IS THE SOW CALL IRON LADY OF LIBERIA, ANOTHER DUMP PUPPET OF THE WESTERN WORLD? sanctions WILL ONLY MAKE THE SATUATION BAD. THE WEST IS USING HER TO CARRY ON THEIR DIRTY WORKS. WHAT HAVE THEY DONE FOR LIBERIA SO MUCH. BE VERY CAREFUL HOW YOU JUMP INTO QUICK DECISION.

What Ellen fail to realize is thatby backing targeted sanctions against members of Mugabe's regime by western power it is not Mugabe that the sanction is harming but the ordinay Zimbabwean people that are suffering. Zimbabwe alrady has the worst inflation in the world but Mugabe regime is still there but the masses are dying day and night. Dialogue is the solution to the political conflict in Zimbawean.

How will stopping mugabe and regime traveling outside the country cause a problem to the good people of Zimbabwe? How will freezing personal accounts of mugabe and regime affect the good people of Zimbabwe?

I cant for the life of me see how it will hurt the good starving Zimbabwe people.

O Great and learned SELT...please explain to us lesser mortals how targetted santions preventing zanu thugs from travelling abroad is going to harm zimbabwe??? We are too stupid to make the connection.

I'm baffled by the cynicism towards this lady, Mrs. President. Let's not just criticise this lady, let's lay out what we think should be done with the situation in Zimbabwe. First of all, let's point out whether Zimbabwe is in crisis or not. Secondly, who is responsible for the crisis? Thirdly, how can we best resolve this crisis? Can the resolution method be universally applied?

President Sirleaf certainly got an opinion on how to resolve the issue and I should respect that. I also respect your opinion on her opinion but I vehemently disagree with the scorn and disrespect piled on her. Should we reward Mugabe or punish him for what he is doing in Zimbabwe? If punish, then are sanctions the best tool? If not sanctions, then what else can we do to restore normalcy in Zimbabwe? There shouldn't be a doubt that there is a problem in Zimbabwe and there are chief perpetrators there.

If we don't want to confront the orchestrators of the crisis in Zimbabwe, then we're cool with what's going on there and the status quo should remain.

Let's learn to accept responsibility for our sins and not just look the other way for scapegoats. Let's learn to point the finger back at ourselves before pointing it the other way. Let's not let our past stop us from being objective. There is no doubt that colonialism was a heinous crime and no excuse for it but guys, let's move away from this and build our nations. The chances are non of those we are venting our angers at are immediately culpable of colonial sins. Let's bury the hatchett and work together for the betterment of ourselves.

I detest COLONIALISM, I detest IMPERIALISM. I detest what Mugabe is doing in defense of a fight against colonialism and imperialism. Don't kill your own people, you will need them to defend you. Muroyi royera kure, vehama vazokununura!

Thank you for that Peter, I have been saying the same thing on other threads for quite a while. Staying obsessed with the past only prevents someone from seeing the way forward.

I fail to understand your justification for calling her dump. Do you understand what sanction means? Did she sit with you to discuss this? Sanction could mean anything from freezing bank account to travel restrictions.

Her dirty work, thankfully, to help bring some sanity back into our lives. Africans justify these barbaric activities by blaming imperialist and their "puppets". Get over it and stop putting the blame in the wrong places.

You have a senile, old man who will do anything to stay in power. He is killing his own people. If he is so mad with the imperialist, go kill the imperialist.

You are worried about sanctions hurting his people. Well, maybe you are right. The Machetes will hurt them less than sanction

Ellen is very vindictive for those who don't know the type of person she is. She is calling on senctions against members of Mugabe's regime inorder to justify the unnecessary sections on the Taylor regime. Ellen is a DEVIL!!

If President Sirleaf is the Devil, that makes Taylor what? We are talking about the same Taylor right, the one that brought war to Liberia? You must be affected by the sanctions; please leave your personal issues aside, this is public matters and goes far beyond you....

As the first African female president, she is not a puppet of the west. Mugabe is a tyrant and dictator who hijack power. He is not the only educated Zimbabwean.Therefore, he must adhere to democratic principles by stepping down.

Agreed, as the first female President of Africa she must be an amazing lady.Ellen would have to be very smart and very informed to be in the position she is. I see her being in a position to do amazing things in Africa.If Ellen takes the right course she will be in the history books alongside Mandela.

