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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: epicure who wrote (140657)	7/16/2004 4:42:43 PM
From: smolejv@gmx.net	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

2nd that nytimes.com (for example) dj

To: epicure who wrote (140657)	7/16/2004 4:46:51 PM
From: longnshort	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

yeah Clinton and the UN did a wonderful job about genocide in africa

To: epicure who wrote (140657)	7/16/2004 4:48:39 PM
From: greenspirit	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

Why not protect them first? The anti-war crowd, the leftist media and the Democrats would have a fit. Remember, President Bush received authority from Congress to go to war in Iraq. We do what is politically feasible. Because we haven't militarily intervened in Africa doesn't mitigate the positive humanitarian role we've played in Iraq. I believe we have a far better chance of doing something positive in Africa if Bush remains President, then if Kerry were elected. Kerry would probably do nothing and complain (half-heartedly), to the hapless U.N. forever. The same U.N. that stood by and did nothing during the Clinton years while Rwandan's were being slaughtered. The same U.N. that was willing to stand by and do nothing while Iraqi's were being slaughtered.

To: epicure who wrote (140657)	7/16/2004 11:01:32 PM
From: Brumar89	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

President Directs Secretary Powell to Travel to Sudan Statement by the Press Secretary The President is deeply disturbed by the human rights and humanitarian situation in the Darfur region of Sudan. He has directed Secretary Powell to travel to Darfur to urge the Sudanese Government to heed the concerns of the international community and find a quick resolution to the crisis. Secretary Powell will be in Khartoum on June 29 and Darfur on June 30. The United States has led the world in identifying and responding to this crisis. The President, the National Security Advisor, and the Secretary of State have all called for the Government of Sudan to end the crisis now. The United States had identified the nascent crisis by April 2003, and a senior official went to Darfur in October 2003 to alert the world. To save lives, we have delivered approximately $116 million in assistance and pledged a total of almost $300 million. The United States played a pivotal role this year in negotiating the April 8 ceasefire and negotiating the entrance of African Union monitors. The Administration will continue to seek Security Council attention to this grave issue. It is time for the international community to coordinate its response and not allow a human catastrophe of this magnitude to unfold. The United States calls upon the Sudanese Government to act urgently and decisively to neutralize and disarm the Jinjaweed and to reverse the crisis and create conditions that will allow the displaced to return home safely and with dignity. The Bush Administration calls on all parties to the conflict in Darfur to adhere to the ceasefire, to respect the rights of civilians, to allow the free movement of humanitarian workers and relief supplies, and to work in good faith toward a negotiated settlement. www.whitehouse.gov/news/ releases/2004/06/20040629-6.html

To: epicure who wrote (140657)	7/16/2004 11:02:53 PM
From: Brumar89	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Bush, Powell Urge Sudan to Stop Darfur Violence Jul 13, 2004 U.S. President Bush has again called for the Sudan government to stop raids by Arab militiamen that have displaced more than one-million people in the Darfur Region. Secretary of State Colin Powell says in an article on PolitInfo.com the US Government and the international community want to see "dramatic improvements on the ground." Attacks by Arab militias on civilians in Sudan's Darfur region have caused the deaths of thousands of black Sudanese. In addition, the raids by the Sudanese-government-supported militias have driven more than one-million people from their homey and up to 2 million people in need for aid.. These people are now at risk of death from starvation and disease. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) estimates that 1 million people may die by the end of the year if the Government of Sudan does not cooperate with the international community to resolve the current humanitarian crisis. President Bush says he is deeply concerned about the humanitarian and human-rights crisis in the southern region of Darfur, where armed raids have driven many Sudanese from their homes, some across the border into neighboring Chad. "I call upon the government of Sudan to stop the Janjaweed violence. I call on all parties of the conflict to respect the cease-fire, to respect human rights, and to allow for the free movement of humanitarian workers and aid," he said. For the sake of peace and basic humanity, President Bush says the "United States and the United Nations and the leadership of the African Union are working to bring relief to the suffering people of that region. " Secretary of State Colin Powell says in an article on PolitInfo.com "the situation must change quickly, before those who are imperiled are lost." "While we in the international community must intensify our efforts to help, the Government of Sudan bears the greatest responsibility -- to face up to this catastrophe and save the lives of its own citizens.", he said. Mr. Powell says the United States has drafted a U.N. Security Council resolution that is now being discussed with members of the Council. The draft resolution is calling upon the Government of Sudan to immediately fulfill all of the commitments it has made to end the violence and give access to aid workers and international monitors. The resolution would commit all states to target sanctions against the Janjaweed and those who aid them. "We are closely monitoring the Government's response to the actions we requested. While the Government has taken some positive steps, violence is continuing, and we have not yet seen a dramatic turnaround of the situation," Mr. Powell said. But the secretary of state says the US Government and the international community "want more than promises -- we want to see dramatic improvements on the ground right now." The Sudanese government denies backing the Arab militias, but has promised to disarm them while giving aid workers greater access to displaced civilians. www.politinfo.com/articles/article_2004_07_13_4656.html

