Libyas war fuels Mugabes fire

Mugabe, a strong ally of the beleaguered Libyan despot, told reporters at State House on Monday that the Arabs had been cheated into signing the UN resolution introducing a no-fly zone over Libya. Mugabe said the West interpreted the UN resolution “in their own hypocritical way”, allowing them to bomb Libya.

Mugabe said the resolution was meant to ground Gaddafi’s planes and save civilians not disarm him and wage a Western-led campaign against his regime.

Lebanon, the Security Council’s only Arab member, introduced the no-fly provisions of the draft resolution – strongly endorsed by the Arab League – to council members at a closed meeting March 15. It was unanimously adopted, even by Gaddafi. The Arab League has, however, blasted the military campaign in Libya by Western countries, saying they never approved the bombing and overthrow of Gaddafi.

Western countries say they resorted to military action after Gaddafi defied the no-fly zone resolution and continued bombing civilians. The coalition forces say they regret the “collateral damage” that has resulted in the killing of dozens of civilians in the air offensive against Gaddafi’s military establishments.

Mugabe, whose Zanu (PF) party receives campaign funds from Gaddafi and farming implements for its campaign, said he did not think the Libyan leader was right to bomb his own people, but said it was hoped that he could reform and install better government without foreign intervention.

Mugabe claimed the West had taken an active interest in Libya’s internal affairs because of the oil, but Western countries say failure to intervene constituted ethically improper conduct.

Taking into account the ongoing massacre, all of the summary killings that occurred throughout his reign, and the actions of the terrorist groups Gaddafi’s sponsored, it is difficult to appreciate Mugabe’s sympathy with a murdering dictator. Approximately 10 000 civilians demanding the end of Gaddafi’s 42-year rule have been killed in aerial strikes by the Libyan strongman’s war machine.

Despite Mugabe’s open support for Gaddafi right to the end, the Libyan leader is either going to be dead or detained. Gaddafi has been reported to be considering fleeing to Zimbabwe, but he has vowed that he will go down fighting. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said she is flabbergasted and “speechless” about the possibility of Gaddafi fleeing to Zimbabwe.

“I was almost rendered speechless by the idea of him and Mugabe together,” Clinton said.

There are reports that the Zimbabwean army is helping Gaddafi in Libya. But Defence minister Emerson Mnangagwa has rejected the charges in Parliament.