Posted on 06/05/2008 7:57:28 AM PDT by Smogger
HARARE, Zimbabwe - U.S. diplomats and British colleagues were attacked as they tried to investigate political violence in Zimbabwe, American officials said Thursday.
The U.S. ambassador reportedly blamed the incident on President Robert Mugabe's government.
"Police put up a roadblock, stopped the vehicles, slashed the tires, reached in and grabbed telephones from my personnel, and the war veterans (Mugabe's supporters) threatened to burn the vehicles with my people inside unless they got out and accompanied police to a station nearby," Reuters quoted U.S. Ambassador James McGee as saying.
McGee said he believes the orders of intimidation are "coming directly from the top."
'Lawless country' "Zimbabwe has become a lawless country," McGee said. "The government is trying to intimidate its own people into voting what they consider the correct way, and now what they're trying to do is intimidate diplomats" from traveling into the countryside.
Paul Engelstad, spokesman for the U.S. Embassy, said an Embassy employee was beaten and tires of cars in the convoy were slashed. Engelstad said the group was still being detained at a roadblock in rural Zimbabwe.
He said McGee, who did not go on the trip, was pressing Zimbabwean officials to release them.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
I know someone over there (or at least was over there), and I hope she is still alive. It is bad to be white and a woman in Zimbabwe...
Yes, he has a little Hitler mustache. No joke.
Black Hitler.
A Nazi killer? or is he a Nazi.......hmmm, wrong complexion.
At least he’s not dining on his enemies like Idi Amin! Or is he?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.