Bt111 is right about Ellen. Ellen is indeed a puppet of the west. I have to disagree with the West and addy0013. Sanction on mugabe is not directly affecting Mugabe but the ordianry people. As a Liberia base in the USA who has resided in Liberia under Taylor regime sanction don't work. Sanction was on Taylor but it never affected him and his inner circle personally but the innocent masses.. Mugabe will ride the best car, live in the palace, eat good food, travel to his allies around the world why the ordinary people suffer.

Mugabe and regime steal more money from the Zimbabwe people to ride in the best cars and eat the best food.I know that when things get to hard he will run like the coward he is.It can only go one for so long like any thief any place.

Selt, I thought mugabe routinely done that anyways..so why oppose the sanctions..the people of zim are suffering sanctions or no sanctions! it would be a nice gesture if mugabe and his thugs were restricted access to their ill begotten wealth and had some of their freedoms curtailed by the west! surely that wont harm the people of zim..if anything it may well make them happy!!!! I know I would!!!

I tend to believe you are the real devil and as you seem to agree with what Mugabe is doing to our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe. Are you going to say the same thing if his thugs do to your family members what they have done to the opposition? Do you believe no one else can run Zimbabwe but Mugabe? The man has been the president of Zimbabwe for about 30 years and he is over 80 years old; can't you see? The man is desparate because he knows he is going to the Internation Criminal Court as soon as he is out of office. Mandela has set an example for all the leaders of Africa but few seem to see or care. This man, if he wanted to, could still be the President of South Africa. Please open up your mind and feel the pain our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe and feeling. Do on to others as you would like them to do on to you. I rest my case.

I wish more people would realise how smart Mugabe is. He is an expert in Divide and Conquer. He knows how to play the race card well. He has black people fighting against white people and anyone who tries to use common-sense is said to be for the west.

I wish peopl who write on these blogs would state where there are from so we can have a better understanding of why the reason the way they do.

Having lived in Zimbabwe myself, I know how bad Mugabe is. I know there might be a little bias when it comes to how the west treats dictators but at the same time what he has done and is still doing cannot be condoned.

I am very sick and tire of follow Africans letting leaders play the race card when it suits them. How many times will our leaders blame the West for their downfall and greed, while innocent people continue to suffer? Everything that happens in Africa, we Africans are quick to blame the West refusing to accept the responsibility of our leader’s foolishness. The West did not tell President Robert Mugabe to destruct his country economy nor did they tell him stayed in power for twenty-fours while qualify individuals are available. When leaders come out and speak against it, they are call sponsors of Western leader’s ideas. What happening in Zimbabwe is terrible, innocent people are dying but we do not see that all we see is other African leaders betrayals of their follow leaders. You and I have no idea at the level of suffering undertaking by the people of Zimbabwe but we are quick to criticize leaders like the Liberian president who had seem her own country destructed by such leaders who have no respect for humans sufferings. African leaders steal billions of dollars from their countries, stack them in European banks, and tell you and me not to trust western leaders. Why you think that sanctions is the number one topic when dealing with African leaders because all our leaders have money in European banks. Stop the foolishness and madness Africans you are smarter then you think and with this kind of mind, Africa will never become develop. While China and India continue to advance in every area, we Africans are letting leaders like Mugabe destruct Africa growth and development. (Author- Mushutu) A Liberian living in the USA.

It is mialeading to refer to this woman as a 'respected' African leader. Be specific and say American made, USA respected puppet. She knows nothing about the problems that we grew up in, in Zimbabwe. She has no idea what makes the Zimbabwean tick. Liberians have always been split in two, those who think Liberia is part of the USA and the true authentic African-Liberians. She belongs to the former. Need I say more?

Ellen is not a puppet of anyone but a new generation, farsighted African leader. If the west is leading the call for the respect of humanright in Zimbabwe, what is wrong with it? Should an abuser of his people get away with it because the west is concern? This is not a conflict between Africa and the West, but between good and evil.As an African, I am proud Ellen is standing up for the vocieleas people of Zimbabwe.

This post was deleted because it contravenes AllAfrica's commenting guidelines.

Sanctions sometimes have the appearance of being more about making those who impose them feel better than making those at whom they are aimed change their minds.

In the case of Zimbabwe, for example, the proposal is that the top 14 people in the country's political and security apparatus should not be able to travel abroad and should have their assets abroad frozen. An arms embargo is under proposal.

However, those prepared to use force to maintain their positions are hardly likely to worry about not being able to travel and as long as they have got their money safely back home, they will continue to live well. Arms embargoes are often ineffective.

That is often the problem with sanctions - they fail to have the effect intended. Ellen is Wsetern puppet. As a Liberian I am ashame of her as my leader.

