Is anybody going to do anything about Sudan?

[Bush was AWOL]

This is getting terrible and difficult to watch and read about. Where the F is the UN? If the UN does not act I will think they are even more of a joke then I already do.

[Mr_Spock]

1. Hey, they sell oil to our enemies and they're dark skinned - who cares!

<sarcasm off> Where's our great humanitarian president now anyway? <OK, sarcasm really off now>

[Donovanf]

2. If Bush reads....

anything with Sudan, he just assumes it is Saddam. Iraq, the pointless war gets all the attention.

[aquart]

3. Invade another sovereign Muslim nation that hasn't attacked us?

That will go over so well.

Guess what? AFRICA isn't lifting a finger to stop this. AFRICA is staying home and letting them die.

This will continue in nation after nation until AFRICA decides it has had enough and decides to end it. Do not hold your breath.

Where are America's black Muslims in this, btw?

Genocide. Extreme reality TV. Gather around the set, kiddies.

[Mr_Spock]

4. ... and Europe did CRAP about Bosnia too.

Apparently I wasn't being sarcastic, we are all bigots.

[beanball]

8. Sudan

is a human problem not a black problem.

[aquart]

9. Sudan is an AFRICAN problem. That's a continent, not a color.

[Djinn]

5. There are limits as to what the UN can do

Given that the Sudanese government has done sweet FA to stop the massacre - or are actively promoting it depending on which story you beleive - the UN has to tread carefully, they could impose sanctions but they're not overly popular these days what with the end result being people starving to death and dying of easilly preventable disease. They are however in the proccess of considering these, but given the consequences for all Sudanese, including those currently at risk, it's not something to delve into lightly.

What they can - and are - doing providing aid to Darfur refugees and pressuring the Sudanese government, whatever one thinks about the sincerity of the Sudanese governments efforts to disarm the janjaweed (personally not much) they wouldn't even be doing the little they are were it not from UN pressure.

The UN is not an autonomous body, it has to work within the framework it has and with the agreement of nations around the globe (eg Pakistani and Chinese objections to the UN outright blaming the Sudanese government) - it's not a perfect system but I often wonder what people think should replace it?

[Beaverhausen]

6. MoveOn.org sent this - something we can do

Dear MoveOn member,

A major human tragedy is unfolding in Sudan, one that has reportedly
claimed at least 30,000 lives, and could claim up to one million
unless the world community works together, starting immediately,
to end it.

One thing we can do is give to Oxfam's Sudan Crisis Relief Fund, which
is providing urgently needed help to people there. You can make a
secure, tax-deductible gift at:

https://secure.ga3.org/02/sudan04?source=mo

A gift will make an immediate difference, but we must also take action
to stop the bloodshed.

Although Secretary of State Colin Powell has been in Sudan this week,
he has yet to declare that the atrocities there constitute genocide
<1>. Such recognition would make a huge difference, catalyzing the
world community to help end the killing. Powell should also publicly
condemn the genocide. But so far, he has stopped short of this.

This week, on NPR, Powell said: "Why would we call it a genocide
when the genocide definition has to meet certain legal tests, and
based on what we have seen, there were some indicators but there was
certainly no full accounting of all indicators that lead to a legal
definition of genocide, and that's the advice of my lawyers..." <2>

Please call Powell today at:

Secretary of State Colin Powell
202-647-4000 or 202-647-6607 or 202-647-6575

Urge him to:
- Immediately declare the atrocities in Sudan to be "Genocide"; and
- Publicly condemn them.

Please also call your Senators and Representative:

[merh]

7. Do you see how harmful * is on a international scale?

The entire international community is as paranoid and fearful as each one of us. The UN and NATO relied on the U.S. to be an anchor nation. We were the solid member that gave them credibility and if the U.S. was part of the alliance to go in and try to stop an atrocity, then other countries were more willing to assist and efforts were made.

But now, the U.S. has no credibility and everyone is suspicious of our motives. Bush has not only screwed us and Iraq, he has made the entire world a very off-balanced, fragile place full of fear and distrust.

IMHO