Foreign affairs. WHAT'S TO GAIN IN TWISTING THE TIGER'S TAIL?

(From Financial Mail)

Byline: Peter Honey

Foreign affairs WHAT'S TO GAIN IN TWISTING THE TIGER'S TAIL? US envoy sparks at SA posture on Zimbabwe, North Korea American ambassador Jendayi Frazer's frustration is palpable.

"It is disappointing and heartbreaking," she says of Africa's, especially Southern Africa's, support for Zimbabwe's recent re-election to the UN Human Rights Commission.

"To do that just undermines credibility across the board. It undermines the Nepad (New Partnership for Africa's Development) vision. It undermines the peer review vision. It undermines the sort of Monterrey consensus that talked about donor assistance and Africa increasing good governance. It undermines our whole common agenda." This isn't some crony diplomat talking: Frazer is a personal friend and influential colleague of US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice; a …