For all those who think the president is a puppet, please state your none-puppet ideas for us. I do not know about other on this site, but I would appreciate it. The more I read comments on here the more I see people with plenty of opinions but no solutions. Regardless of who is a puppet of the west and who is not, solutions are needed. Pointing out who is a puppet is NOT one.

If you don't have an actually solution, I understand. It is easier to criticize others opinions then make some of your own.

I agree with you 100%. It is all right for people to have their opinions but none of them have a "working" model or theory as to how the problem can be fixed. I am not going to pretend like I have the answer myself. I do know that it is best to isolate a despot like Mugabe. Unfortunatley things have to get worse before they get better. It annoys me that when anyone goes against Mugabe they are automatically a puppet of the west. I am African. I have an education. I can think for myself and I do not need the west to influence me. Sirleaf is African and she is educated. Those who want to stay in their ignorant and uneducated bliss can do so but at the cost of the advancement of the African people. Sanctions against a few members do not affect the people as badly as bad choices made by a president like Mugabe. I am fed up with these African presidents messing up and blaming others for their mistake!

ok, you ask for a working model or theory ..... I have two, but both would be unworkable in one way or another under the current charged political climate.

1: the 'worse before better' theory.

There are thousands of trained and experienced farmers, tradesmen and industrialists who would love a chance to return to Zimbabwe and help create a country that would again be the envy of Africa, pretty much as it was in the 1980s ..... but they will not return until the situation within Zimbabwe is less dangerous for them.

Pros: It would restart the economy, food and industrial bases ..... and restore faith in the floundering government.

Cons: It would place returning whites in positions of influence for a minimum period of about 15 years as they trained the next generation of executives, farmers etc. ..... possibly longer on the farms if the soil has been left to near barren while they employed their horticultural knowledge to coax it back into life.

2: the 'immunity' theory

Trade the government immunity to prosecution for their crimes as long as they step down and hand power to the opposition, that way there is a real chance to get Zimbabwe back on track with new blood at the helm.

Pros: new blood in government, hopefully ones that will work for Zimbabwe

Cons: Unpopular with the international community and most Zimbabweans, would set a dangerous precedent for future dictators to follow.

For the information of Mkumbungu from an earlier post, I am English by birth, and lived in country during bother the Rhodesia and Zimbabwe phases of its history ..... I still have friends I keep in contact with from the Bulawayo area (both black and white). Left Zim in the 80's (while the 5th Brigade actions were ravaging Matabeleland) and have been keeping as close an eye on the situations within as well as I could since ..... I would love to return myself with my family, but under no expectation of favour, and no fear of persecution.

I realise that the models I have outlined there are simplistic and rely on the good will of the government in charge at the time, and I expect to be flamed from both sides of the fence for even having the nerve to suggest them ..... but they both represent a 'square one' strategy, and I believe going back to square one is the only way that there is a way forward. The economy is in such a state that rebuilding it from scratch is a must, the farmland is the same, as is the industrial sector ..... Let the whites back into the communities, but under Zimbabwean terms ..... they can run the farms and build them back up, but on fixed lease contracts, after the contracts run out the farms revert to either black ownership, or even black/white cooperative ownerships. Everybody will win in that scenario, and it will all be under Zimbabwean terms.

If sanctions would not hurt Mugabe and his cronies why the hell are they vehemently opposing them ? Mugabe like Bashir should be charged with crimes against humanity for all the killings he's done to Zimbabweans in the last three decades he has ruled Zimbabwe. Mugabe's problem is not that he would not have access to expensive western toys and gagdets and food. Rather his hold on power and governance will and should rightly be undermined. He can ride in all the best cars in the world, eat the best food, or whatever his materialistic greed drives his demented mind to want. The sanctions are supposed to cut his political legs below knees; to remove him from power that he has abused ignominiously. For example, he and his cronies should not have access to weapons and their spare parts to kill and maime his political opponents; he should not be privy to international deliberations or any kind: he should be isolated politically and personally. In simpleer terms, make it expensive to the point of it being impossible for the regime to acquire and enjoy all the amenities a modern government needs to function and survive. Ellen was democratically elected in free and fair elections. How many presiding African heads of state lay such a claim to their being in power ? Not even a handful. So this for Ellen: go girl, your stand has to be applauded.

greens...what an excellent post....!!! you ask pertinent questions which the brainswashed unschooled lot on here have failed to respond to!! please keep on exposing their stupidity!!!!