Rice: "Well Past Time" For Mugabe To Go

Top Diplomat Asks African Neighbors To Push Zimbabwe Leader Out Amid Cholera Crisis

(CBS/AP)  Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday that it is "well past time" for Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe to leave office.

Rice said the country experienced "a sham election," followed by a sham sharing of power. Speaking in the Danish capital Friday, she said the current outbreak of cholera in the country should be a sign to the international community that it is time to stand up to Mugabe.

"If this is not evidence to the international community to stand up for what is right, I don't know what would be, and frankly the nations of the region have to do it," she said.

The nations in southern Africa have the most to lose and need to take the lead, she said.

CBS News reporter Sarah Carter in neighboring South Africa reported Wednesday for World Watch that a source told her almost 3,000 people have been killed by the cholera epidemic sweeping Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe declared a national emergency over a cholera epidemic and the collapse of its health care system, and state media reported Thursday the government is seeking more international help to pay for food and drugs to combat the crisis.

The failure of the southern African nation's health care system is one of the most devastating effects of the country's overall economic collapse.

Facing the highest inflation in the world, Zimbabweans are struggling just to eat and find clean drinking water. The United Nations says the number of suspected cholera cases in Zimbabwe since August has climbed above 12,600, with 570 confirmed deaths, because of a lack of water treatment and broken sewage pipes.

A humanitarian mission by former President Jimmy Carter, former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and human rights advocate Graca Machel (the wife of Nelson Mandela) was blocked near the end of November when Mugabe's government refused them entry.

The group met instead with humanitarian workers in South Africa, and then warned the cholera epidemic was worse than anyone initially suspected.

Cholera is an infectious intestinal disease that is contracted by consuming contaminated food or water. Its symptoms include severe diarrhea.

Still, residents are getting little help from the government, which has been paralyzed since disputed March elections as Mugabe and the opposition wrangle over a power-sharing deal.

"Our central hospitals are literally not functioning," Minister of Health David Parirenyatwa said Wednesday at a meeting of government and international aid officials, according to The state-run Herald newspaper.

International aid agencies and donors must step up their response, Matthew Cochrane, regional spokesman for the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told The Associated Press on Thursday.

"This is about supporting the people of Zimbabwe," Cochrane said, adding that aid should include water treatment plants and more medical staff.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, long among Mugabe's sharpest critics, agreed that Zimbabwe was facing a national emergency and nations must step in to help.

"Mugabe's failed state is no longer willing or capable of protecting its people," Brown said in a statement Thursday. "The international community's differences with Mugabe will not prevent us doing so - we are increasing our development aid, and calling on others to follow."

Britain has offered $4.4 million and set aside a further $10.25 million in relief aid for Zimbabwe to provide medicine, fund basic health services and help prevent more cholera outbreaks.

[silverstar06]

Apparently, these politicians are watching too many episodes of ''Survivor''. Voting someone off the island is not really a viable solution.

[tommaralem]

Salam and hello:

Dictators start out as idealists and people seeking to do righteous things. They come to power, in places like the Middle East or War torn areas; and realize that everyone is vying for power.

African nations don''t control the industry that goes on within them. They have natural resources that they can build economies around, but they are controlled by outside EUROPEAN or AMERICAN companies that take the majority of the profits and leave them with little. The little that they get goes to paying off national debts that they can pay only the interest/usury portion of.

DICTATORS ARE MADE BY THE ENVIRONMENT THEY ARE IN.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Auntie Condoleeza" should **** and go prepare for her war crimes trials.

Europe, and the US leadership, is still angry because Mugabe took back the land and the rights stolen from his people by European colonialists. The hunger and deprivation that followed is the result of the sanctions, currency devaluations and embargoes placed upon him by those misanthropes who somehow rationalized themselves entitled to "revenge" for the loss of what they had stolen.

Leave Zimbabwe to the Zimbabweans, they have the right to, and ultimately will sort out their own problems.

[fasiledes-2009]

Yes, It is long, long overdue Mugabe has to go. The same standard should also apply to all other tyrants and dictators who oppress and lead thier poeple with iron fist. It is comendable the Bush administration including Condi has spoken about the need for Mugabe to go. But Condi has flown to Addis several months back to prop up another if not the shrewdest and most cunning dictator in todays Africa.

