Mahmoud and Bobby

(Harare, Zimbabwe) Yesterday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Harare for talks with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.

Ahmadinejad was greeted with an 21-gun salute and a military flyover. Reportedly, trade agreements between the two nations are expected to be finalized and Ahmadinejad will open the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair.

Most Zimbabweans have viewed the whole reciprocal invitation as a tasteless joke.

“Here is a man who has been violently crushing protesters in his own country after a suspect election, and we were among the first to congratulate him and now we invite him to grace our shop window… We must have a severe case of economic suicidal syndrome,” said a Bulawayo businessman.

Other than tyrannical regimes, it's not clear exactly what else Iran has in common with Zimbabwe.