WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - The Obama administration has toned down U.S. rhetoric against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, dropping for now a public demand the veteran African leader step down, said U.S. officials on Monday.
In its closing months, the Bush administration intensified calls for Mugabe to quit, saying Washington could no longer support a government that included him.
Quit, why should he quit just because he stole/lost the election and then terrorized people when the did a revote, and then signed an agreeement but lied that they would share power with the MDC...after all, despite the agreement, they are keeping all the guns and power, and only giving Tsvangirai the dregs...while arresting and terrorizing opposition leaders.
But U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity as Zimbabwe policy is under review, said the language against Mugabe was less forceful under President Barack Obama, who took over two weeks ago.
The goal, they said, was to give southern African nations breathing space in dealing with Mugabe who has agreed on a power-sharing arrangement with Zimbabwe's opposition....
"It's well past time for Robert Mugabe to leave," Rice said in December, adding that African nations must take the lead on pressuring him to quit. Most African states, including South Africa, have stopped short of calling on Mugabe to leave..
Bull. South Africa has been an enabler of Mugabe, looking the other way at the atrocities and pretending they aren't happening. And they don't need "breathing space" to deal with Mugabe: they need a backbone...
On Friday, when pressed whether the U.S. view was still that Mugabe must quit, State Department spokesman Robert Wood avoided calling for the veteran leader's ouster but said there was skepticism whether his power-sharing deal would work.
Skepticism? Can't imagine why (sarcasm)...
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
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