Where is the moral and justice she is advocating for! C''mon Mrs. Secretary. The Old right wind policy of we know he/she is a SOB but it is our SOB is costing the the US interest a lot and making the world a more dangerous place.

[earache4]

Rice: "Well Past Time" For Mugabe To Go"

Funny, I say the same thing about Bush....

[akili6]

Dictators hide their selfish greed for power and control behind deceptive, populist propaganda. For Mugabe, it''s giving land back to Africans; for Fidel Castro, it''s fighting against western capitalist imperialism; same for Venezuela''s Hugo Chavez.

It took the Tanzanian Army in the 70''s to kick Idi Amin out of Uganda. It''s gonna take an African army, led by South Africa , to kick Mugabe out.

It is very clear that discussing the issue ad nauseum, and pleading with mugabe to start caring for human life isn''t working.

Time for talking is up. It''s time for brute force. We can either put up, or shut up!

[evian_ycnan]

She''s right!

Let`s see if we can toss all of the garbage by Jan 20.

[vranger]

brainbwb, what kind of an ignorant loser are you anyway.

Zimbabwe''s problem is a direct result of mismanagement of their resources since Mugabe''s land grabs. They went from being the breadbasket of Africa to a country that is now starving and cannot deliver clean water to their citizens.

Whether or not the land grabs were historically or morally justified, the price the people there have paid for them is FAR FAR too high.

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime. Hand over all the fishing nets to incompetents, watch the entire country starve.

[louiville2]

Europe, and the US leadership, is still angry because Mugabe took back the land and the rights stolen from his people by European colonialists. The hunger and deprivation that followed is the result of the sanctions, currency devaluations and embargoes placed upon him by those misanthropes who somehow rationalized themselves entitled to "revenge" for the loss of what they had stolen.

Posted by brianbwb

Your ignorance is only surpassed by your stupidity. FYI the "Land" Originally belonged to another tribe that the current tribe slaughtered. ALL of South Africa and Zimbabwe are occupied by tribes (like Nelson Mandela) originally from the "Lakes" region of Africa or central Africa. I imagine those poor soles are rolling in their graves right now over Zimbabwe''s problems.

BTW Zimbabwe is a prime example of the end result of "Spread the Wealth" class struggle mentality of that from those who know how and give to those who don''t!

[louiville2]

Dictators start out as idealists and people seeking to do righteous things. They come to power, in places like the Middle East or War torn areas; and realize that everyone is vying for power.

African nations don''''t control the industry that goes on within them. They have natural resources that they can build economies around, but they are controlled by outside EUROPEAN or AMERICAN companies that take the majority of the profits and leave them with little. The little that they get goes to paying off national debts that they can pay only the interest/usury portion of.

DICTATORS ARE MADE BY THE ENVIRONMENT THEY ARE IN.

Posted by TomMarAlem


The old blame Whitey excuse, it''s really the result of Neo-Marxist blind/ignorant stupidity. Where Western Neo-Marxist''s left a murdering thug in charge of a country. He then setup his Keptocracy which pludered the nations wealth,

[antoniof123]

She''''s right!

Let`s see if we can toss all of the garbage by Jan 20.

Posted by Evian_Ycnan at 07:57 AM : Dec 05, 2008

Well put and neocons believe that have a place in history other than the garbage can.

[omnibus66]

Such a shame that Zimbabwe has no substantial oil reserves. If they did, Bush would have taken Mugabe out long ago.

Well, maybe not. After all, Mugabe never tried to kill his daddy.

[lloydbest1]

"Leave Zimbabwe to the Zimbabweans, they have the right to, and ultimately will sort out their own problems."
Posted by brianbwb at 06:49 AM : Dec 05, 2008
Ordinarily I would agree....But I see no way for the Zimbabwean people to accoplish this other than through violent overthrow of the ruling elite. If that happens, and there is a good likelihood that it will, the resulting chaos and bloodshed will probably carry off a good quarter of the country''s population. That''s about 4 million people. It''s inconceivable that Zimbabwe''s African neighbors would stand for that kind of destabilization in the region. There WILL be intervention - of one sort or another.

