So WHAT if the Green Light Comes

Posted on October 17, 2006
Filed Under General Thoughts |

You know I’ve been thinking. Let’s just assume pious caring Omar Hassan al-Bashir’s NCP gives consent for a transfer of the AU mission in Darfur to the UN. Do you really think the ranting Western nations will actually contribute troops given the fact that al-Qaeda and Sudanese Islamists said they will declare Jihad against them? Do you really think they’ll want to risk their domestic security thanks to dickheads living amongst them who believe the propaganda saying that Darfur has no problems and that the West is making up and exagerting its claims to wage another CrUSAde in order to get to the oil and uranium in Darfur? Do you really think with the war in Iraq and NATO stretched and begging for more soldiers in Afghanistan, troops will actually make it into Darfur? I DON’T. At least not for now. Bush bla bla bla. Blair and the EU bla bla bla. Arab countries and the OIC super BLA BLA BLA. I’m getting so pissed off with this, all of it. I just hope these 2 guys can make a miracle happen. They’re all I trust right now at this very moment and I certainly hope this report is right because if it is… it’s damn good news. AND if they succeed… not just succeed to get the rebels to sign but succeed to get them to actually stick to the agreement and stop fighting then… then you can forget answering the questions I asked above.

UPDATE: Sudan says ready for talks with Darfur non-signatories

Comments

11 Responses to “So WHAT if the Green Light Comes”

  1. K from Oslo on October 17th, 2006 9:05 pm

    Actually, both the Norwegian and Swedish parliaments have agreed to send troops, if asked by the UN. The US doesn’t send troops to UN peace keeping forces.

  2. imnakoya on October 17th, 2006 9:44 pm

    I sense a subtle disdain for USA /Britain/Nato in your prose…curious why this is so.

  3. Cooper on October 18th, 2006 3:00 am

    Dear Mr Sudanese thinker,
    Would you like to do a guest post on my blog? The Darfur blog not my personal blog. Just in case you were wondering.

    cooper

    http://wonderlandornot.net

  4. Craig on October 18th, 2006 5:26 am

    The US pays more than 25% of the cost of UN peacekeeping missions, but provides less than 1% on UN Peacekeeping troops, yes. It has been illegal for American troops to be placed under UN command for over a decade. I believe that is a result of lawsuits by US troops and their familes on the grounds that it is counter to the US Constitution to force American troops to serve foreign powers.

    The US does, however, send peacekeepers in unilaterally or under NATO auspices, in advance of a UN presence, as was done in Liberia and Haiti in recent years.

    If I had my way, Drima, we would send all 35,000 of the US troops currently in South Korea to Darfur. It’s too small a presence to do any good in South Korea anyway, but it could do some good in Darfur.

    The US could also send a Marine Expeditionary Unit. That’s the smallest deployment of Marines that is independently operational. It’s only about 2500 Marines but they have substantial air power, mobility, and armor and they pack a hell of a punch. There are at least 2 MEUs already deployed at sea in the area right now.

    I think it is quite unlikely though, to tell the truth. This is the UN’s baby and America is not on very good terms with the UN these days.

  5. jodetoad on October 18th, 2006 6:08 am

    Hi, Drima. You sound pretty irritated. I don’t think you appreciate how many people here in the US are really upset about Darfur. Really upset. Have been for quite a while now.

    So what should we do? We don’t know. That does not mean we are not sincere. What do you think we should do? It’s not like we aren’t trying to figure out something practical, that would not cause more harm than good. Don’t blame the west; nobody else can figure out what to do either. I thought you didn’t want a UN force, anyway.

    We want no part of a war to get Sudanese resources. For what we’ve spent in Iraq, we could have bought a gazillion barrels of oil, but we are not taking their oil. It is much cheaper to buy something than to have a war for it. It would be cheaper to develop the Colorado oil shale.

    Don’t listen to all the rants; we really are NOT inventing crUSAdes just to steal your resources. To us, the murder, lies and abuse in Darfur is absolutely sickening. You can’t expect us to ignore it.

    You have been here, and seen us and met us. We are a democracy, and although our government makes mistakes, just like any government, the government IS us, and we aren’t really all that bad.

