September 2006

I don’t get it you know. Yes, they have committed terrorist acts against innocent Israelis but why can’t they be in the Palestinian unity government? I understand Hamas still maintains its retarded position of not recognizing Israel and I think they’re really dumb for doing that but don’t they have a right to be in the unity government? Yes? No? Not even a little bit? Isn’t keeping them out unconstructive? At least by keeping them part of the unity government, they won’t be isolated. Isolating them into a corner might cause problems and violence in the long term run. Plus, not so long ago Margaret Thatcher declared South Africa’s ANC a terrorist organization but at the end they did end up being in the South African government didn’t they? Anyways, it’s just a thought. On another note, I think Palestinians need to form some new political party. Fatah are corrupted as hell and Hamas won’t accept the fact that Israel exists. Both of them suck big time especially “lovely” Hamas. Sigh!

I just read one hell of an analysis about the Darfur situation and the NCP’s relations with China and America.

In the past, I’ve held quite a suspicious view regarding America’s policies towards Sudan. I’ve discussed this in my previous post entitled The Agenda Behind Darfur. In it I explained why I believed that there’s a small possibility the Bush administration might be financing Darfur’s rebels and planning to destabalize Sudan. Further later and after much thinking, I came to the conclusion that there’s no way the White House would be planning war against Sudan. It just didn’t and still doesn’t make any sense to me. The situation now is different and Sudan doesn’t support terrorism anymore. Moreover Omar al-Bashir’s National Congress Party (NCP) has said numerous times that it wants to fix its relations with the White House. Hence if the White House wanted the oil and uranium in Darfur, it could easily get to it without waging war or planning a conspiracy against Sudan.

The following post is a superb analysis about the many aspects of Sudan including oil, America, Darfur and China’s increasing influence. I hope it puts to rest many of the retarded and outrageous conspiracy theories about American Zionst Jewish plans to invade Sudan and divide it. The writer of this post is one hell of a well informed individual. There’s too much garbage around nowadays about Sudan, most of it being stupid propaganda that fails to inform or educate. This is NOT one of them. I highly recommend you read this long post. No, you know what? I beg you to read it. It’s simply excellent.

(Hat tip: Daniel Davies)

UPDATE: The American-based groups calling for military intervention in Darfur are a bunch of misguided people and another bunch of others really pissed off at the NCP for its previous terrorism-harboring past and also for the crimes it committed against Christians in south Sudan. If these groups continue rallying enough support they might influence the White House but I highly doubt. The whole idea of military intervention is just pure retarded and as much as I appreciate the works of people like Eric Reeves, I really hate the fact he’s pushing for military intervention in Darfur. He should know better. Thank God wise guys like Jan Pronk now finally understand what I’ve been trying to get across here on this humble blog of mine. Others I agree with regarding many things about Darfur include Alex de Waal, Ingrid Jones at Sudan Watch and Daniel Davies whom I discovered recently. Thank God these sane voices exist.

I know I know… But you’ve got to admit it looks cool right?

Hat tip: Myrtus

I never really gave the whole Sudan divestment thingy a lot of thought until I read this comment by PeacefulVanguard:

Hi Drima,

I don’t agree with you on this one actually. I just do not think sanctions against Sudan are a good idea because they are not comprehensive or done in a concerted effort by the international community. Sudan, as you know, has a strategic and reliable partner in China. As the US divests from Sudan, all we really are doing is pushing Sudan further into bed with the Chinese govt. rather than cut off economic opportunity for Sudan. Keep in mind that China makes zero human rights requirements on the governments they do business with, so as the USA divests from Sudan, and China invests, we may be institutionalizing the human rights abuses that occur there even more, albeit unwittingly. Divestment also gives us less leverage over the course of time, especially since “he who pays the bills calls the shots.” I just don’t think it is wise to divest from Sudan as long as China and others will pick up the slack. Divestment only works if it’s done together.

It seems that piecemeal divestment is really a tool for people/entities to use in order to make it seem as if they are doing something when they have no other options. In this case, individually divesting from Sudan gives people and the US govt. something to pat themselves on the back over, but at the end of the day, it probably won’t work, and may turn out to be rather counterproductive. Of course the goal must be to stop human rights abuse in Sudan, I’m just not convinced divestment will do it, and worry it will just disengage Sudan from any discussion about improving human rights altogether since they won’t have any incentive to do so with China, India, and the AL as their major trading partners.

To be honest, I prefer a different tactic. I would like to figure out how to engage Sudan strategically so that all the people in the country feel as if they have mutual, unbiased partners who are interested in all the people of Sudan winning together. If Darfur’s initial problem was lack of constructive engagement from the govt., how can the international community address that while also helping the rest of Sudan meet their needs as well? This is where I think we need to put our brainstorming efforts.

These are just my two cents for whatever they’re worth. Thanks.

Stupid me!

