North Darfur - September 12th 2008

UNAMID reported that its initial investigation of an incident at the Zamzam displaced persons (IDP) camp outside of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, suggests that 10-12 vehicles belonging to Central Reserve Police fired indiscriminately while passing outside the camp....

This is a daily fact of the people of Darfur's life. While we bitch and complain about Obama not attacking and Palin hiding from the press there are people in this world that are being abducted, raped, tortured and gunned down by their Government police force or that very same force that should be protecting and enforcing laws "looks the other way".

This isn't an election year topic - this needs to be an ongoing discussion. I know, the issues are complex and the solutions are not simple but while we debate these hurdles our brothers and sisters across this globe are being treated like animals and massacred like cattle led to slaughter.

In America Billions... let me check the news ticker... yep $700 Billion will go to bail out AIG and wallstreet. If America is truly governed by the people for the people, then whoever the asshole is that's in charge of my portion of the money... I would prefer to donate my share (roughly $2 Million based on 300M population & 700M bailout) to oh, let's say... UNICEF or The International Committee of the Red Cross or The UN Refugee Agency instead of having my portion spent on Wallstreet. I'm not suggesting that throwing money at the problem will fix it - but giving the funds to the agencies that know what needs to be done can help.

Excerpts from Sudan Tribune ~ dated: 9/13/08

The U.S. diplomatic contribution, meanwhile, remains cautious and ambiguous. U.S. diplomats are scheduled to resume negotiations with the Government of Sudan in mid-September, according to Sudanese officials, though this is not publicly confirmed by the State Department, which has no new information on the Sudan page of its website since July and did not respond to inquiries during the month of August.

U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Richard Williamson attended the Republican National convention in Minneapolis, and is reported by the New York Sun to have been picked as a foreign policy advisor to tutor Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. His office did not respond to a recent inquiry from the Los Angeles Times.

If the Sudan is any indication on how this guy is going to "tutor" Palin she needs to demand better... maybe not, ahhh what-the-hell, why bother - she has plenty of foreign policy experience, after all she can see Russia from her state.

The following are from The United States' Response to the Darfur Crisis. Links are to that document.

Statement:

“The brutal treatment of innocent civilians in Darfur is unacceptable – it is unacceptable to me, it is unacceptable to Americans, it’s unacceptable to the United Nations. This status quo must not continue.” — President George W. Bush

Statistics from the US State Department:

Attacks on the civilian population by the Janjaweed, often with the direct support of Government of Sudan forces, have led to the death of tens of thousands of people in Darfur, with an estimated two million internally displaced persons.

Actions to date:

Since 2005: $4 billion in humanitarian, development, peacekeeping, and reconstruction programs to the people of Sudan and Eastern Chad.

Just over $817 Million USAID contributions to World Food Program emergency operations in Sudan and Eastern Chad.

For a total of $4.8 Billion

Why if my math is correct, that's nearly $80.2 Billion LESS than what the US Government/Taxpayer has just spent to buy AIG.

President Bush, it appears to me that the status quo has continued and that you, sir, on your watch, have allowed it to happen. We have had the opportunity to do more. To have a greater impact and we have not; God forbid another corporation gets into financial trouble, hell, there could be genocide on Wallstreet.

If you Blog please participate.

Darfur, Janaweed, State Department, Bush, Government