U.N. Hopeful, Democrats Restless On Darfur

Secretary-General Says Disagreements Over Peacekeepers Fading, Biden Pushes For "Force"

(CBS/AP)  Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he is encouraged by a recent agreement with Sudan's president to beef up the African Union force in Darfur with U.N. troops, police and equipment and hopes to clear up "misunderstandings" about the one remaining issue — deployment of U.N. helicopter gunships.

Ban told reporters Thursday the United Nations has been trying to assure the Sudanese government that the attack helicopters are "not for any offensive purpose" because the 7,000-strong AU force is in Darfur on a peacekeeping mission and that will be the U.N.'s role as well.

"But when you deploy troops you need to have ... mobility with some capacity to deterrence," he said, and the helicopters are "just a standard implement to which they should have no concern."

In Washington, however, some Senate Democrats have increased the volume of their call for a more aggressive military intervention in the Darfur crisis.

Joseph Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a Democratic presidential candidate, called Wednesday for the use of military force in the region.

"I would use American force now," Biden said at a hearing before his committee. "I think it's not only time not to take force off the table. I think it's time to put force on the table and use it."

In advocating use of military force, Biden said senior U.S. military officials in Europe told him that 2,500 U.S. troops could "radically change the situation on the ground now."

"Let's stop the bleeding," Biden said. "I think it's a moral imperative."

Under U.N.-backed agreements approved last fall, a hybrid force of 22,000 African Union and U.N. peacekeepers are to be deployed in Darfur to protect and provide relief for 2.5 million Darfurians who have been forced from their homes and are now confined to camps.

The undermanned and under-equipped AU force has been unable to stop violence in Darfur, where more than 200,000 people have been in nearly four years of fighting between the government and ethnic African rebels.

The violence has only increased since a peace deal last year signed by the government and one rebel group. Other rebel groups rejected the deal and continued fighting.

The Bush administration has always rejected use of military force in Darfur, partly because of a possible outcry, particularly in Muslim countries about hostile U.S. action in yet another Islamic country on the heels of the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Andrew Natsios, the special U.S. envoy to Sudan, said the U.S. has agreed to a request by Secretary-General Ban for a two- to four-week delay in imposing unilateral sanctions against Sudan, so negotiations can continue on Sudan's acceptance of the deployment of international peacekeepers.

The United Nations and Sudan agreed in November on a three-stage plan to strengthen the AU force, to culminate with the deployment of a joint AU-U.N. force with 17,000 troops and 3,000 police officers. But Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has since backed off the deal, saying he would only allow a larger AU force, with technical and logistical support from the United Nations.

The first phase, a light support package including U.N. police advisers, civilian staff and additional resources and technical support, has already been sent to Darfur.

At a meeting last month on the sidelines of the Arab League summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Ban and al-Bashir reached an agreement to work out differences on the second stage heavy support package at a meeting Monday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

[tbweb]

"Ghosts of Rwanda" concludes by examining the aftermath of the genocide, the lessons learned--and not learned--by the international community, and by questioning whether the phrase "never again" has more meaning today than it did 10 years ago.

Posted by pepperwood2 at 07:16 AM : Apr 14, 2007

--pepperwood2

"Ghosts of Rwanda" and I would like to add "Ghosts of AIDS" and "Ghosts of illegal DRUGS" and "Ghosts of CHILD abuse" and Ghosts of the *** TRADE" and the List goes on! Many of these problems would not be epidemics if they were addresses in they earlier stages. The U.S. would like too but the U.S. can't do it all by itself, its time for other nations to step up and prove their metal. France use to fill the void but France has been quiet lately too!

[pepperwood2]

Apologies

In March 1998, President Clinton visited Kigali, where he apologized to the Rwandan people and the victims of the genocide. "The international community, together with nations in Africa, must bear its share of responsibility for this tragedy," Clinton said. "We did not act quickly enough after the killing began. We should not have allowed the refugee camps to become safe havens for the killers. We did not immediately call these crimes by their rightful name: genocide."

Those sentiments were echoed weeks later by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan. In an apology to the parliament of Rwanda, Annan said, "We will not deny that, in their greatest hour of need, the world failed the people of Rwanda...."

"Ghosts of Rwanda" concludes by examining the aftermath of the genocide, the lessons learned--and not learned--by the international community, and by questioning whether the phrase "never again" has more meaning today than it did 10 years ago.

"When you are faced with the question [of] whether I think that we can avoid the Rwandas of tomorrow...my answer is I really don't know," Annan now says. "I wish I can say yes, but I am not convinced that we will see the kind of political will and the action required to stop it."

[tbweb]

It's time for China to step up to the plate and start earning its superpower status with some legitimate superpower work! China has the manpower and resources and its time China got to work on some humanitarian projects. Darfur would be a great place for China to establish its superpower credentials in real life and not just look good on paper!

