I think Mugabe is acting like a Ghost, as if he is not Zimbabwean, and is getting mud. Let him do that has plained, but hand of Lord God will act on him.let ask God to take over Zimbabwe.

Emmanuel Sandram, Blantyre, Malawi

Believe it or not we have contingency plans for evacuating UK and other entitled citizens from trouble spots all over the world - a sound precaution - I used to have update a number of them in my time - Ther have been a number of times over the years with citizens coming home courtesy of the forces.

Jim, London, UK

It is incongruous to read the UK politicians and military chiefs are holding back from intervention in Zimbabwe because they feel that such action would not have international support. What has changed since March 2003? It will change again when USA madmen order GB to bomb Iran.

Brontus Horace, Truro, UK

People should not fall hook ,line and sinker for the propaganda that a military intervention is the ideal.The majority of Zimbabweans will not view such action as liberation and will fight back.Reports on the ground from Zimbabwe indicate that people are now very angry at this outside interference.

Davis, Manchester,

Yes it would be 'easy' to invade zimbambwe...the big task would be how you would ever get out. Never learn from history. Mugambe would love UK to re-colonize zim again.

jesee itotian, newcastle, uk

A large scale 'Private Military Force' similar to the Security outfits working in Iraq and Afghanistan seems like a viable option. It doesnt commit any particular country to solve the situation in Zim, but a 30,000 man private army Im quite sure could restore Zimbabwae back to the people

John Kiddle, Olympia WA, USA

The French do not have the same problems as our wet PC addicts in Goverment. They go in , do the job , and there are no recriminations afterwards

swisschris, New Malden, UK

I bet Gordon wishes he didnt oversee all those cuts to the Army and RAF now, because we can't actually do anything to help.

What a surprise, politicians who are so short sighted cutting defence capabilities, yet all along revert back to using them, it is pathetic.

Evan, London,

We didn't hear these arguments against intervention for Sierra Leone, another former colony. The French wouldn't be wringing their hands if it were their ex- colony, we have a greater obligation to intervene in Zim than Iraq.

Steven, Dunedin, New Zealand

Zimbabwe is a lost cause, Britain has no intention of military intervention, its ties to South Africa are more important, it would be to costly for no return, except if Mugabe was deposed by a private military force, which would be a solution.

Peter MacDonald, Auckland, New ZEALAND

its a great tactic Mugabes come up with- using political correctness to stop us from intervening in Zim. they have already begun murdering members of the opposition, how much more will it take for us to do something? is it more important for us to not look like colonialists or is it to defend lives

will, grimsby, uk

Forget what the World thinks, it is much more important to do the right thing, there is nothing wrong with Britain going in and restoring the rule of law and getting out, it's not colonizing the country, we cannot sit aside and let this happen. People and dying and suffering.

Farai, Harare, Zimbabwe

What can UK services expect to do with its 'Bare-Bones' Forces.
If Brown + Co want to justify this sort of action..then they need to start building up our Armed Forces and stop the rot.

kirk, Rotherham, UK

So the UK government is worried about being called colonialist if they liberated Zimbabwe.
Africa thrived on colonialism, and prospered, disease was was under control.
I was under the impression this Labour government cared about black people,but I must have it wrong.

Richard Partridge, Ruislip, UK

"The Zimbabwean Army would collapse and the population would treat us as liberators".

We learn nothing from history then?

Paul, Singapore,

Mbeki may well be a clever fellow, but he is quite incapable of fixing the situation. Mugabe is also a clever fellow and has established the idea that this is a struggle between him (saviour of Zimbabwe) and those who would return Zimbabwe to colonial rule. This ensures Mbeki's support.

Martin, Newmarket, Suffolk

Intervention would be a colossal error. Mugabe is a monster who is clever enough to have created a situation so toxic that we would be stuck there for decades, and then would just end up taking the blame for Zimbabwe's suffering.

I hear Mkebe is a clever fellow. Let him fix it.

jon livesey, Sunnyvale, CA/USA

As an ex British infantryman I would much prefer to see our boys and girls liberate Zimbabwe and its starving people, than make American Buisnessman richer by supporting there financial rape of Iraq

charlie, Wellington, newzealand

Ashdown & Carrington reckon the African Union will sort out Mugabe, do they? They offer as proof the landing of a few troops on a flyspeck island, to overcome three men and a dog. A shame to admit we have let Mugabe win, but we have no real incentive to spill our own blood.

Paul Francis, Brisbane, Australia

Ashdown: "If genocide was threatened military intervention would have to be considered...but Britain could not take the lead role because of its colonial past".

That's like saying if there's an ongoing genocide in the Philipines, America would not take the lead role in stopping it.

Dead wrong

Eric, Boston, USA