Military Intervention In Zimbabwe

Catherine Philp makes some telling poits in The Times today about military intervention in Zimbabwe. The British she argues care a lot more about what is happening there because we still feel partly responsibile for it, and the unfolding crisis hits home a lot harder than similar event in the Congo or elsewhere. But she thinks military force isn't on the cards. I wonder. The force would have to be a lot smaller than people imagine - my research for Fire Force suggests the Zimbabwean Army would crumble quickly against a modern, well-equipped army.

A coup in Zimbabwe

The Washington Post has a fascinating piece by Paul Collier, professor of economics at Oxford, arguing in favor of a coup in Zimbabwe. The argument is simple enough: there is no stomach for military intervention, so why not get the Army to do the work. Of course, it rather ignores the point that there has already been a coup: the Army is effectively running the place. Anyway, it interested me because my next novel - Fireforce - is based on exactly that premise: A coup in Zimbabwe - or rather an assassination by a small band of mercenaries financed from abroad.