Mugabe and Ahmadinejad left out of U.N. summit dinner

[ohio2007]

Source: Reuters

ROME (Reuters) - The Italian and U.N. hosts of a U.N. crisis summit on rising food prices on Monday left the presidents of Zimbabwe and Iran off the guest list of a ceremonial dinner for the leaders attending the meeting.Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is able to take part in the conference only because an EU travel ban on him does not apply to U.N. 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 was named on the list of guests for the official dinner being given on Tuesday by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for the heads of state attending the June 3-5 summit, Italian media reported.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.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL0273929420080602

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Mugabe is persona non grata at the dinner table.

Same thing for 'the dinner jacket although this news won't make it in their state controlled medias.

[notfullofit]

1. Good. nt

[Bacchus39]

2. and Bush for the hat trick?? n/t

bbb

[Spouting Horn]

3. It would have been nice

if they'd have disallowed Bush (assuming he'd of gone), considering he is a big reason for the high prices of food.

[David__77]

4. They shouldn't be holding "summit dinners."

How bourgeois. There are more substantive matters to attend to than self-congratulatory ceremonies.

[Bush_MUST_Go]

5. Summit dinner to discuss how people are starving? Talk about irony.