Since this is the thread where we discussed Mugabe, here's an interesting note. Mugabe's in Paris today. The EU has in fact banished Mugabe from visiting Europe. But the French went ahead and invited him anyway. "Unilaterally."
And when people protested, they had the police break it up.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/zimbabwe/a...899182,00.html
Police moved quickly to break up the demonstrations by force, in some cases dragging protesters away by their ankles, and the French government defended its invitation to Mr Mugabe, which had infuriated Britain and other EU countries.
...The French president, Jacques Chirac, on a diplomatic roll, plainly hopes the conference will cement his reputation as a key player across Africa and not just in France's former, mainly west African, colonies."
See, France has no problem whatsoever with evil tinpot dictators -- as long as they are good for France.