Straw puts his foot in it
 

JACK STRAW
LONDON (Reuters) - Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has been criticised for shaking hands with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, whom he has previously accused of human rights abuses.

Straw was caught by a BBC camera shaking hands with the Zimbabwean leader last week at the United Nations in New York, a move which the Conservative party described as a "scandalous betrayal" of the people of Zimbabwe.

Straw defended his actions by saying it had been too dark to recognise Mugabe.

"I had not expected to see President Mugabe there," he was quoted by newspapers as saying.

"Because it was quite dark in the corner, I was being pushed towards shaking hands with somebody just as a matter of courtesy, and then it transpired it was President Mugabe."

I don't know what is more astonishing - shaking hands with a dictator or the excuse he gave - sounds more like one Blunkett would come up with :)

Given Straw's reputation as a Home Office minister, he was probably asking Mugabe for tips.

Sounds a bit like a "Prince Phillip"......... ;)

Story here

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3695678.stm

Heard him on the radio,


"It was dark, I couldn't really see that well"



An excuse most of us have used at one point or another the following morning! :)

LOL! :D

HOW Dark?!?!?!

https://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/imag...ndshake203.jpg

:rolleyes:

Foot in mouth disease!!

what should he have done?????

He should have turned his back on Mugabe, that's what.

so he's introduced to him...then stood there in front of him he should turn his back and walk off?

i think jacks in politics...not playschool!

maybe he should have done that thing where you go to shake hands then quickly pull your hand away....he could have said "your too slowwwww"

Yes. If he really felt he couldn't do that without giving some explanation he could have said "I'm sorry but it would be inappropriate for me, as a representative of a civilised country, to shake hands with you on acount of your crimes against humanity. Good day."

I resent the fact that Straw, who is representing US, chose to shake hands thereby symbolising agreement with an evil, corrupt dictator.

If he had done that, with the finishing thumb on nose and finger waving flurry, I personally would have written to congratulate him! :D

If it was an honest mistake, which can happen when surrounded by fawning minions etc., then I feel a bit sorry for him. The proper thing was to ignore that nasty piece of work, best done by turning his back on him. Can't see Mugabe getting the SH treatment somehow however!

They have not got any WMD's yet. Got to have a positive reason to attack him. :rolleyes:

Les

"chose to shake hands thereby symbolising agreement with an evil, corrupt dictator."

the shaking of hands, when done at an initial meeting, symbolises agreement of both parties to say hello in a formal manner. thats all.

Identification mistakes happen, but he is the foreign minister! I would have thought that he of all people should be able to recognise someone like Mugabe and understand, as a politician, the diplomatic faux pas that would follow shaking hands with them!

He is a politician, he knows full well the significance of such a gesture which is why in hindsight he is making excuses for doing it, rather than justifying doing it!

Punch in the face would have made me chuckle...

Flip him the bird? :D

He should have unzipped his fly and urinated over the murdering *******! :mad:

What gets me is that he said he could not be inpolite to him! Yes you bloody could you silly t!t, he is a murderous piece of scum who needs putting in front of a jury and convicted of murder, corruption and theft. That is plenty of reason not to shake hands with him :rolleyes:

Anyway time to drum up some rumours about WMD in Zimbabwe so we can bomb the sh!t out of Mugabe next :D

he had a split second to make a call.....he made the obvious one and shook his hand to say hi. no big deal, im sure they didnt swap tales of rape and torture.

while its all very macho to say punch him, piss on him, give hime the bird........in the real world he did what most ppl would do in that position.

T

i think the main point is that he also said "nice to meet you" .after all Mugabe is no better than hitler, has the same tash;)

mike

it was one of those horrible limp handshakes as well.

No need for rumours, just do it! In a years time when we are sifting through the ruins of Zimbabwe all Tony has to do is appoint a judge to give him a rosey write-up and then stand infront of the press with a cheesy grin and say:

"hey, guys, at the time I really believed they had weapons of mass destruction!"

job done!

;)

LOL! Yeah, the least he could have done is grind up the bones in Mugabe's murderous hand with a vice-like grip of steel! :D

It is quite likely that he was led to Mugabe very quickly and therefore did not realise whose hand he was about to shake until too late. Bit difficult to get out of it if you have already clasped hands.

He could of course have dragged Mugabe away from the table when he realised who he was and kicked him in the goolies, but he might have been accused of not being diplomatic!

Les

should have schoolboy errored him then;):D

mike

What is the United Nations' position on Mugabe?

Is it not also considered a sign of respect?

Straw should have said, "I'll shake your hand when you stop murdering your people". Then walked away.

Like most politicians, spineless.

I think he probably got his "excuse" from a colleague closer to home. Can't even think of a decent excuse, cribbing off the less fortunate like that....

Oh dear. he shook hands with Mugabe :Whatever_

People are up in arms about this, yet the UK is allied with a war mongering superpower who happens to have hundreds of people illegaly detained in a sh1tehole of a prison in Guantanamo bay.

Priorities people!