US blocks U.N. briefing on atrocities in Sudan

[Prodigal Son]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051010/wl_ ... MlJVRPUCUl

US blocks U.N. briefing on atrocities in Sudan

By Irwin Arieff
Mon Oct 10, 7:00 PM ET


UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.S. Ambassador John Bolton blocked a U.N. envoy on Monday from briefing the Security Council on grave human rights violations in Sudan's Darfur region, saying the council had to act against atrocities and not just talk about them.


Bolton, joined by China, Algeria and Russia, prevented Juan Mendez, Secretary-General Kofi Annan's special adviser for the prevention of genocide, from briefing the council on his recent visit to Darfur, despite pleas from Annan and 11 other council members that Mendez be heard.

"I strongly regret and deplore that Mr. Mendez ... was not authorized to brief the council today as Mr. Kofi Annan had asked," French Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere told reporters outside the council chambers.

But Bolton said he had objected to the briefing to make the point the council should be "talking more about the steps it can take to do something about the deteriorating security situation" in Darfur. He gave no new proposals.

"How many officials from the secretariat does it take to give a briefing?" he said, noting the council had just concluded a briefing on Darfur from Hedi Annabi, the assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping operations.

Mendez, who visited Darfur for a week in late September, later briefed reporters on his findings. He said Sudanese officials were taking only cosmetic steps to prevent systematic human rights abuses there that might amount to genocide. crimes against humanity or war crimes.

He also accused Khartoum of refusing to cooperate with the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, a tribunal strongly opposed by the Bush administration on grounds it might pursue frivolous prosecutions of U.S. soldiers or officials working abroad.

INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE

"We cannot let the government of Sudan get away with that," Mendez told a news conference. "I haven't seen any indication of the international community telling Sudan, 'You don't have a choice, you have to cooperate with the ICC."'

Mendez said the Security Council had to put more pressure on the Sudanese to disarm nomad Arab gangs, known as Janjaweed, responsible for many of the atrocities now escalating in camps housing African tribesmen thrown off their land. So far Sudanese trials of any perpetrators were meaningless, he said.

Secondly, Mendez recommended that the international community make good on its pledges to give aid to the Africa Union, which has monitors and troops in Darfur.

Council diplomats who wanted to hear from Mendez said it was a council tradition to give the envoy a platform when Annan called for a briefing from his adviser on genocide.

They noted Bolton had lined up with the three council members -- Algeria, China and Russia -- which have watered down action against Khartoum.

"He's playing into the hands of people who don't want to do anything," said one council diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to irritate Washington.

The Security Council met for a briefing on the latest developments in Darfur after rebels in the western Sudanese region abducted a number of African Union peacekeeping troops and killed some of them.

The incident prompted Annan to warn in Geneva on Monday that a surge of violence in the region may force the world body to suspend some aid to Darfur.

[Jumper]

Your damn right. The UN is once again stalling, do to bullshit politics and as a result, people are dieing. Maybe they should submit another report, that will surely make the bad men go away.....

[Swiss_AK]

Still, you'll notice that the report sez that Bolton was not prepared to offer a solution instead of listening.

1_Sudan doesnt want to listen to the ICC.

2_US doesnt want to listen to the ICC.

3_China,Russia and Algeria have "watered down action against Khartoum.".

So everyone thumbs their noses at the UN and sits on their hands in a permanent holding pattern
or....
some numbnuts like Bolton holds up the entire bus..or he could
have let Mendez speak and then consult with the other nations
in suggesting, i.e. if anything, what they might consider doing in reply.

"We observed the first decisions and trials of the special court that they have created and we're very disappointed they deal with cases that are completely marginal to the problem, that have nothing to do with what happened at the peak of the conflict in 2003-2004, and there is no clear rationale for crimes that seem to be common crimes [being] brought to the special court," Juan Mendez - UN Special Advisor on Genocide

I wouldnt have minded listening if he had an alternate plan or solution, as long as they both dont need the ICC...? Sit down and shuddup.

[Prodigal Son]

Your damn right. The UN is once again stalling, do to bullshit politics and as a result, people are dieing. Maybe they should submit another report, that will surely make the bad men go away.....

I would laugh at the stupidity of your remark, but it takes too much effort. The UN, being controlled by the more powerful member states, of course does nothing when those same member states don't want anything to be done.

At the very least Bolton and the US could have used the UN as a stage to embarass folks like Russia and China. Instead, because it is politically expedient, we use the excuse of Russian and Chinese opposition to action in order to do nothing ourselves. I doubt very much that Bush et. al. want anything to do with what's going on in the Sudan.

[Slam]

General Jackson said he'd have a Brigade ready to go over soon as the word is said. If only they'd just say it.

[Captain_Solo]

I figured they were saving Sudan until after they've invaded Syria and Iran and got bogged down by insurgencies and need to find someone to take the blame.

[Jumper]

You said this?

I doubt very much that Bush et. al. want anything to do with what's going on in the Sudan.


I am laughing at the stupidity of your remark. Osama Bin Laden, Abu Nidal, Carlos the Jackal and every other terrorist scum bag has lived in the Sudan. Turabi sponsors these guys and loves em, and you say Bush wants nothing to do with Sudan? I guess if it wasn't important, then we wouldn't have PMCs hired by us as well as special forces, tasked with training the militaries and police. I guess Clinton didn't think it was very important either after he decided to bomb some shit there in 98. Osama didn't think it was very important either. After all, why would a super terrorist like OBL build a road there and own thousands of acres of farmland and support the locals with business investment.

