Saddam= Evil Dictator=Bombs. Mugabe=Evil Dictator= Cancel a cricket tour

[bubble99]

The WMD 'ready to be used in 45 minutes' was exposed as a pile of pants. Blair then tried the 'Liberation from an Evil Dictator' angle and invaded anyway.

Mugabe is murdering and destroying the homes and property of anyone suspected of voting for the opposition. This sounds fairly 'Evil Dictatory' to me.

Why has our government done nothing to stop him? Yet we were so ready to 'liberate' Iraq?

I'm disgusted that, yet again, the government is trying to use a cricket tour (or lack of) to hide behind instead of doing something itself about this tyrant. Am I missing something?

Zimbabwe doesn't have oil.

And George Bush isn't interesed - probably doesn;t even know where it is.

Call me cynical.

Spent a fantastic holiday in Zim about 6 yrs ago. Stayed with a friend who had married a Zim farmer and also hired a car and travelled around. The country had so much potential tourism-wise. It breaks my heart to think of how it is now.

Our friends had to leave as he was active in the opposition movement and received death threats.

My personal theory is that Mugabe is suffering from dementia and his hangers-on/family/cohorts are trying to get as much as they can. Cos there won't be much left when he's finished.

I totally agree that we shoudl be doing more. Geldof et al are very vocal on other issues. Last time I looked Zim was in Africa too.

I heard an excerpt from a radio programme in Zimbabwe. Well, not in Zimbabwe anymore as it was closed a week after it started broadcasting. It now broadcasts from elsewhere and, as Mugabe's government have jammed the frequency it used, it can only be heard in Zimbabwe for about two hours before dawn. There was a journalist reporting from the area where Mugabe is destroying homes. The man was in tears and could hardly speak. He'd witnessed the army intentionally running over two small children and a preganant woman. They also make the people burn their own homes and property.

I am disgusted that we are allowing this to continue.

Part of the reason for the interest in the "Cricket" side of things that in Zimbabwe it's also a major political 'lever' (so to speak).

Mugabe is President of the Zimbabwe Cricket Council - so a boycotting of Zim cricket would have be the same as boycotting any other political group in Zimbabwe. Another reasons for the 'politicization (sp)' of Cricket is because of Olonga and Flowers black arm bands at the World Cup....all very compllicated Zim Cricket and Politics.

I must say though, I do have slightly more respecct for Bush on this matter than Blair. He has spoken out more frequently against 'happenings' in Zimbabwe than Blair has - I don't think Blair could give too hoots.

I read this earlier too and it just breaks my hearts - 4 million people is 1/3 of the total population of the country - yet when I first went out there in September 1997 Zimbabwe had ample food, racial harmony and enough food to feed neighbouring countries

Just wondered if anyone else is as angry as me about this. I don't have much time for Peter Tatchell but I think it was so brave of him to accost Mugabe a few years ago to harangue him about his human rights record.

How can our government be so vocal and active in Iraq, yet ignore the plight of so many people in Zimbabwe? Many of whom hold British passports.