To: epicure who wrote (140657)	7/16/2004 11:05:02 PM
From: Brumar89	Respond to of 281500

Situation in Darfur Must Change Quickly, Powell Says United States Department of State (Washington, DC) OPINION July 13, 2004 Posted to the web July 14, 2004 Colin L. Powell Washington, DC The current conflict in western Sudan puts the lives of more than a million human beings in jeopardy. Marauding Jingaweit militias are destroying villages, raping and killing, and aid to the area is being impeded. The situation must change quickly, before those who are imperiled are lost. While we in the international community must intensify our efforts to help, the Government of Sudan bears the greatest responsibility -- to face up to this catastrophe and save the lives of its own citizens. Before I departed Sudan, I gave the Government of Sudan a list of actions that needed to be taken in order to turn around the situation in Darfur. Over the last several days since I visited Darfur, the Government of Sudan has made some announcements with respect to getting the Jingaweit militias under control, allowing humanitarian aid to flow more freely, ending the problem of getting visas for aid workers, and stopping support to those who are intent on violence in Darfur. We are closely monitoring the Government's response to the actions we requested. While the Government has taken some positive steps, violence is continuing, and we have not yet seen a dramatic turnaround of the situation. The United States has drafted a U.N. Security Council resolution that is now being discussed with members of the Council, calling upon the Government of Sudan to immediately fulfill all of the commitments it has made to end the violence and give access to aid workers and international monitors. The resolution urges the warring parties to conclude a political agreement without delay. It commits all states to target sanctions against the Jingaweit and those who aid and abet them, as well as others who may have responsibility for this tragic situation. Sudan's President Omar Hassan A. Al-Bashir has repeatedly pledged to work for peace, and he did so again when we met. But President Bush, the United States Congress, Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the international community want more than promises -- we want to see dramatic improvements on the ground right now. The United States has been in the forefront of providing emergency humanitarian assistance to the suffering people of Darfur and will remain in the forefront. We have provided $139 million in this year alone, with another $161 million identified for next year. But it's time for the entire international community to meet the pledges that they have made. We will also work with the international community to make sure that all of those nations who have made pledges of financial assistance meet those pledges. The United States will continue to work with our African friends and with the world community to help end conflicts like this one and to bring relief to those who are in such desperate need. Conflict and chaos of the kind that we see in Sudan rob Africans of the future they want, the future they deserve. The goal of an Africa at peace is not an impossible one. It is one that is achievable if we work at it. Through continuing programs and bold new initiatives, President Bush and his administration are working in partnership with Africans to help them move toward greater democracy, greater opportunity, greater security, and greater hope for a peaceful future for their children. We will not rest. We will continue to apply pressure. Only actions, not words, can win the race against death in Darfur. allafrica.com

To: epicure who wrote (140657)	7/16/2004 11:06:25 PM
From: Brumar89	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Action, Not Promises, Needed from Sudan on Darfur, Powell saysBy Tara Boyle Washington File Staff Writer Washington -- In a wide-ranging address on U.S. policy toward Africa, Secretary of State Colin Powell pledged to continue building strong partnerships with African nations and vowed that the United States "will not rest" until the killing of civilians in the Darfur region of Sudan is brought to an end and peace and security is established. Speaking to a group of U.S. and African diplomats and policy experts at a July 8 conference on Africa in Washington, Powell said the United States will maintain pressure on Sudan to rein in armed militias known as the Jingaweit, which have terrorized and killed scores of civilians in Darfur. "We will continue to make sure that we are not just left with promises, but we are left with actual action and performance on the ground," Powell said. The international community may take "further measures" against Sudan if the situation in Darfur does not soon improve, he added. The United States has drafted a U.N. Security Council resolution calling on Sudan to fulfill its promises to end the violence in Darfur and give aid workers better access to the region. "The resolution urges the warring parties to conclude a political agreement without delay," Powell said. Some 1.2 million people have fled their homes due to the violence in Darfur, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has predicted that more than 300,000 could die by the end of 2004 from malnutrition and disease. Powell said that he has received promises from Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir to work toward peace in Darfur. But he warned that those promises are not sufficient reason for the United States to normalize relations with Sudan. "President Bush, the United States Congress, Secretary General-Annan [U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan] and the international community want more than promises; we want to see dramatic improvements on the ground right now," Powell said. "And despite the promises that have been made, we have yet to see these dramatic improvements. Only actions, not words, can win the race against death in Darfur," he added. The secretary's remarks came during the unveiling of a major report on U.S. policy toward Africa. The report, "Rising U.S. Stakes in Africa," was commissioned by Congress and prepared by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based research institute. It calls in part for the United States to put a greater emphasis on counterterrorism initiatives and crisis diplomacy in Africa, in addition to continuing its leadership on HIV/AIDS and economic development. "Africa has assumed a new, strategic place in U.S. foreign policy and in the definition of vital U.S. national interests," the authors of the report noted. "This shift moves the United States away from the past habit of treating Africa as a humanitarian afterthought and begins to reverse a decade-long decline in the United States' presence and engagement in Africa." In his address, Powell discussed several of the Bush administration's most important initiatives in Africa, including the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade incentives program that has led to a dramatic increase in exports from Africa to the United States. In 2003, total AGOA exports to the United States increased by 55 percent to $14 billion, the secretary said. "We want to help African nations reach the point that their citizens are not just able to scrape by at subsistence levels, but are able to succeed. We're looking not just for aid, but for trade to create conditions in these countries so that people will want to go and invest in [them]," he said. The destruction being caused by HIV/AIDS in Africa is also a top priority for the U.S., Powell said. The United States has already committed $865 million to combat HIV/AIDS in 15 nations hardest-hit by the disease, 12 of which are in Africa. In all of its initiatives toward Africa, the secretary noted, the U.S. will continue to strengthen its relationships with African allies to help bring stability to the continent. "[W]e want to help Africans across the continent have access to decent schools and medical facilities, to safe drinking water, to good roads and railways, to electricity, and above all, access to the Internet," he said. "We want to see Africa's great natural wealth in oil and diamonds and lumber invested in its citizens, not used to fuel endless conflict." japan.usembassy.gov

