The Hindu : International : U.S., U.K. in unholy alliance, says Mugabe

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 19, 2005

International

International

U.S., U.K. in unholy alliance, says Mugabe

Hasan Suroor

LONDON: Zimbabwe's outspoken President Robert Mugabe has caused outrage in Britain after he called Prime Minister Tony Blair an "international terrorist'' for invading Iraq.

Mr. Mugabe reportedly departed from the text of his speech at a conference of the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) in Rome to compare Mr. Blair to Hitler and Mussolini and said Britain and America were locked in an "unholy'' alliance to dominate the world.

Hitler analogy

Accusing Mr. Blair and U.S. President George W.Bush of illegally invading Iraq, he said: "Must we allow these men, the two unholy men of our millennium, who in the same way as Hitler and Mussolini formed an unholy alliance — formed an alliance to invade an innocent country?''

In remarks, widely reported in the British media and described by British representative at FAO Matthew Wyatt as "extremely unfortunate,'' Mr. Mugabe said: "Is this the world we deserve?

"The world of giants and international terrorists who use their state muscle in order to intimidate us?''

Questioning the British and U.S. criticism of his land reforms which London and Washington blame for food shortages in Zimbabwe, Mr. Mugabe said: "The voice of Mr. Bush and the voice of Mr. Blair can't decide who shall rule in Zimbabwe, who shall rule in Africa, who shall rule in Venezuela, who shall rule in Iran, who shall rule in Iraq.''

U.K. dismisses remarks

Downing Street said Mr. Mugabe's attack would not "deflect'' Britain from raising its concerns about his regime.

"Nothing that Mr. Mugabe says surprises us or will deflect us from our view of what is going on in Zimbabwe which is far from a laughing matter,'' a spokesman said.

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