Posted by louiville2 at 08:36 AM : Dec 05, 2008 Brianbwb is dead right on this point. The poverty and lack of anything even remotely resembling responsible leadership in sub-Sahara Africa is a direct result of "Western" powers systematically looting the region since the middle 1800''s; with no thought to the welfare of the original inhabitants.
And your disdain for the "spread the wealth" philosophy fails to grasp an essential reality about societies worldwide:
Those whose resource distribution is relatively even are far more stable, peaceful and democratic than those where the gap in wealth and income is wide and difficult or impossible to cross.

[lloydbest1]

And because I am such a hopeless slave to temptation I will add that however correct Condi is as regards to it being "well past time" for Mugabe to go, she has absolutely no position to say anything given her support of the offenses her boss has committed during his 8 years of misrule.

[louiville2]

When speaking of "spread the wealth", are you referring to shipping containers of cash to Iraq?

Or giving the ultra-wealthy and big businesses HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS in tax breaks?

Or bailing out the banks?

Or bailing out the automakers?

Posted by IwasHungry68

LOL You do understand when you give business "Tax Breaks" that you are giving you and I reduced prices for goods, Right? That taxes are just passed onto consumers along with handling fees, sooo a $1 tax increase becomes "burdened" $1.25-$1.50 added cost to you and I. You Neo-Marxists just can''t see pass your "class hate" end of your nose.

As far as I''m concerned automakers/unions took their companies into bankruptcy. It''s the Democrats who want to bail them out as they try to prop up $70/hr plus 95% pay on layoff (golden parachute) lifestyle. Let them rot as far as I''m concerned. Same with the banks.

[louiville2]

Are you talking about Mugabe or Bush?

Posted by IwasHungry68

Let''s see ummm This is a red herring but let me answer, Mugabe/Zimbabwe life expectancy for Zim''s when he took office 60-70 years now 34-37 years. Bush life expectancy for Americans about 77 in 2000 now 78+. sooo let go for the Neo-Marxist plan, nothing like watching all your childern die.

[niceface19]

CBS, whatever you do please do not show Rice''s face online, it''s so ugly.

[louiville2]

" The poverty and lack of anything even remotely resembling responsible leadership in sub-Sahara Africa is a direct result of "Western" powers systematically looting the region since the middle 1800''''s; with no thought to the welfare of the original inhabitants.

Those whose resource distribution is relatively even are far more stable, peaceful and democratic than those where the gap in wealth and income is wide and difficult or impossible to cross."

Posted by LloydBest1
I don''t agree, first you should check out the history of "Europeans" in Southern Africa starting with the Dutch. It''s really one of those hypocritical things. Read the history of the Xhosa and Zulu''s it''s really a case of jealousy and greed on the part of the Xhosa. Also so read up on "the great xhosa cattle killing" where these "no thought to the welfare of the original inhabitants" Europeans saved thousands from dieing because of their on stupidity.

[louiville2]

ow does reducing taxes on the ultra-wealthy, (down to 12% - 15% for most), help our country?

And I absolutely 100% agree on letting the automakers go bankrupt. But WHY was it perfectly acceptable for this administration to enrich Haliburton, KBR, Blackwater, THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT, etc, etc at taxpayer expense?

Posted by IwasHungry68

Hmmmm since I don''t make the upper 2% on the population wages I''m not sure what the impact would be by taxing them more. I do know this if government didn''t have taxes to spend they wouldn''t be able to wage war, payoff large legal/illegal donors etc... with pork barrel projects. Or start large cap n trade scams which like taxes on tobacco go not for the proposed problem but into special interest pockets.

BTW I didn''t vote for Bush and I hope if proven they can apply the "False Claims Act" on all the war profiteers where the government is entitled to triple damages for all false claims. The statute of limitations is running tho (6 years) so if you know of any please report it and the government will cut you in for about 10% could be millions in your pocket.

[mrmeatspin]

Look at the condition of this country under George Bush and 6 years of republicans in the house and senate.

Is our country better off today, than it was in 2000?

Posted by IamHungry68 at 11:01 AM : Dec 05, 2008
+ report abuse
*******

its actually pretty good considering we are figthing a war agains an ideology..

we could have bombings in malls, chruches and we can have pirates taking over shipping lanes..wait WAIT!! that is happening after obama won...

can you imagine what would happen within the borders of this country as soon as obama takes over and do what he promised the liberal pro-terrorist voters??

[mrmeatspin]

in conclusion, its okay for liberals for mugabe to do what he does because they think bush is evil..