To: epicure who wrote (140657)	7/16/2004 11:08:53 PM
From: Brumar89	Respond to of 281500

France opposes UN Sudan sanctions The humanitarian situation is worsening France says it does not support US plans for international sanctions on Sudan if violence continues in Darfur. The UN Security Council is debating a US draft resolution imposing sanctions on militias accused of "ethnic cleansing" against non-Arabs. The US also hinted that the sanctions could be extended to the government. Meanwhile, African leaders have urged Khartoum to stop bombing Darfur and say their proposed 300-strong force will have a mandate to protect civilians. US Secretary of State Colin Powell says promises to reign in the pro-government militia, known as the Janjaweed, have not been kept by Khartoum so far. "Only action not words can win the race against death in Darfur," he said. 'Civil war' Some one million people have fled their homes and at least 10,000 have been killed in what the UN calls "the world's worst humanitarian crisis." A rebellion broke out in Darfur early last year, when two groups took up arms, accusing the government of ignoring the region. 'World's worst humanitarian crisis' "In Darfur, it would be better to help the Sudanese get over the crisis so their country is pacified rather than sanctions which would push them back to their misdeeds of old," junior Foreign Minister Renaud Muselier told French radio. France led opposition to US moves at the UN over Iraq. As was the case in Iraq, France also has significant oil interests in Sudan. Mr Muselier also dismissed claims of "ethnic cleansing" or genocide in Darfur. "I firmly believe it is a civil war and as they are little villages of 30, 40, 50, there is nothing easier than for a few armed horsemen to burn things down, to kill the men and drive out the women," he said. Human rights activists say the Janjaweed are conducting a genocide against Darfur's black African population. Those who have fled their homes say the Janjaweed ride on horses and camels into villages which have just been bombed by government aircraft, killing the men and raping the women. Sudan denies backing the militia and, under strong international pressure, has promised to disarm them. Travel ban Chairman of the African Union Commission Alpha Oumar Konare said that the 300 troops would arrive in Sudan by the end of July. He said they would intervene if they saw civilians being killed. The government of Sudan is clearly on a short leash John Danforth US Ambassador to the UN "We have called for a halt to the bombings... We received promises today from Khartoum," he said. Analysts say that at least 15,000 troops would be needed to bring peace to the vast area of Darfur. The BBC's Barnaby Phillips says the African Union is determined to be taken seriously as a body devoted to solving the continent's problems, but is severely hampered by a lack of resources. African leaders say they hope richer countries will also do their bit to help. A draft UN resolution proposed by the US envisages travel and arms sanctions on Janjaweed. A previous Security Council statement on Darfur failed to criticise Khartoum directly, after resistance from Pakistan and China, instead urging cooperation and the disarming of the Janjaweed. Question of time The Security Council met in closed session for several hours on Wednesday and the draft resolution is being discussed again on Thursday. Council members disagree over how long the Sudanese government should be given to resolve the situation itself, says the BBC's Stephen Gibbs in New York. The 'Janjaweed' militia are accused of ethnic cleansingSome countries, including Pakistan, say that Sudan should be allowed sufficient time to demonstrate that it means what it says. But the US remains sceptical over Sudan's commitment to act. The US draft resolution threatens to escalate the sanctions within 30 days if results are not evident. But diplomats hope that tough talking will force Sudan to act, our correspondent says. They admit that imposing such a resolution on the largest country in Africa is fraught with difficulty, he says. news.bbc.co.uk