There has always been beauty and this is one aspect. Don’t forget that. Long live the Sudan, a land with a rich history and great African civilizations. Down with the Islamists and the NCP. Can I get an Amen?

Long ago, my parents sent me to attend Islamic classes in the evening. The Sheikh there was very strict, in fact he was too strict. My friends and I called him Santa Claus behind his back because he had a really long white beard. “Oi dude, cut the crap. Santa Claus is coming” my friend would warn me when we fooled around the mosque.

One day we were going to pray, and Sheikh Santa noticed my friend’s T-shirt. “You can’t pray with that T-shirt boy. It has pictures on it. Don’t you know pictures and statues are haram?” screamed Santa. My friend at the time wore a Nike T-Shirt with a picture of Michael Jordan on it. He apologized and said he wouldn’t wear it again.

I found the experience hilarious. Next to my friend, another boy stood wearing a T-Shirt with “Metallica” written across it. It’s a good thing Sheikh Santa doesn’t know what the hell Metallica is because if he did or had any idea what the lyrics of their songs were about, my friends and I probably wouldn’t be alive today.

Needless to say, I kept telling my dad all those stories until one day he decided to find me another place with a sane non-extremist Imam. Indeed he did and the Sheikh there was much nicer and more reasoned.

The AU is going to increase its troops in Darfur by another 4,000. Now that’s a good development.

The African Union will add 4,000 troops to its extended Darfur peacekeeping mission, bringing the number of police and soldiers in western Sudan to 11,000, a spokesman for the AU said on Monday.

It also seems like the Arab League has kept its word. AMAZING! I give them credit for this one.

The United Nations has readied communications and other equipment and 100 personnel to help AU forces in the coming months.

Qatar’s U.N. ambassador, Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser, said some $50 million had been raised for the force among Arab nations, who aimed at raising $100 million.

I have a question. Why the hell wasn’t this done a long time ago? Why do we have to wait for Sudanese consent and for the UN to do something. As the Security Council eats cheesecake, drinks coffee and argues, people keep dying in Darfur. Now I’m not saying to stop doing what the UN is doing. Do it but please for the Lord’s sake, do other important things simultaneously.

Strengthen the AU troops financially and support them logistically. Encourage it and the Arab League to provide more troops. Discuss with the NCP changing the AU’s mandate. Offer carrots and pressure the NCP to get back to the table with all relevant parties and tribes in Darfur because it’s highly important. Stop refering to this conflict as evil Arabs waging genocide against innocent Africans. It’s naive and it’s inaccurate. It makes it seem so simple to solve and it overshadows the complexities of the situation. You cannot solve a problem unless you understand it. Therefore, understand it well. Do all of this simultaneously while checking the possibilities of UN troops.

Ah, the UN troops. What makes them better than the AU anyways? They’re a real joke in Lebanon. Plus, if they move into Darfur without Sudanese consent, the region will turn into a warzone (apparently Bush thinks the consent isn’t required). When that happens will the UN troops have enough balls to actually fight properly and protect the civilians? Will they? And another thing. Who the hell will they fight against and ally with. Will they fight against the rebels or the Sudanese troops because the rebels aren’t angels you know. They’re responsible for many sick crimes too. What’s the UN’s full war plan? I want to know because if it’s really good and it will provide the necessary protection for the hunreds of thousands of innocent people in Darfur, I might just change my mind. I emphasize “might”. Let the rebels and Sudanese military slaughter each other for all I care. Let’s not forget Al-Qaeda and Sudanese Islamist groups too okay. They ought to be a lot of fun for the UN troops. I hope they and the countries backing them will have enough balls.

You know people, seriously I’m not going to boast and say I know a lot about everything when I really don’t, not about Chinese politics, Israeli politics or even American politics. However when it comes to the situation in Sudan, especially Khartoum and Darfur, I can shamelessly tell you I know what I’m talking about very well. I’m not willing to risk the lives of so many people when there are alternatives to solving this problem in more peacefull ways. Please think about what I said and tell me what you think.

I was going to blog about this but Sandmonkey went ahead and did it before me. Have you noticed that this Pope crisis didn’t generate as much violence as the cartoons did. No. seriously you’ve got to admit that. I was expecting the Day of Rage that Sheikh Qaradawi declared to be… well, a serious and gigantic day of rage. It didn’t turn out to be that “ragey” after all. Yaaay, we’re improving and becoming less violent. Or maybe it’s just Ramadan. Owwww we’re all too hungry to go all “jihady” on the Pope are we?

… I call it good news and a victory. Congress OKs sanctions on Sudan over Darfur.

I hear ya gurl. Sigh!

