Mugabe Spokesman: West "Can Go Hang"

Zimbabwe's President Remains Defiant; Spokesman Flatly Denies Any Chance Of Power-Sharing

(CBS/AP)  President Robert Mugabe's spokesman spoke defiantly Tuesday at a summit of the Zimbabwe leader's peers, dismissing Western criticism that the longtime statesman should be pressured into stepping down.

"They can go hang. They can go and hang a thousand times," Mugabe spokesman George Charamba said in response to Western pressure.

The United States, Britain and other European countries have widely condemned Mugabe's runoff victory in which he was the sole candidate, calling the vote a sham.

But at the African Union summit in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, African leaders have been unwilling to publicly criticize Mugabe, and instead are gently pushing behind the scenes that he accept some sort of power-sharing agreement with Zimbabwe's opposition.

Charamba, however, sounded resistant to proposals about sharing power. Some African leaders have expressed frustration that more was not being done to pressure Mugabe.

Charamba denied to reporters that Mugabe would relinquish any power.

"Isn't that an odd question. He's a few days into office and you expect him to retire, do you? ... Five days have expired, not even a week after ... Why is the issue of the retirement of the president of Zimbabwe such an obsession for the West?" he said.

"He has come here as president of Zimbabwe and he will go home as president of Zimbabwe, and when you visit Zimbabwe he will be there as the president of all the people of Zimbabwe," Charamba told reporters.

During public speeches at the summit's opening Monday, most AU leaders spoke of the "challenges" Zimbabwe is facing and none said anything harsh about Mugabe.

But Jendayi Frazer, the assistant U.S. secretary of state for African affairs, said she believed that in private, the leaders were going to "have very, very strong words for him."

Key African leaders have long had close ties to Mugabe, renowned as a campaigner against white rule and colonialism. They are also reluctant to be seen as backing the West - former colonial rulers - against a fellow African.

Criticism, meanwhile, from the U.S. and Europe has only mounted against Mugabe.

The U.S. is pushing for more financial and travel sanctions against Mugabe supporters and is urging the U.N. Security Council to impose an arms embargo.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has urged the African Union to reject the result of the runoff, and France says it considers Mugabe's government "illegitimate."

Charamba, however, demanded that Zimbabwe be left to determine its own future.

"The way out is the way defined by the Zimbabwe people free from outside interference, and that is exactly what will resolve the matter," he said.

Meanwhile, Egyptian security ramped up restrictions Tuesday on journalists covering the summit after a British TV crew got into a verbal exchange with Mugabe the previous day. Many reporters were not allowed to leave the press area.

The confrontation began when British network ITN approached Mugabe outside the conference hall and asked how he could regard himself as president. The Zimbabwean leader responded that it was on the same basis as Brown's being the British prime minister.

Mugabe then said the reporter asked "stupid questions." TV footage showed Mugabe's guards pushing the reporter away.

[patriot12436]

I don''t care who runs this African country. It isn''t our problem. If the people living there do not want this government, it is up to them to change it. We should stop trying to invade the world.

[keithle1]

Hot4Real probably lives in a nice house in California. Far, far away from Zimbabwe. Probably never been there in his life. Gets drunk when his maid won''t give him any & then starts typing his nonsense. I wonder if the people of Zimbabwe share Hot4Real''s undying enthusiasm for Mugabe.

[keithle1]

I''m surprised no one in Zimbabwe has shot him yet. You would think they would. Life expectancy is 36. What have you got to lose? Take a chance. Be a hero.

Mugabe doesn''t care about the people of Zimbabwe. He just wants his remaining years to be nice, quiet & easy. To heck with everyone else.

Can''t think of one sub-Saharan country that I would like to live in. No one is moving to Zimbabwe to live.

[tomanyt]

Someone needs to put a bullet in Mugabe''s head. I don''t care if you have to insert it manually!!!!

[deacon20081]

A Cruise Missle mysteriously placed in the palace would do the trick.....right Mr Cheney? Oh never mind there is no Oil is there.

[terrorislamo]

FASCIST NAZI TERRORISLAM IS THE PROBLEM,,,

DEMONIC-RAT HUSSEIN IS NOT THE SOLUTION,,,

[terrorislamo]

REAL AMERICAN STORIES

http://www.realamericanstories.com/

[terrorislamo]

HUSSEIN BELONGED TO A CHURCH THAT DIVIDES US RATHER THAN UNITE US,,,

HUSSEIN STAFFS HIS CAMPAIGN WITM MEMBERS OF THE NEW BLACK PANTHER PARTY THAT DIVIDES US RATHER THAN UNITES US,,,

HUSSEIN STAFFS HIS CAMPAIGN WITM MEMBERS OF THE NATION OF TERRORISLAM THAT DIVIDES US RATHER THAN UNITES US,,,

HUSSEIN IS A RACIST WHICH DIVIDES US RATHER THAN UNITES US,,,

HUSSEIN IS A BIGOT WHICH DIVIDES US RATHER THAN UNITES US,,,

HUSSEIN IS A ANTI-JEW WHICH DIVIDES US RATHER THAN UNITES US,,,

HUSSEIN IS A ANTI-AMERICAN WHICH DIVIDES US RATHER THAN UNITES US,,,

[ourtomorrows]

Oh, by the way, anyone read two weeks ago about Thatchers son being tied to the coup attempt with the Spanish government against Equetorial Guinea. Probably not, it wasn''''t printed in our papers.

The link to a news story censored for Americans:
www.guardian.co.uk/world/200
8/jun/19/equatorialguinea.southafrica
posted by lochlan
Actually, I did read that, and even the guardian called him the "errant" son of the former prime minster. And to think they were allegedly going to overthrow the President of Equatorial Guinea who has held power since 1979, has basked huge oil revenues while his people are among the poorest in Africa and has run a government acknowledged by virtually every major human rights groups as one of the most repressive and brutal in Africa. Wow, what a loss that would have been. Of course in the last election his party and allies won 99 out of 100 seats in the legislature, hmm, 99 percent of the seats, why that is almost the same percentage of the Austrians who "agreed" to their fusion with Germany in 1938, and we all know that was on the up and up.

[ourtomorrows]

HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT LITTLE BY LITTLE THE WHOLE WORLD IS STARTING TO HATE AMERICA
Sure glad we ars getting a new president soon.
Because the one we have now caused all this unrest
Bush has a meeting with the big oil countries (they say they will boost production)
What''''s the first thing he said wehn he got back _ NOT THANKS------------- BUT THAT WON''''T HELP AT ALL
TERRY
TKTK53

And this post has NOTHING to do with the topic at hand. You can''t blame Bush for Zimbabwe, Mugabe began the process which has led to the current situation long before George Bush was ever in office. The Bush administration has committed more resources to Africa in real dollars (and in amounts adjusted for inflation) than any other administration in American history. So TKTK53, put a sock in it.