U.N. Hopeful, Democrats Restless On Darfur

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

(CBS/AP)  The U.N., AU and Sudan agreed on all elements of that package — including more than 3,000 U.N. troops, police, and other personnel as well as substantial aviation and logistics equipment — except the attack helicopters at the Addis Ababa meeting.

Asked whether he was confident that all problems with the second phase were resolved and discussions could now move on to the third phase, Ban told reporters Thursday, "One always needs to have a bit of hope, based on optimism."

"I was encouraged by the recent development of progress in our discussions with Sudanese government," he said, and "we are going to continue to clarify" the helicopter issue "where they still have concerns."

Britain's U.N. Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry, the current Security Council president, told reporters after a closed-door briefing on Sudan late Thursday that members were "quite positive" and were "now looking for final confirmation that the six attack helicopter could be accepted."

"If, as we're promised, that is forthcoming in the next couple of days then we have the heavy support package in its entirety," he said.

Once Sudan accepts the package, Jones Parry said he will send a letter to the secretary-general who can then start the process of getting financing to deploy the troops, police and equipment.

Ban, who took the reins of the U.N. on Jan. 1, said he plans "to step up my diplomatic efforts to resolve the Darfur situation."

U.N. deputy spokeswoman Marie Okabe said Tuesday the U.N. is hoping for "a positive and expeditious response" from the Sudanese government on the helicopters, hopefully before high-level consultations on Darfur at U.N. headquarters on April 16-17 hosted by Ban.

AU chief executive Alpha Oumar Konare and the two envoys trying to promote a political settlement of the four-year conflict in the western Sudanese region, the U.N.'s Jan Eliasson and the AU's Salim Ahmed Salim, will be attending the meetings.

Jones Parry said the meetings "should be an opportunity to galvanize the whole process."

Ban told reporters Thursday he hopes as a result of next week's meeting "I will also have a future course of action."

Sudan's approval of a hybrid U.N.-AU force remains problematic.

Hours before Ban and al-Bashir met last month, the Sudanese president sharply rejected any U.N. deployment in a speech to the summit, repeating his stance that the U.N. role must be limited to logistical and financial help for AU peacekeepers in Darfur.

Ban stressed Thursday that a hybrid force would be dominated by African troops.

The force commander and the deputy commander with be African generals, and the force structure will primarily "be operated by African commanders," he said.

"Therefore, I hope there should be no such concern," Ban said. "We will continue to alleviate such concerns."

[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.