Former defense minister George Mpombo says the orchestrated attacks against American Ambassador to Zambia Daniel Foote are politically and morally bankrupt and amount to diplomatic gobbledegook.

In an interview, Mpombo said attacking Ambassador Foote whilst Zambia was standing with one foot in an economic grave was dangerous.

“The vortex of a politically rambunctious well orchestrated attacks against the American Ambassador Mr Foote are politically and morally bankrupt and amount to diplomatic gobbledegook, a very dangerous conduct especially with Zambia standing with one foot in an economic grave,” Mpombo said.

“The ambassador was acting on the instructions of his Government. Two years ago, a similar diplomatic spat ensued between Uganda and America over gay rights but the matter was resolved amicably without hurting diplomatic ties.”

Mpombo said it would amount to political kamikaze for Zambia not to acknowledge its dependence on other countries for economic survival.

“Zambia is a sovereign nation and cannot take orders from other nations but it would amount to political kamikaze not to acknowledge our dependence for economic survival on other countries, already direct foreign investment for last year dropped by half and you don’t exacerbate the already deteriorating economic situation through reckless and jejune utterance,” Mpombo said.

Meanwhile, Mpombo said being a representative of the strongest nation on earth, Ambassador Foote deserved better treatment in terms of State House interactions.

“Ambassador Foote, representing the strongest nation on earth deserves better treatment in terms of State House interactions, Zambian needs world bank and IMF rescue packages. Some countries have wielded a lot of influences in these bodies [and] if Zambia loses aid, leaders will continue drawing humongous salaries and allowances while ordinary Zambians will be thrown into an economic journey of no return,” said Mpombo.