[feelfree1]

Re: "I would use American force now," Biden said at a hearing before his committee. "I think it's not only time not to take force off the table. I think it's time to put force on the table and use it."

If I could get a hold of this table, I would like to burn it down. The Darfur issue is an important one, but Biden is not the man to look to for solutions for it.

Biden and other top Democrats must focus on ending their cooperation with the horrific and illegal slaughter, torture, rape, plunder, and misery campaign against the people of Iraq, before impotently threatening death and misery against even more people.

It is not possible for U.S. our current national leaders to serve as effective critics of genocide and injustice, as long as they continue to lead the field in these 2 categories.

[me4prezz]

The Bush administration has always rejected use of military force in Darfur, partly because of a possible outcry, particularly in Muslim countries about hostile U.S. action in yet another Islamic country on the heels of the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Oh for the love of ***! We can't invade a country that DESPERATELY needs help, is in the midst of genocide because we might offend more of the people we are at war against!

What's the matter Bush? Not even oil for your stockholders?

I am so sick of this administration and their endless bouts of stupidity. Take 1 dose of reality and call you doctor in the morning!

[notblue]

All the ignorant carping about our military being spread too thin. It's stil an ALL VOLUNTEER army that consists of over 4 million active duty members of which 200,000 are in Iraq and Aghanistan. The were too thin line does not hold water. We could defend ourselves or stop genocide TODAY from any location on the planet.

[forthepeopl1]

ok were will they get the troops for this..

all you out there better think twice about getting involed in anouther war..

we dont have the military yo support it...

[pepperwood2]

Rep. John Murtha Urged Somalia Pullout in '93

After terrorists attacked U.S. troops in Mogadishu, Somalia 12 years ago, anti-Iraq war Democrat, Rep. John Murtha urged then-President Clinton to begin a complete pullout of U.S. troops from the region.

Clinton took the advice and ordered the withdrawal - a decision that Osama bin Laden would later credit with emboldening his terrorist fighters and encouraging him to mount further attacks against the U.S.

The Pennsylvania Democrat announced that President Clinton had been "listening to our suggestions. And I think you'll see him move those troops out very quickly."

Murtha said the U.S. had to no choice but to pull out now, explaining, "There's no military solution. Some of them will tell you [that] to get [warlord Mohamed Farrah] Aidid is the solution. I don't agree with that."

Taking Murtha's advice back then, however, turned out to have deadly consequences for U.S. security.

In a 1998 interview with ABC's John Miller, Osama bin Laden said that America's withdrawal from Somalia had emboldened his burgeoning al Qaida force and encouraged him to plan new attacks.

"Our people realize[d] more than before that the American People & Soldier is a paper tiger that run[s] in defeat after a few blows," the terror chief recalled. "America forgot all about the hoopla and media propaganda and left dragging their corpses and their shameful defeat."

[chuckabn]

Zootallures2, are a total idiot or just partially so. Murderers? Somehow I doubt you know ANYTHING about America, especially its military (I'm sure YOU'VE never served anything but yourself) other than what you see on CNN. I guess since you watch Grey's Anatomy that you are an expert on medicine too? The United States gives more to charitable organizations than ANY other country in the world (per capita, by person) including bleedingheart liberal Europe. WE (yep, the BUSH administration) gives 300 million a year to Africa for Malaria and AIDS prevention and care. Millions for demining of world conflict zones. Billions to stop genocide in the Balkans. I have witness and participated in countless humanitarian gestures by US Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen. Grunts giving school supplies, operators patching up hurt kids, Marines and Airmen building shelters and clinics all over the third world. Just because it isn't on CNN everyday, doesn't mean it isn't happening. Those are facts. Murderers? Try West Africa, Syria, Iran, China, Cuba, and on and on for those.

[abbe7]

"America has nothing to discuss about any other nation. You are murderers not saviors. Afraid you are missing out on some fun?
Posted by zootallures2 at 09:40 AM : Apr 13, 2007"

Some news from one of the makers of that war ...
http://rawstory.com/news/afp/World_Bank_chief_under_pressure_to__04122007.html

[abbe7]

"These leftists would not think twice about sending our military in to a situation where we have no business being, and which is NOT in the constitutional mission of our the military. What a bunch of bedwetting liberals. Sickening."
Posted by Infidel_US at 09:01 AM : Apr 13, 2007

And where there is no oil for our companies ... even worse.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2132569.ece

[zootallures2]

America has nothing to discuss about any other nation. You are murderers not saviors. Afraid you are missing out on some fun?

[zootallures2]

With 75,000 murders a year in America, and your track record in Korea, Vietnam. and Iraq, an American force can only make it even worse than it is now.

[infidel_us]

These leftists would not think twice about sending our military in to a situation where we have no business being, and which is NOT in the constitutional mission of our the military. What a bunch of bedwetting liberals. Sickening.