“The United States is going to the U.N. Security Council today,” White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters. “We want the world to be speaking with one voice to condemn the violence and intimidation that has taken place against the opposition and also against the Zimbabwean people.”

She added that it was “abundantly clear” that Tsvangirai had won the election in March that had resulted in the runoff.

“Following that, President Mugabe made it abundantly clear that he wasn’t going to allow the will of the people to be realized and had set about with horrible intimidation measures and killings of innocent people and jailings of innocent people,” Perino stated, adding: “We do not believe that the Mugabe regime can be considered legitimate until a free and fair election is allowed.”