[louiville2]

The conversation was about a murderous thug, plundering a nation''''s wealth - not about "life expectancy rates". THAT is what I commented to.

Are you talking about Mugabe or Bush?

Posted by IwasHungry68 at 08:59 AM : Dec 05, 2008

Posted by IamHungry68

That is the point since Mugabe took over he has killed many more and the count is still climbing. His leadership has led his country down a dead end where it is now a miserable death camp of flagrant crime and corruption. In other words there is no comparison. I didn''t see and "Necklacing" before of after the last election here did you?

[harp1963]

Condoleezza Rice is just primping for her political future. She''s got to be the biggest b u t t kisser in the history of America. Anyone who could have stood by George Bush the way she has is unbelievable. She reminds me of the "house" description in this Malcolm X speech.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zUIjP4KWok&NR=1

[jgunther7]

Condo Rice is entitled to an opinion as much as anyone. However, from her involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity around the world, her credibility on this one is zilch. The rest of the world would agree that it is well past time for Rice to leave. If she tries to travel outside the country after January 20th, she could well face arrest and trial in an international court of law.

[redbds]

Condo Rice is entitled to an opinion as much as anyone. However, from her involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity around the world, her credibility on this one is zilch. The rest of the world would agree that it is well past time for Rice to leave. If she tries to travel outside the country after January 20th, she could well face arrest and trial in an international court of law.

Posted by jgunther7 at 01:16 PM : Dec 05, 2008

What an idiot you are!

[jt_lancer]

Mugabe is yet another in a long line of tyrannical state leaders who oppressed the people and ran his country into the ground.

Yet, the sheeple still clamor for government officials to ''lead'' them, as if they were blind, thoughtless lemmings. Pathetic.

[inventagod2]

Bu$hCo to invade South Africa?

[mrmeatspin]

Bu$hCo to invade South Africa?

Posted by inventagod2 at 03:04 PM : Dec 05, 2008
+ report abuse

**************

south africa already has a pretty big tyrant..bono and his liberal zombie followers

[wlmrtpatriot]

You people are right, leave Zimbabwean people to Zimbabwe rule. The place at one point in time was the breadbasket of the world, that''s gone, now leave it to itself and Mugabe.

[downsteamjim]

Mugabe is just sharing the wealth. If it ruins Zimbabwe and kill its people so what. It is the thought not the result that counts.

[liberate40]

Jesse Jackson should run for president of Zimbabwe.

[rushlimpdrug]

Let Mugabe finish the job.

Can Oprah do a show from there?

Africa is so advanced.

"Zimbabwe, come for the food, stay for the cholera"

[noloyalisti]

Is anyone still listening to this war criminal Chevron Rice? We know what she and her party of death and spending is all about. Endless war for Chevron, torture, spying and stealing for themselves.

[rushlimpdrug]

Mugabe to Rice: "Would you like a Whopper?"

[centerfall94]

Rice: "Well Past Time" For Mugabe To Go

Well of COURSE it''s well past time. The corrupt Bush administration has been wasting all our time and resources on Iraq.

Rice, or any representative of the Bush administration, has lost ALL credibility and are pretty much totally inneffectual (except for more damage) at this point. They have no moral authority to say anything - anything at all.

[centerfall94]

Condo Rice is entitled to an opinion as much as anyone. However, from her involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity around the world, her credibility on this one is zilch. The rest of the world would agree that it is well past time for Rice to leave. If she tries to travel outside the country after January 20th, she could well face arrest and trial in an international court of law.

Posted by jgunther7 at 01:16 PM

Totally agreed and right on.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Your ignorance is only surpassed by your stupidity. FYI the "Land" Originally belonged to another tribe that the current tribe slaughtered. ALL of South Africa and Zimbabwe are occupied by tribes (like Nelson Mandela) originally from the "Lakes" region of Africa or central Africa. I imagine those poor soles are rolling in their graves right now over Zimbabwe''''s problems." Posted by louiville2

Your own ignorance fails to answer how the Europeans came to be the colonial exploiters of the land, and the necessary slaughter of indigents that had to occur for that to happen, regardless of what indigenous peoples were there first.

