U.S. Now Opposes Power Sharing In Zimbabwe

To Explain Ideological Shift, Top Envoy In Africa Says Dictator Robert Mugabe Has "Lost It"

(AP)  The U.S. can no longer support a proposed Zimbabwean power-sharing deal that would leave Robert Mugabe, "a man who's lost it," as president, the top U.S. envoy for Africa told reporters Sunday.

Jendayi Frazer, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs, made the announcement in South Africa after spending the last several days explaining the U.S. shift to regional leaders. The new U.S. stance will put pressure on Zimbabwe's neighbors — South Africa in particular — to abandon Mugabe. But South Africa said its position was unchanged.

The U.S., Frazer said, has become convinced Mugabe is incapable of sharing power.

She cited political moves he has made since September without consulting the opposition, reports his regime has continued to harass and arrest opposition and human rights activists, and the continued deterioration of Zimbabwe's humanitarian and economic situation. Particularly worrying, she said, was the rapid spread of cholera, an easily treatable and preventable disease that has killed at least 1,000 Zimbabweans since August.

Frazer cited accusations from the Mugabe regime that the West waged biological warfare to deliberately start the cholera epidemic as an indication Mugabe is "a man who's lost it, who's losing his mind, who's out of touch with reality."

If Mugabe's neighbors were to unite and "go to Mugabe and tell him to go, I do think he would go," she said.

Secretary State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" that Zimbabwe was discussed at the United Nations last week.

"This is another circumstance in which the international community, most of it — including, by the way, several African states: Botswana, the leadership of Kenya and others — are saying that the regime of Robert Mugabe has got to go," Rice said. You have a cholera epidemic there. You have a humanitarian disaster in terms of food. You have the goons of the Mugabe regime going around and detaining people and frightening people, terrorizing people. Again, the international community in that circumstance needs to act."

But South Africa said Sunday the agreement under which Mugabe would remain president and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai would take a new prime minister's post was the only way forward.

South Africa is the region's diplomatic leader. Its former president, Thabo Mbeki, mediated Zimbabwe's power-sharing agreement in September and has worked since then to break an impasse between Mugabe and the Zimbabwean opposition over how to divide Cabinet posts.

When the power-sharing agreement was announced, the U.S. gave crucial support, offering to lift sanctions and help Zimbabwe re-negotiate relations with international lenders if the deal were implemented.

"We're not prepared to do any of that now," Frazer said Sunday.

Asked later whether that robbed Zimbabwe's neighbors of important leverage, Thabo Masebe, spokesman for South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, said only: "Our position has not changed."

Tendai Biti, chief negotiator for Zimbabwean opposition leader Tsvangirai, said the opposition remained committed to the stalled talks aimed at forming a power-sharing government with Mugabe and Tsvangirai. But Biti noted that Tsvangirai said Friday that he will ask his party to halt the power-sharing negotiations unless political detainees are released or charged by Jan. 1.

Biti said the U.S. position was difficult to contest, saying that in Mugabe, "you are dealing with someone ... that cannot be trusted."

South Africa's Motlanthe had said as recently as last week that he believed the unity proposal was the solution, because it was what Zimbabwean negotiators wanted. Frazer said the U.S. also believed a unity government could move Zimbabwe forward, but "it's not credible with Mugabe as president."

Cholera has spread from Zimbabwe to South Africa and other neighbors, underlining the threat Mugabe poses to the region, Frazer said. She said it was understandable that South Africa would try not to do anything that could lead to Zimbabwe's collapse — and perhaps create a refugee crisis. It was "fair," she said, for South Africa to try quiet diplomacy and to try to move the stalled unity deal forward.

"But when these actions don't work," more robust response must be considered, she said.

[jt_lancer]

You want to see how a corrupt government leader REALLY destroys a country? Follow Mugabe''s authoritarian example.

[spinproof]

downsteamjim: Its always good to hear from the Bush fan club, overextending our military and issuing empty threats! You go remove Mugabe for Bush, our troops are busy! LOL

[downsteamjim]

We can always follow the Clinton Doctrine. When Rawanda had its genocide we did nothing. Afterwards, we just said sorry. Of course we can wait for the UN or more likely the Easter Bunny.

[samael2014]

"This is another circumstance in which the international community, most of it %u2014 including, by the way, several African states: Botswana, the leadership of Kenya and others %u2014 are saying that the regime of Robert Mugabe has got to go," Rice said.

Since when has Rice accepted the sentiment of the international community, including the need for a regime to go? The United States has it''s own parasite epidemic to deal with, and this woman and her psychopath commune has definitely got to lead by example here.

No more *** around with Bush Freak Diplomacy before you haul your ***** out of the White House, GOT EET? You had your chance to REALLY **** UP our reputation in the world and SUCCEEDED BRILLIANTLY, now please step aside. Particularly with these ABOUT-FACE changes in the last months of your infestation.

[mgkonyx]

The people of Zimbabwe cannot keep waiting for the rest of the world to make a decision. It is understandable that South Africa doesn''t want to deal with a massive influx of refugees from Zimbabwe, but it is getting to the point where there will soon be no choice. Desperate people will take desperate measure. Sickness and death do not recognize lines on a map, as is evident by the cases of cholera that are now showing up in the countries surrounding Zimbabwe.

Every day that Mugabe remains in power is one more chance to die for Zimbabwans. And for death to come to Zimbabwe''s neighbors.

[us_1776]

South Africa, you need to act to remove Mugabe. Zimbabwe is moving closer and closer to a human disaster and as the leader in the region, that disaster will be on your hands. You need to act.

[downsteamjim]

BRdeckard: Please tell us about Cocaine production in Zimbabwe. I love fiction in the morning.

[downsteamjim]

Spingoof: It is always interesting to hear from the Mugabe fan club.

[spinproof]

Ex-Bush Aide Convicted In Abramoff Scandal
David Safavian Found Guilty Of Obstruction

If you''re living in a glass house don''t throw no stones? Maybe the U.S. should leave criticizing Zimbabwe''s Robert Mugabe to someone else, we have a lot of nerve! The Bush administration only has about a month left in power and the scandals are following them out the door.