Posted by
InchDeep on Tuesday, June 03, 2008 11:31:19 AM
Yep that will show them. I believe though they will be welcome at Obama's house. No perconditions.
www.theaustralian.news.com.au
ROME: The Italian and UN hosts of a food
summit excluded the leaders of Zimbabwe and Iran from the opening
dinner yesterday, as fury continued to reverberate around Western
capitals after Robert Mugabe flew into Rome in defiance of an EU travel
ban.
Mugabe is staying at the five-star Ambasciatori Palace Hotel on the Via Veneto.
A deluxe suite at the hotel costs E900 ($1500) a night.
The art deco hotel, built in 1905 and refurbished in the 1990s, offers "gourmet buffets" and a "refined catering service".
As millions of people starve under his brutal rule in Zimbabwe,
Mugabe was able to attend the meeting in Rome only because an EU travel
ban on him does not apply to UN forums.
And Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on his first visit to Western Europe as
Iranian President, made sure of a frosty welcome by offending Israel on
the eve of his departure. Neither were invited to the dinner, hosted by
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon for the heads of state attending the June 3-5 summit. Western
ministers said Mugabe was responsible for the food shortages faced by
millions in Zimbabwe's shattered economy.
"We will not allow the millions of people who can no longer afford a
normal meal to be held hostage by Mugabe," said Dutch Development
Minister Bert Koenders.
British International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said
four million Zimbabweans had to rely on food aid because of Mugabe's
policies.
"This is not a man with any credibility or any contribution to a discussion on international food," he said.
Mr Ahmadinejad said before setting off for Rome that Israel would
soon disappear off the map, and the "satanic power" of the US would be
destroyed.
His visit had already created a diplomatic headache for Italy and
the Holy See after he was said to have requested a meeting with the
Pope and Mr Berlusconi. The Italian Government ruled out a meeting,
citing time constraints, and the Pope's schedule for the week mentioned
no audiences for any of the summit's heads of state.
US Agriculture Secretary Ed Shafer said he would not meet either of the men in Rome.
"We are glad they're here, we appreciate the opportunity for
dialogue, but it is our position that we will not meet with them," Mr
Shafer said.
Mr Alexander said he would not shake hands with Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980.
Inflation in Zimbabwe is 165,000 per cent, unemployment stands at 80
per cent and there are chronic shortages of basic necessities including
food and fuel. About 3.5 million people have fled to escape poverty.
At the summit, world leaders will be urged overnight to cut EU and
US biofuel targets immediately and divert more grain to tackle the
global food crisis.
With more than 40 heads of state at the emergency summit, aid
organisations stepped up demands for action on biofuels, which have
contributed to an 83per cent rise in food prices in the past three
years.