1.  Brave Heart
2.  Troy
3. Green Street Hooligans (British or American?)
4.  Instinct
5. Gladiator
6.  Ladder 49
7. The Patriot
8. Godfather Trilogy
9. Matrix Trilogy
10. Fight Club
11. Last Samurai
12. Cinderella Man
13. Million Dollar Baby
14. Man on Fire
15. Remember The Titans

I have a strange habit of loving any movie in which the hero dies in the end. Most epic movies and all stories set during the Great Depression are also very appealing to me. The struggle in them is so real and human. I hate most comic book movies. I find them silly and unrealistic. That means I’m not a fan of X-Men, Spider Man, Super Man, Fantastic 4 etc. I like movies that I can relate to or that inspire me. Other than that, the rest don’t really do it much for me unless you’re talking about comdey. American Pie or Rush Hour anyone?

Allahu Akbar. The Arab League is actually doing something constructive. Za’3rito ya niswan. Well okay, actually (some) diplomats from the Arab League and other Muslim countries are doing something constructive. They met Pope Benedict.

Pope Benedict XVI told Muslim diplomats Monday that “our future” depends on good relations between followers of both faiths as he sought to put to rest anger over his recent remarks about Islam and violence.

…Addressing the diplomats, he did say that Christians and Muslims must work together to “guard against all forms of intolerance and to oppose all manifestations of violence.”

…Saudi Arabia does not have diplomatic relations with the Holy See.

Among predominantly Muslim nations with diplomatic relations to the Vatican, only Sudan did not participate in the meeting.

Yaaaaaay! But on a serious note why didn’t the SPLM send someone? That Salva Kiir dude is too laid back in my opinion. Busy swallowing oil money secretly is he? John Garang is sorry was so much more charismatic. Ah, how I miss him. Who killed him again? Ya, it was the damn CIA. You bloody freaking oil junkie Americans. I hate you!

Now that the AU has announced it will remain in Darfur until the end of the year, our beloved democratically elected corrupted dictator Bashir jumps in and decides to send in Sudanese troops to work along the AU ones in Darfur to bring security. I don’t know what the hell that means but picture this. I turn my room into a disasterous mess, because you know, I like messing up stuff since it’s fun. Suddenly my mom screams at me and she starts trying to clean up my own mess. I get a headache from her constant pressuring and I also start feeling a little guitly. “Wala”. Magically I change my mind and decide to help around to clean the mess I created in the first place before my mom blows up at me.

Sudan will deploy new integrated forces in Darfur to work alongside African Union peacekeepers in providing security in the region, President Omar al-Beshir said late Sunday.

The integrated units of “the army, police and security forces will be responsible for keeping peace and stability in Darfur region,” said Beshir.

These units will operate in the presence of the African Union forces to which he said his government “will not accept any substitute,” reiterating his opposition to a proposed transition to a UN force.

“We continue supporting the African forces and the UN can support those forces logistically and materially,” said Beshir, slamming the UN force as “an American-engineered conspiracy to turn the Sudan into another Iraq.”

Oh yes, indeed Darfur will become another Iraq if UN troops move in. Stay away retards, you’ll make the mess Bashir created worse. Only wait, the mess he created isn’t that disasterous you know. I mean hey, it’s just a slight problem that has been exagerated and blown out of proportions by the evil Zionist piggy apes Jewish Western Crusader organizations around the world that control the media right?

The Sudanese president disputed allegations that the situation in the region was worsening, and challenged reported casualty figures for the conflict.

“Those parties which allege 300,000 people were killed in the conflict, are lying and I defy anyone to prove that figure. The number of the dead all through the conflict has not exceeded 10,000 on both government and rebel sides,” Beshir asserted.

“I defy anyone to show me a single village that has been bombarded as those parties claim,” he said, adding that those allegations “are intended to find justifications” for deployment of UN forces in Darfur.

You know it’s funny really. Most of the time news about Sudan just depress the hell out of me but at other times they’re so entertaining. Don’t you all just love Omar al-Bashir?

Ramadan kareem to all my Muslim readers. May we all have a blessed month full of joy and self reflection. No more eating, drinking, smoking (sigh!), lying, bad language, smoking, sex, sexual thoughts, intentions of having sexual thoughts, eating or drinking from sunrise until sunset everyday for the next one month. I know, it sounds like a lot of work to all you non-Muslims and especially atheists out there doesn’t it? Ah, no big deal really. Okay fine, maybe it is just a little.

Ramadan is a great time. The atmosphere is just different. It’s so relaxed and joyfull. It’s also a little funny because there are those kind of people who turn into instant angels for a month and then return to being the devils they are after Ramadan is over. All of a sudden some people I know quit weed, alcohol, clubbing, sex and pick up a Quran which has been sitting on a shelf catching dust all year to actually start reading it. It’s amazing I tell you and it’s also a little sad. Many also spend daytime sleeping only to wake up 2 hours before sunset which is pointless really since they end up fasting for 2 hours. The whole point of Ramadan besides worshipping is to train oneself to control one’s desires rather than becoming a slave to them. This should be practiced all the time but it’s made compulsory during Ramadan. The self-restraint is quite a humbling experience. You should try it sometime . Anyways this is what many Sudanese will be eating during this month.

And to all you Jews out there, happy belated Rosh Hashana (what’s that again?).