One can be sure that your failure to mention that episode has its roots in the shame of admitting that Europeans did not belong there in the first place.
Such is the norm for those who wish to justify continued colonialism.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Mugabe to Rice: "Would you like a Whopper?"
Posted by rushlimpdrug

Rice to Mugabe: "No thanks, I only eat bush"

[brianbwb-2009]

"But I see no way for the Zimbabwean people to accoplish this other than through violent overthrow of the ruling elite"... Posted by louiville2

There is no way that the ruling elite will peacefully surrender their power, and so violent overthrow may not only be the only course, but the blame will be on the elite themselves.

"If that happens, and there is a good likelihood that it will, the resulting chaos and bloodshed will probably carry off a good quarter of the country''''s population. That''''s about 4 million people. It''''s inconceivable that Zimbabwe''''s African neighbors would stand for that kind of destabilization in the region. There WILL be intervention - of one sort or another." Posted by louiville2

Any intervention should be the concern of the affected neighboring countries, it is purely a regional matter, and only those in the region have a right to participate.

We already know that when Americans, and Europeans put their hands in, the result is guaranteed to be the replacement of one corruption for another, and the theft of resources of all the people.

[intheshade-2009]

Mugabe has refused to buy cast off second hand military goods (military aid) from Britain and the US that would have loaded his country with debt for the next 50 years. Defence marketers have tried selling him unworkable and unnecessary radar warning and anti-missile systems so as to unload their outdated junk. This ploy is used to keep developing countries in a position of indebt ness and servitude. Mugabe won%u2019t play the game and the military industrial complex wants him out of power.

[babooph]

She should talk-she lied down with dogs & awoke with fleas!

[juwboy]

Yes, it`s true that some European nations took advantage of Africans.

However, long before Europeans "discovered" the source of the Nile and the rest of Africa`s interior, Arab slave traders exploited black Africans all over sub-Saharan Africa in far greater numbers and for a much longer period than European slave traders ever did.

Ethiopia, the last source of slaves for the Arabian peninsula didn`t outlaw slave trading until the 1930s.

Saudi Arabia waited until the last batches of slaves from this source had become too old and decrepit to work, or had died, before it declared slavery illegal in 1962.

[jjp735i]

"well past time" for Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe to leave office" I think we can say the same about her and Bush.

[jgunther7]

The US and British Governments have been trying to force foreign and military aid onto Zimbabwe for some time, without success. They always talk like they are giving foreign aid away for free when in reality it is a loan, and the recipient becomes enslaved trying to pay back the ever increasing foreign debt. They can%u2019t get Mugabe to take the bait. The next move is to try and find some pretence for an invasion, like in Iraq. In the invasion, they destroy the countries info-structure and economy, and then charge the victims for rebuilding their country. The cost of rebuilding is deducted from the natural resourcesn that they are plundering and paid to companies such as Halliburton, BP and Blackwater, at extraordinary rates of pay. Zimbabwe would never be free again.

[intheshade-2009]

Zimbabwe would be paying for their own occupation.

[evian_ycnan]

Ethiopia, the last source of slaves for the Arabian peninsula didn`t outlaw slave trading until the 1930s.

Saudi Arabia waited until the last batches of slaves from this source had become too old and decrepit to work, or had died, before it declared slavery illegal in 1962.

Posted by juwboy at 06:37 AM : Dec 06, 2008

And forced sterilizations and lobotomies on "errant" children was legal in the state of California until the mid-1960`s

Our veil of "civilization" is damned thin and very fragile

[thegoodtexan]

Rice is a complete failure. She has brought nothing but death and misery to the whole world. It is long past time for her to leave and face prosecution for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

[tommygun083]

The US and Europe seems hell bent on finding some excuse to invade Zimbabwe and grab their natural resources again. They are really grasping at straws this time. Short of accusing Zimbabwe of having weapons of mass destruction, a cholera epidemic is the best they can come up with. They must feel that Obama would not invade the land of his ancestors, and therefore this is their last desperate chance.

[liberalme]

Rice: "Well Past Time" For Mugabe To Go


Should read "Well Past Time" for Bush, Cheney, Rice and the whole Bush criminals to leave Washington!!!

[torva-2009]

If the SADC and the Zimbabwean people are content on keeping Mugabe in power, then the rest of the world should just butt out of its affairs.

Zimbabwe is doomed to become another Somalia and the African Union will do nothing...at least we won''t be reading about Zimbabwean pirates.

If the Africans aren''t interest in protecting their own people there is nothing short of reintroducing colonization that will change it...