WASHINGTON, June 12, 2009
Obama Lauds Zimbabwe's Prime Minister
President Says Morgan Tsvangirai Deserves Praise For His Courage, Knocks President Robert Mugabe
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President Barack Obama meets with Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Friday, June 12, 2009, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP)
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Photo Essay Zimbabwe's Water Woes Cholera outbreak blamed on collapse of nation's medical and water-treatment systems.
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Fast Facts Zimbabwe Learn about the people, economy and history.
"Overall, in a very difficult circumstance, we've seen progress from the prime minister. We are grateful to him," Obama said at the White House along side Tsvangirai after their private meeting.
Tsvangirai is an unusual coalition of power with Mugabe, who has been accused of stealing an election from Tsvangirai and orchestrating widespread violence. After years of dogged opposition that involved suffering death threats, arrests and beatings, Tsvangirai is now trying to change Zimbabwe's government from the inside.
Obama made clear which leader he deemed worthy of praise. Mugabe is accused of ruining a once prosperous nation's economy and trampling its citizens' democratic rights.
"The president, President Mugabe - I think I've made my views clear - has not acted all the time in the best interest of the Zimbabwean people and has been resistant to the kinds of democratic changes that need to take place," Obama said.
Obama said the U.S. is trying to encourage human rights and the rule of law in Zimbabwe along with other basics of society: working schools, health care and an agricultural system that can help the country feed its people.
Tsvangirai praised the West for its monetary support and told Obama that the country is committed to meeting benchmarks of progress.
Hours before the White House meeting, Zimbabwe's political and business leaders made an impassioned appeal for an end to restrictions on aid and for more international investment.
"Sanctions at this junction in our history are meaningless," Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara told an economic conference in Cape Town, South Africa. "Help us help ourselves by removing all those sanctions so Zimbabwe can have a fresh start. "
Tsvangiria arrived in Washington this week as part of a three-week tour of Western countries, trying to persuade governments to offer some aid despite worries about Mugabe.
The administration says it is listening but still has reservations.
After a meeting between Tsvangirai and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said the administration was looking for "ways to ease the suffering of the Zimbabwean people without bolstering those forces that are clinging to corruption and repression."
He said the United States would consider development aid if certain reform benchmarks are met. Tsvangirai says that Zimbabwe, where the standard of living has plunged under drastic financial mismanagement, needs aid now.
He warned in a speech Wednesday that overhauling the system could falter without aid.
In the speech, he also argued that Zimbabwe has made progress since his Movement for Democratic Change joined the coalition government. He acknowledged the challenge of working with a man responsible for much of his suffering and that of his country.
"Well, I was almost killed. I know that," he said. But he asserted that Mugabe was allowing reform.
"We are moving into a new phase, and that's what needs to be rewarded rather than punished," he said.
Meanwhile, Mugabe has been portraying Tsvangirai as his personal emissary to the United States.
John Makumbe, a political scientist at the University of Zimbabwe, said Tsvangirai's Oval Office meeting with Obama was "a slap in the face" for Mugabe. Mugabe, frozen out by the White House for more than a decade, has not commented on the visit.
Mugabe, as the first leader of independent Zimbabwe, visited President Jimmy Carter in 1980, the year of independence, and President Ronald Reagan in 1983. As Reagan's vice president, George H.W. Bush visited Zimbabwe.
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Posted by government_control
Where did you get that particular piece of total ignorance?
Posted by dartplayer501
A hole, just south of his boys?
Posted by government_control
Where did you get that particular piece of total ignorance?
Posted by xlib
Hey eejit - the Bermuda government is footing the bill for all this - if you actually read the news you know that. You should also be glad to know that these innocent people are not suing the US for locking them up illegally for seven years. These people never were terrorists, just like, by some estimates up to 700 of the 750 people still at Guantanamo.
Posted by IThoughtItWasFunnyAgin
You are not funny and never have been. MNBrant is indeed correct and you know absolutely nothing, so if I were you I'd stop demonstrating my ignorance in front of the world.
Mugabe led the independance movement in what was Southern Rhodesia in the '70's. When Zinbabwe formed in 1980 he was elected president based on his reputation as a freedom fighter. Since then he has proceded to return Zimbabwe to the stone age. First he appropriated the lands of white farmers who were the backbone of the agricultural industry and gave the lands to his soldier cronies. This has led diredtly to mass hunger nad the "rise" of the opposition. He has proceded to cheat beg and steal the opposition out of a number of elections, until the last one, where he was so badly defeated even he couldn't hold on to absolute power. He has reluctantly allowed Morgan Tsvangirai (having had his cronies try and kill him) to become prime minister with a little power - he himself retains his president for life title.
I would imagine that we are footing the bill for this but hey, it's only money and the thug administration can always print more. Look how well it worked in Germany after WWI.
Posted by mnbrant at 10:00 PM : Jun 12, 2009
Yep, that is my take Zimbabwe on too.
But I don't think Africa is ignored. In fact my suspicion is African aid and relief is a very very big business and they exploit America for donations rather than get people working. I have read the Chinese are meeting resistance from the African people as they build roads, hospitals, schools, and factories. The economic development is met by resentment for changing their culture of free living. Who could blame them ! They see what a bunch tools we have become, and don't want it.
Posted by IThoughtItWasFunnyAgin at 10:43 PM : Jun 12, 2009
Man I just checked wikipedia and you are wrong on almost all of your facts. Obama is right Mugabe is the cause of all their problems. Tsvangirai doesnt sound like he even shows up politically until 2006 and pretty much even then his role mainly is as a punching bag for Mugabe. Muslims???? 1% of the population which now is about 9 million which puts them at (gets out calculator) 90 thousand--a non factor. Whites number 400 or less. Wow this place is weak. yeah Obama isn't smoking crack; you are. The question is, is there anybody credible to talk to in this country? It sounds as bad as Somalia except with better educated people.
Tsvaragari is the British asset installed by the British to keep the looting up by the IMF/World Parasites and Wall Street/City of London.
Mugabe hates the British, especially Tony Blair after he reniged on the the 'land reform' deal that said: 'Tony Blair would welcome back to England any British citizen who found themselves without land as part of the historical land reformation under the agreement with the Zimbabwean government".
You see how British empire works?
When they have a rebel-leader of one of these countries who doesn't kiss Britsh _ss, they go try to use economic warfare like 'sanctions', fund rebel groups and radicals for terrorists plots or outright war.
And if that fails, then they go with a 'compromise' governmnet like replacing a sovereign 'presidency' with a weak European-style parliamentry system so one can be 'President' and another 'Prime Minister.
The 'prime minister' is usually the bozo who acts as puppet and an asset of the British.
- by specialty8 June 12, 2009 5:38 PM EDT
- Now why would Obama not like Mugabe, he is following the same path?
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