

"We've made very clear our concerns about how this election might be conducted, given the very bad record of Mugabe concerning his people, the opposition and the region," Rice told reporters after meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

"We've tried to make a case ... that there needed to be free and fair elections in Zimbabwe as much as it was possible. It's difficult since really no international observation was allowed," the top U.S. diplomat said.

"But really, the Mugabe regime is a disgrace to the people of Zimbabwe and a disgrace to southern Africa and to the continent of Africa as whole," she said.

Zimbabwe had barred observers traveling from the United States and the European Union and several international media organizations. The State Department said Friday the U.S. would field almost a dozen poll watchers for the elections and would report afterward on the electoral process and the results.

The department, in its annual accounting of human rights practices around the world, listed Zimbabwe this month as among abusers of human rights.

In January, the Bush administration imposed financial penalties on Zimbabwe's intelligence chief, Mugabe's nephew, as well as two companies accused of undermining democracy in the southern African country.

It was the government's latest move to apply more financial pressure on Mugabe, who over the years has become increasingly authoritarian, spearheading media control and takeovers of white-owned farms.

[gurusavant]

why is mugabe perpetually dressed like a clown?! do his people take him more seriously like that? really, all he needs is a red nose that honks.

[downsteamjim]

Zimbabwe is a liberal heaven. They have completely redistributed the wealth. Imposed a strong version of equal time on the media. Leveled the division between rich and poor[everyones is poor now]. So the inflation is 1000s per week. So unemployment is well over 50%. So they''ve gone from breadbasket to basket case. Intentions are more important than results.

[leftyintexas]

Condi... We really care what you say....NOT!

[skyk-2009]

Pot calls kettle Black.


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Posted by Langx at 02:33 AM : Mar 31, 2008
+ report abuse

LOL Exactly!!

[formrusmcsgt]

While the Bush administration has no veracity, scruples, or sense of duty, it demonstrates an abundance of cheek.....

[trodney45304]

Rice is the ultimate in hypocrisy. George Bush defied the will of the American people and was appointed president by the Supreme Court. There are lingering questions about the fairness of his election for the 2nd term. The Bush tale has led to a American travesty of justice.

[iceman_1960]

RE: Post by Agnim at 11:50 PM : Mar 30, 2008
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It was thanks to the mindset like that, that Clay Aiken had to cancel his Zimbabwe tour.

[iceman_1960]

TracyM_organ says, "Rice is one of the few honest african americans".
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The other day Condi Rice hailed Barack Obama"s speech on race relations, comparing his words to the words of our Founding Fathers.

You may be right for once in your life, Tracy.

[iceman_1960]

"And by the way, Mugabe also rightly put the filth-stirring homos out of business in the African country. In this way, the filth-stirring f@gots can go live in the toilets of European societies."
- Posted by Agnim at 11:50 PM : Mar 30, 2008
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That sir, was the downfall of the fashion industry in Zimbabwe.

Not to mention the Zimbabwean version of Broadway.

[langx]

Pot calls kettle Black.

[iceman_1960]

TracyM_organ says, "Rice is one of the few honest african americans".
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TracyM_organ is one of the many dishonest rednecks.

[sgtrds]

The body of a bro of all vets, Sgt. Keith Matthew Maupin, was identified in the Iraq war. He is a hero. I just checked his story and saw only one RIP. Come on bro''s, he deserves better and so does his family. We stand together.

[downtowner97]

Me to Rice: "Your regime is a disgrace".

[agnim]

Magnanimous Mugabe is A HERO TO AFRICANS!
Liberating African ancestral lands from UNPROVOKED invaders is quite heroic.
And only fools think that Zimbabwe is governed by one individual, Mugabe.

Rice and the devil she worships and serves are racist mass murdering demons, who slaughtered hundreds of thousands UNPROVOKED!

Mugabe RIGHTLY get rid of the invading pale robbers, rapists, murderers and colonizers, as any concerned citizens get rid of common criminals.

And by the way, Mugabe also rightly put the filth-stirring homos out of business in the African country. In this way, the filth-stirring f@gots can go live in the toilets of European societies.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Rice is one of the few honest african americans who will say something negative about another person of african descent." Posted by TracyM_organ

You obviously haven''t heard Chris Rock. Or seen my own posts. Or lived in a large city. Or read a book, or watched TV, so I will show you that such people exist.

How does the deluded cheer leader for a war based on lies, and the advocate of continued occupation of a country that never attacked the US, the supporter of policies that have killed, kidnapped, tortured, raped, and otherwise harmed more than 1 million people, presume any moral, legal, or ethical authority to pass judgment on others?

Rice criticizing Mugabe is worse than a "pot-kettle" situation, this is the bride of Dracula criticizing a mosquito.

[drinuk]

RICE, You have sat back and done nothing for the people of Zimbabwe. A faction of the money spent on Iraq could have sorted out Mugabe. YOU allowed him to employ North Korean troops to commit genocide killing 50,000 men, women and children and have sat back whilst American Companies have allowed him to buy hotel franchises all over the world with money stolen from aid and his own people.

You Ms Rice and your boss GW are no better the him, you are hypocrits and worse, you are complicit in his evil.

[element51]

Taylor2124...:You appear to be a bit confused. After reading these posts I didn''t see any that were in praise of Mugabe. We all know what he is and no one supports him in any way. We also know that there are many other despots in other countries. To say that all liberals are ignorant is a good way to desplay your own ignorance. Actually it is nice to see Miss Rice right about this. No one really needs to sieze on to something like this to criticize bush. There are many other issues that could be used.

[agnim]

What other stance can we expect of the devil-worshiping Rice?

This woman serves mass murderers, who are slaughtering humans in Iraq by the hundreds of thousands; so pretending that the Zimbabwean leader and African Hero (or any other non-destructive world leader) is worse than the racist warmonger and mass murderer Bush should help her delusion. lol

[kennedy7955]

Rice is correct, Mugabe is a disgrace. But so is she, President Bush and the government at large which is bankrupting our nation and our standing in the world. In the list of priorities of the American people, Mugabe might be dead last. We will see how many friends we have left if our economic policies drag down the world''s economies in an ever-widening financial crisis.

[burneb]

Apparently Rice had nothing else to say today, since Mugabe''s gross misrule has been beyond obvious for several years.

But maybe she''s just finding out about it. After all, she''s the one who claimed with a straight face that no one knew that Hamas might win in Gaza if the U.S. pressed for elections. No one that is, except the Israeli government and pretty much every major newsmagazine and newpaper in the U.S. and Europe warned about it months in advance.