Exclusive: Mugabe prepares for war

[tpsbmam]

Source: The Independent (UK)

Robert Mugabe is preparing to defy international pressure and launch a systematic crackdown in Zimbabwe aimed at reversing his defeat in the presidential election two weeks ago, according to dissident policemen who have been briefed on his plans.

Through an intermediary, the policemen told The Independent on Sunday that they have been ordered to be ready to deploy today or tomorrow. With their ranks swollen by so-called "war veterans" given police uniforms, they would take over constituency "command centres" used in the 29 March elections.

Two weeks ago the ruling Zanu-PF party not only lost its majority in the House of Assembly, but, in the presidential contest, Mr Mugabe is believed to have finished well behind Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

The growing crisis over the government's failure to release the election results, coupled with rising violence in rural areas where the MDC did well, has reinforced fears of a crackdown. Mr Mugabe has also defied international pressure to declare the result, spurning a regional summit on Zimbabwe's problems called yesterday by the President of neighbouring Zambia.

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/exclusive-mugabe-prepares-for-war-808500.html

[Jester Messiah]

1. Ah crap.

Why did I allow myself to hope that it might have been different for Zimbabwe?

[SteinbachMB]

2. What a

dickhead. And why aren't other African leaders condemning him?

[Zynx]

7. In fairness I believe some have been exerting pressure.

[izquierdista]

3. Mugabe was first in his class

At the Rufus T. Firefly School of Government

"If you think this country's bad off now, just wait til I get through with it!" -- Firefly

[saigon68]

4. "Freedom and Democracy are on the March", the Chimp

OOPs wrong War

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

5. Losing a fixed election is quite the accomplishment

I wonder if the DU Robert Mugabe Fan club is on their way to fight for ZANU-PF

[struggle4progress]

6. Southern African Leaders Press Zimbabwe

By CELIA W. DUGGER and LYDIA POLGREEN
Published: April 13, 2008

LUSAKA, Zambia — After a marathon session to address Zimbabwe’s political impasse, southern Africa’s political leaders on Sunday urged the government of President Robert Mugabe to permit representatives of the opposition to be present when vote tabulations are verified, handing the opposition a substantial victory ...

The bloc of nations, known as S.A.D.C., offered to send election observers to monitor the vote counting process and a possible runoff.

Mr. Mugabe did not attend the summit meeting, and his representatives left the session without making any public comments ...

On Sunday, a state-owned newspaper, The Sunday Mail, reported that votes for 23 seats would be recounted Saturday, raising the possibility that the opposition’s victory could be reversed, Reuters reported ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/13/world/africa/13zimbabwe.html?em&ex=1208318400&en=57a619316277b225&ei=5087%0A

[tom_paine]

8. Mugabe is what Bush would be if he were Emperor in 50 to 100 years.

In fact, I strongly suspect that the members of the Bush Imperial Family who hold the throne for their eight years in the 2050 and after period will be some brutal, evil fuckers.

Just following the present trend to it's logical conclusion if the trend remains unaltered.

Mugabe and Bush are certainly member of the same psychological category and we can just be happy that Bush's takeover of America did not happen pre-60s, because they would be MUCH more violent, evil and more directly Nazi-like, as they were then while lynching blacks and beating or murdering liberals.

The point being: Mugabe and Bush are very similar men, it is only their circumastances that are different.

[mainegreen]

9. I'm suprised the military doesn't toss him on his ass.

With his insane economic policies even the soldiers don't make a living wage. Hell, even if you paid them a living wage (what's that, 100 trillion Zim now?) there'd be nothing to buy. The old man has some crazy skills when it comes to holding on to power when it seems like it should be totally impossible.