Portugese, spineless??

[MrsT]

Are they right to let Mugabe attend the EU-Africa summit because other African leaders threatened to boycott? Has Gordon finally found some backbone in boycotting the talks?

[barniclebill]

I think Brown is at fault for not attending. Mugabe needs to be confronted.

[Gromit]

Daily Telegraph 6/12/2007

Britain handing propaganda victory to Mugabe

...analysts said that Gordon Brown was handing the Zimbabwean leader a propaganda coup by boycotting this weekend's EU-Africa summit.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml =/news/2007/12/05/wzim105.xml

Doesn't sound like it Mrs T, the Torygraph never lies.
What is the point of having a summit if you are going to ban people? Better to go and give the old despot a b0llocking (Mugabe not Brown).

[MrsT]

The thing is it's the EU breaking their own rules! I mean he's banned from the EU, I'm pretty sure Potugal is still EU. I think Gordon is doing the right thing. They should not relax the ban under some sort of blackmail. If others don't show up, who cares? tin pot little sh1t holes mostly anyway!

[MrsT]

So Gromit, a Zimbabwean Professor and some geezer in a Harare "think tank" think it's a proaganda victoty! right oh, must be then I guess! Come on Gromit even an anti Brit like you should be able to see through that one!

[ludwig]

There's something to be said for both banning and confronting him.
How about a compromise where he gets invited, but as soon as he gets off the plane they say 'We've changed our minds - p1ss off back home you despotic little turd'.

[MrsT]

I like your thinking ludwig! And can you get a bigger picture for your Avatar!

[ludwig]

I've never actually seen my avatar - whenever I try to use the new fangled site my computers - both at home and work - crash. If it's a tiny little head that would be something I was experimenting with on my last attempt. I'll have another go.

[Gromit]

�If you are an international leader then you are going to have to be prepared to meet some people your mother would not like you to meet. That is what we have to do from time to time,�

- President of the European Commission

I reckon Brown was scared.

[barniclebill]

Definately is. It's Thatcher's fault that Zimbabwe's in the mess it's in, that's the only reason that Brown isn't touching it. Leave it to the tories to fix next time they get in. How the story would be different if there was a huge stock pile of oil under it!

[Loosehead]

Nothing surprises me with the EU any more, I mean fraud and corruption abound, not much better than Rhodesia in that respect. It's not surprising that they do not find it odd that they are breaking their own rules. It's pretty well known that I'm a Tory but I think GB is doing the right thing. Why should he sit down with scum like Mugabe? Why do we give a sh1t what the unelected head Eurocrat thinks anyway!

The sooner this corrupt mass collapses (the EU!) the better for true Europeans.

[MrsT]

What planet are you on Barnacle? how can it possibly be my fault? They wanted independence, they got it, they elected the leader WTF has it got to do with me?

[Gromit]

The idea of sanctions against Zimbabwe was to isolate Mugabe.

Instead, Brown has given Mugabe a huge publicity victory and succeeded in isolating himself. What a fathead.

At least it seems to impress demented Tory voters who wholeheartedly back Brown and keep the hapless Cameron out of power.

[R1Man]

Now I'm no expert barnacle but I beleive MrsT has had no control over anything for 17 years and no control over Mugabeland for over 25 years so how come tw@ts like you still seem to find ways of blaming the Iron Lady! How can she possibly be responsible for what the egg and spoons have done to Rhodesia?

[ludwig]

It says here that Gordon Bean is sending Baroness Amos to represent Britain - so it's not even a boycott then.
It's basically just Bean wanting to avoid that embarrassing moment when he has to either shake or refuse to shake Mugabe's hand.
He's managed to avoid both confronting him AND boycotting him.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7132874 .stm

[jake-the-peg]

You don't remember Mrs T?

You don't recall letting Lord Carrington to oversee the transition from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe where Mugabe "won" power?

He totally failed ( google him if your memory fails you) .

He was still head of the foreign office when Argentina invaded the Falklands and took responsibility for complacency and failures


One of your finest

[Gromit]

The Despot Mugabe has few friends in the world.

And yet Brown has managed to let him emerge from all this with a Victory.

Brown exits the world stage, left, with egg on his face.

[MrsT]

Ok so you're not happy with Carrington, I still don't think all the ills in the country for the last 25 years can be blamed on how the transition was managed. I think Mr Mugabe has had teensy weensy bit of control since!

[jake-the-peg]

Of course now would be the time for a great leader of the opposition to stand up and explain how he'd handle such a situation so much better...Wouldn't it David?

David?

Anybody seen....? Oh never mind

[jake-the-peg]

Carrington let Mugabe in the door.

Neither you or he objected to the rigged elections and stabbed Nkomo in the back in your urgency to cut and run.

Mugabe is an apalling despot but Margaret Thatchers inexperience in letting a bungling old school Tory handle one of the worlds most sensitive tasks was a shameful episode

[R1Man]

get real JTP, so the wrong despot won, so bloody what. The other guy would have no doubt done the same in his own favour. End result the same, that's what happens when you let the harvests run things!