Obama Lauds Zimbabwe's Prime Minister

President Says Morgan Tsvangirai Deserves Praise For His Courage, Knocks President Robert Mugabe

(AP)  President Barack Obama praised Zimbabwe's prime minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, on Friday for tenacity in trying to lead the beleaguered nation out of a "very dark and difficult period." Obama chided Zimbabwe's power-sharing president, Robert Mugabe, for opposing freedoms.

"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.

[gravyboat3000]

Obama thinks Zimbabwe is a model for America.
Posted by government_control

Where did you get that particular piece of total ignorance?
Posted by dartplayer501

A hole, just south of his boys?

[dartplayer501]

Obama thinks Zimbabwe is a model for America.
Posted by government_control

Where did you get that particular piece of total ignorance?

[dartplayer501]

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 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.

[dartplayer501]

Nice try there, but NO banana.
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.

[xlib]

vistavermin1-you''ll be to know that the Chinese muslims just released from gitmo are now safely snugged in a vacation cottage on a beach in Bermuda. You will also be happy to know that they do not have any security whatsoever. So, good to know that they went from one tropical climate to another. I certainly hope that we are supplying them with good sunscreen cause you know how fair the Chinese are.
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.

[government_control]

Obama thinks Zimbabwe is a model for America.

[zamorin44]

Whatever happened to Darfur?It seems to have completely disappeared from the State Department's radar.Is it part of the new drive to t win the hearts and minds of the Muslims?

[oftencensord]

I am not clear about it but isn't this the country that has 100000000% inflation? I also heard about the land distribution deal a while back where the white and indian plantations were shut down so this guy could give lil plots of land to war veterans and big plots of land to his cronies. The result was a country unable to feed itself and like a 30% increase in unemployment. The whole thing looked to me to be about a guy playing one group against the other just to ruin his country and stay in power. As far as Britan willing to take some plantation owners into their country. Hurray for them! I don't really know much as I haven't read anything about this in like 10 years and am only going on memory. But, from what I know about this country, it is the crown prince of African basket cases and if Obama wants to get the baby out of the basket good for him. He is half African after all and Africa is the most ignored place on earth. Thanks for reading.
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.

[mnbrant]

In every country in Africa you just keep smelling the Muslim rats, kindof like an infestation and you keep hearing about the deaths inflicted on the gentle Christian Shona's, the indigenous popopulation.
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.

[mnbrant]

Thank funny I think I am gonna wikipedia Zimbabwe right now. You make Obama sound like he is smoking crack which if funny coming from me because I am a big Obama supporter. Wow they buried this story quick. I can't even find the CIA torture pic story or the Gitmo guy who suicided. I think someones playing games here.

[mnbrant]

Wheres my post?

[mnbrant]

I am not clear about it but isn't this the country that has 100000000% inflation? I also heard about the land distribution deal a while back where the white and indian plantations were shut down so this guy could give lil plots of land to war veterans and big plots of land to his cronies. The result was a country unable to feed itself and like a 30% increase in unemployment. The whole thing looked to me to be about a guy playing one group against the other just to ruin his country and stay in power. As far as Britan willing to take some plantation owners into their country. Hurray for them! I don't really know much as I haven't read anything about this in like 10 years and am only going on memory. But, from what I know about this country, it is the crown prince of African basket cases and if Obama wants to get the baby out of the basket good for him. He is half African after all and Africa is the most ignored place on earth. Thanks for reading.

[jakedog030]

What makes anyone actually believe this guy is better than Mugabe?

[whitemale08]

It's obvious that Obama is a puppet of the British,
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.

[specialty8]

Now why would Obama not like Mugabe, he is following the same path?