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Mugabe calls top US official 'an idiot'
AFP via Times of India ^ | July 6, 2009

Posted on 07/06/2009 11:30:49 AM PDT by Schnucki

HARARE: Zimbabwe's state media reported Monday that President Robert Mugabe described the US assistant secretary of state for African affairs as ``an idiot'' after an acrimonious meeting between the two at an African summit in Libya.

The state Herald newspaper carried the remarks after a briefing Mugabe gave to Zimbabwean reporters at the end of last week's summit of the continentwide African Union.

US Embassy officials in Zimbabwe and Ethiopia, where Assistant Secretary of State Johnnie Carson is visiting, would not comment on the remarks.

According to the Herald paper, Mugabe said nothing came out of those talks.

``You wouldn't speak to an idiot of that nature. I was very angry with him, and he thinks he could dictate to us what to do,'' Mugabe was quoted as saying.

He said regional leaders supported the formation of a power-sharing government in February and then ``you have the likes of little fellows like Carson saying 'do this, do that'.''

``Who is he? I hope he is not speaking for Obama. I told him he was a shame, a great shame being an African American,'' Mugabe was quoted as saying.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, head of the former opposition, visited President Barack Obama in Washington last month as part of a trip to the United States and Europe to re-engage with Western leaders after a decade of Zimbabwean isolation.

Mugabe is known for vitriolic outbursts against his critics, reserving some of his harshest comments for those who, like Carson, are black.

Mugabe labeled Carson's predecessor, Jendayi Frazer, who is also black, as ``that little girl trotting around the globe like a prostitute'' to campaign against him.

Frazer had criticized Mugabe's party over political violence and vote rigging surrounding disputed national elections in March 2008.

The pro-Mugabe state media launched repeated attacks against former US Ambassador James McGee, who is also black, describing him as a ``house Negro'' for white Western leaders.

In typical language used by Mugabe, he has called former British Prime Minister Tony Blair a ``B-Liar.''

Before Tsvangirai joined the coalition government, Mugabe had referred to him as ``Fatcheeks'' and a tea boy, a lowly domestic worker.

On Friday, McGee, whose left Zimbabwe Sunday after a three-year tenure, promised more US support for the country's political and economic recovery but said democratic reforms needed to be in place first.

McGee, a harsh critic of Mugabe's autocratic rule, rejected the idea that Zimbabwe needed more support from donors to restore the rule of law, respect for human rights and to guarantee basic freedoms of speech and association.

``It doesn't cost anything ... to have judges apply the law equally. Dropping phantom politically motivated prosecutions is free. Stopping the arrests of political activists and independent journalists is also free,'' McGee said in a farewell speech.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: bhoafrica; johnniecarson; mugabe; obamazimbabwe; robertmugabe; usembassy; zimbabwe
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To: Schnucki

Wow, how much worse can it get when the worst dictator in African history calls a representative of the worst dictator in American history an idiot!!????


21 posted on 07/06/2009 12:46:58 PM PDT by DustyMoment (FloriDUH - proud inventors of pregnant/hanging chads and judicide!!)
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To: Schnucki

we better send Mugabe another boatload of money. then, he will really like us!!


22 posted on 07/06/2009 12:49:43 PM PDT by wafflehouse (RE-ELECT NO ONE !)
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To: johniegrad

“Why don’t you two idiots shake hands?...”


23 posted on 07/06/2009 12:54:33 PM PDT by onedoug
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To: Las Vegas Ron

Chavez was talking about the government of Honduras, not the US. Unfortunately, the story has the word guerrilla misspelled.

“Venezuela’s Chavez told the gathered leaders that “it’s the moment to act” to restore Zelaya. “I’ll do everything possible to overthrow this gorilla government of Honduras. It must be overthrown,” the socialist leader said.”


24 posted on 07/06/2009 1:12:05 PM PDT by Mila
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To: Mila

Oops, I forgot the link.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/06/29/clinton-unrest-honduras-evolved-coup/


25 posted on 07/06/2009 1:13:10 PM PDT by Mila
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To: Colonel Kangaroo

Carson should have told Mugabe, “May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits.”


26 posted on 07/06/2009 1:14:46 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: wafflehouse

Mugabe calls top US official 'an idiot'

And of course, Mugabe is a genius. Care to buy a loaf of bread in his country? You'll need one of these...


27 posted on 07/06/2009 1:15:37 PM PDT by COBOL2Java (Big government more or less guarantees rule by creeps and misfits.)
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To: Mila
This is what was quoted as we were following a live stram from Honduras: "Chavez just damned the "imperialistic Gorilla American government"!

I heard the "Ameicana" part but my Spanish is sorely lacking.

Did it turn out to be a bad translation?

28 posted on 07/06/2009 1:18:28 PM PDT by Las Vegas Ron (zer0 is doing to capitalism what Kennedy did to health care)
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To: Schnucki

That’s alright, Mugabe - we’ve been calling the Obama Administration idiots for a lot longer than you have.


29 posted on 07/06/2009 1:21:22 PM PDT by reagan_fanatic (When you put Democrats in charge, stupid things happen)
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To: Las Vegas Ron
"Did it turn out to be a bad translation?

I bet you dollars to doughnuts your Spanish is a heck of a lot better than mine. I would imagine that it would be easy to mistranslate a word or two, particularly when you are trying to make sense out of a live feed. I know that I could never even attempt to do it. My hat's off to you. It's entirely possible that you translated it correctly, but the person who was speaking wasn't clear.

My suspicions about the accuracy of the quote came from the fact that, as far wanting Zeyala reinstated as president of Honduras, Chavez and Obama seem to be on the same page. Because of that, there would be no reason at this time for him to call for the overthrow of the US government. Also, it was just too coincidental that Chavez used the word gorilla/guerilla in his statement. The militia that removed Zeyala from office could well be considered by Chavez to be guerrillas, even though they are not in fact an irregular armed group but the official military of Hounduras. I googled Chavez and guerrillas and voila, I found the actual quote. It looks like that whoever wrote the original story confused the two words and the spellings.

30 posted on 07/06/2009 3:44:45 PM PDT by Mila
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To: Mila

Hounduras=Honduras


31 posted on 07/06/2009 3:45:59 PM PDT by Mila
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To: Schnucki

Looks like Obama had to pick a dead late-nite comedy TV personality to be Sec’ty for African Affairs - to what?....find someone who’d paid their taxes?


32 posted on 07/06/2009 3:48:52 PM PDT by HardStarboard ("The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule - Mencken knew Obama)
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To: COBOL2Java

With just one of those, you could pay off the U.S. Debt and have 87 Trillion left over. No wonder Obama wants to befriend Mugabe.


33 posted on 07/06/2009 3:51:03 PM PDT by HardStarboard ("The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule - Mencken knew Obama)
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