Zimbabwe Attacks Western Envoys!

Oftentimes, things that happen in African nations startle and shock those of us in the Western world. This morning’s attack on U.S. and British envoys by Zimbabwe police forces is no exception. But given that more “developed” nations have played such a major role in the exploitation of Africa, should it come as a surprise that hostility continues to be shown towards those who represent Western ideals? (See http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0416-24.htm)

According to CNN, Zimbabwe police, soldiers and war veterans stopped a convoy of U.S. and British embassy vehicles this morning and threatened to burn the diplomats. Two U.S. Embassy cars and a British Embassy vehicle were going to check on reports of recent violence in Zimbabwe when they were stopped, U.S. Ambassador James McGee said.

When he found out that embassy personnel were detained, McGee said he sent an embassy security officer to the scene to see if he could help. Police pulled the security officer, a local, from the car, and beat him, McGee said. "These are diplomatic-plated vehicles. They knew exactly who was in those vehicles," McGee said. "Zimbabwe has become a lawless country.'

The police, soldiers and veterans slashed the tires on one of the American vehicles and took telephones from inside the car, he said. The veterans threatened to burn the people inside the vehicles if they did not accompany them to police headquarters, said McGee, who was not in the convoy. A Zimbabwe Ministry of Foreign Affairs team went to the scene -- 28 miles north of the capital of Harare -- to try to free the diplomats, who were still being held five hours afterward, the ambassador said.