Zimbabwe Reads Conspiracy in Air Force Chief’s Shooting

The Zimbabwean government has claimed that last Saturday’s shooting of the country’s air force commander was part of a conspiracy to destabilize President Robert Mugabe’s regime. Speaking to the state-run Herald newspaper, Zimbabwean Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi claimed the shooting of Air Marshal Perrance Shiri was part of a “buildup of terror attacks targeting high profile persons, government officials, government establishments and public transportation systems." Shiri was wounded when unidentified gunmen ambushed his car and shot him in Harare. Meanwhile, Botswana has denied Zimbabwe’s insinuation that it was training insurgents from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change to overthrow Mugabe. [PE]