I put it right up there with Afghanistan as far as a terrorist hide out and state sponsor of terrorism. So please tell me again why we would not be interested in the Sudan?

[Captain_Solo]

Who is "you"?

[Captain_Solo]

Sudan kicked out bin Laden in 1996 and handed over Carlos to the French around the same time. If having past ties with Usama bin Laden brands one for life than the US, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia are all in trouble. Abu Nidal and his comrades went out of business in the late 80's and were based out of Iraq (until old Abu Nidal found out the hard way not to cross Saddam and spy for his enemies). Sudan still to my knowledge may have an office or two for Hamas or Hezbollah, but they aren't really threats to America or its interests in the region. As for Turabi, well he is in and out of jail and has made more of a common cause as of late with the southern Sudan rebels rather then with al-Qa'eda. When it comes to terrorism Sudan has been more or less out of the business for the past few years. They have even let Uganda chase down those wacky Lord's Resistance Army guys in the south.

[Ultra Swain]

With friends like Algeria, China, and Russia who needs enemies. Our list of allies is very disturbing these days. At least we don't have Uzbekistan to kick around anymore. And of course George Bush doesn't give a squirt about Sudan He doesn't care about black people.
We are overstretched militarily anyway by a useless war in Iraq. We are a paper tiger these days and every ignorant word out of every ignorant neocon mouth just isolates us from the rest of the world. We can't afford to keep pissing on everyone because of the threat of what we used to be. Country music and meaningless jingoistic cliches may sell t-shirts and get illiterate trustfund douchebags elected president but they don't stop the rest of the world from getting together and potentially bitch slapping a little humility into us. Although it is us that will pay not W and his ilk.

[Prodigal Son]

I am laughing at the stupidity of your remark. Osama Bin Laden, Abu Nidal, Carlos the Jackal and every other terrorist scum bag has lived in the Sudan. Turabi sponsors these guys and loves em, and you say Bush wants nothing to do with Sudan?

Your political naivete is touching. Of course he wants nothing to do with them. Acknowledgeing genocide is a problem because it would force us to do something -- all the more so when one of the reasons we invaded Iraq was because Saddam was an evil man who used gas against the Kurds.

Plus, using the UN as a bullypullpit from which to call for action against the Khartoum regime would give credence and legitimacy to the UN -- something Bush et. al. are absolutely opposed to. Better to watch people die in Darfur than use the UN. Force the UN to do nothing and then say the UN is useless because it does nothing.

I guess if it wasn't important, then we wouldn't have PMCs hired by us as well as special forces, tasked with training the militaries and police.

Training Sudan's military and police? Of course, because when you are concerned with genocide the natural thing to do is train the side engaging in genocide.

I guess Clinton didn't think it was very important either after he decided to bomb some shit there in 98. Osama didn't think it was very important either. After all, why would a super terrorist like OBL build a road there and own thousands of acres of farmland and support the locals with business investment.

Hmmm..has Bush bombed Sudan? Either to attack "Al-Qaeda" there or punish Khartoum for supporting the genocide in Darfur?

[ROB]

Prodigal - how many briefings should it take before the SC starts to debate a response?

[kilroy]

the council had just concluded a briefing on Darfur from Hedi Annabi, the assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping operations.

i have yet to see any country offer possible solutions for darfur. when someone does offer a possible solution, and if the US shoots the solution down, then i will find it legitamate to re-start the bolton bashing. as of right now though, i don't see a problem with his actions.

[Jumper]

Bush is evil, he created Al Qaida so he could fight a war in Iraq. Fuck the Sudan and OBL, its all a lie. errrrrrrrrr Bush created the Avian Flu and plans on getting rich off selling the antidote. errrrrrr The UN is our only hope to save us from the evil president and to stop the genocide in the Sudan.

Here is a question for you. You are a small boy in the Sudan, and rebels from the Lords Resistance are about to force you to kill your parents and rape your sister afterwards, in order to show obedience and allegience. Do you want the UN to discuss the tragedy that you are about to live, or do you want the UN to send someone to stop these evil fuckers? It is a simple answer in my mind. Oh thats right, I forgot, its open season on killing women and children because they are all evil.

[Arctic]

Captain_Solo wrote:

Sudan kicked out bin Laden in 1996 and handed over Carlos to the French around the same time. If having past ties with Usama bin Laden brands one for life than the US, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia are all in trouble. Abu Nidal and his comrades went out of business in the late 80's and were based out of Iraq (until old Abu Nidal found out the hard way not to cross Saddam and spy for his enemies). Sudan still to my knowledge may have an office or two for Hamas or Hezbollah, but they aren't really threats to America or its interests in the region. As for Turabi, well he is in and out of jail and has made more of a common cause as of late with the southern Sudan rebels rather then with al-Qa'eda. When it comes to terrorism Sudan has been more or less out of the business for the past few years. They have even let Uganda chase down those wacky Lord's Resistance Army guys in the south.

Thanks. I was gonna point out all the obvious stuff to Jumper, but you beat me to it.

Ignorance is bliss, I guess.

"WE GOTTA KILL THEM GODDAMN A-RAB MUSLAMIC TERR'ISTS!!! USA!! USA!! USA!!"

Too much beer or too much testosterone? Dunno.