  6. tooners on October 18th, 2006 8:39 am

    hmmmm… I don’t think the U.S. will do anything, at least not for a while. There’s too much going on everywhere else. I think sending troops is a good idea, but the rebels there seem soooo extreme and the fighting could worsen w/ troops… so it all seems risky to me. I wish there was an easy answer or solution because it’s really sad to see.

    I do think, though, that the U.S. and the ppl are very aware of what’s happening in Darfur. Maybe it’s a case of not really knowing what to do.

    Here lately, every time troops are sent into a country, things only seem to go to the extreme in that country and nothing gets better. Will the same happen there? Can the fighting ever stop? Do they really want it to stop?

  7. Drima on October 18th, 2006 9:28 am

    I’m sorry guys. I was just in a really frustrated mood when I typed this post. Bad day that’s all :(

    “I sense a subtle disdain for USA /Britain/Nato in your prose…curious why this is so.”

    Imnakoya, no reason really.
    Ugly news headlines + bad day + blogging = frustrated post

    Why do you only ask about USA/Britain/Nato in yor question? Why not about the Arabs and the OIC? Curious why this is so? ;)

    “Hi, Drima. You sound pretty irritated. I don’t think you appreciate how many people here in the US are really upset about Darfur.”

    Jodetoad, no bro I really do appreciate it. I do.

    “Don’t listen to all the rants; we really are NOT inventing crUSAdes just to steal your resources.”

    Ah, come on man. Are you serious? Of course I know that. :)

    I’m just pissed off with the people who will go all “jihady” at you guys and other well meaning nations for trying to “help” (read colonize). The world works in unfortunate mysterious ways.

    As for the Iraq war, oh well. I came to a conclusion. Sooner or later the people will get tired of fighting. Europeans got tired of fighting after they hit rock bottom and now they try to solve things in peaceful means as much as possible. Iraqis will do the same… eventually… I hope. Watching the process happening is the ugly part. I don’t know how long it will take. It tooks us 20 years in Sudan to end the north-south civil war… I hope the United States can come up with a more effective strategy.

    Afghanistan on the other hand I support FIRMLY as I’ve stated before… The Taliban must be eliminated… Iraq won’t be easy I’m afraid though.

    I stand by my point though. I don’t think countries will send their troops immediately. I think at the back of their minds, they’re taking al-Qaeda’s threats seriously. It will take some time. Again that’s >>if

  8. Black River Eagle on October 19th, 2006 3:59 pm

    Thanks for stopping by and leaving a nice comment re: Mohammed Yunis today Drima. I’m focused on news about NK and Mr. Kim at the moment, Sudan has been moved to the back burner in headlines this week.

    It’s good to see that you have been “discovered” by all of these people who really give a damn about what is happening in Darfur and eager to find ways to stop the killing. That story at the Sudan Tribune site sounds promising and I do hope that the south Sudan’s Mr. Kir and the other gentlemen mentioned can make some headway in bringing about a ceasefire and restarting peace negotiations between the government and the “rebels”.

    Have you seen the latest story over at the BBC News website about the ex-Janjaweed fighter seeking asylum in the U.K.? He gave an interview on BBC Newsnight (see Oct 17 programme) as well as originally being interviewed by the Aegis Trust (see their site for more info). If even half of what he says is true and verifiable, the UN and the ICC would be compelled to further investigate the regime of Omar al-Bashir and demand arrests of top government officials in Sudan, DPA or no DPA. Check it out for yourself at websites listed below:

    Excerpts: Ex-Janjaweed Fighter Story
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6062766.stm

    Sudan Denies Directing the Janjaweed
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6062766.stm

    Aegis Trust: Interviw with ex-Janjaweed fighter
    http://www.aegistrust.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=515&Itemid=88

  9. Black River Eagle on October 19th, 2006 4:09 pm

    Corrections:

    That’s Mr. Salva Kiir… (two i’s, not one i)

    Here is the corrected URL to the BBC article
    Excerpts: ex-Janjaweed Fighter Story
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6060856.stm

    Additonal links to this story:
    BBC Newsnight programme - Oct 17, 2006 (audio, video, podcasts)

    From Khartoum to Britain (interview w/ Ali the Janjaweed fighter)
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/6060156.stm

  10. Black River Eagle on October 19th, 2006 4:13 pm

    Last correction:

    That’s Dr. Muhammed Yunus (correct spelling). I’m tired. Good night.

  11. Drima on October 19th, 2006 4:46 pm

    Thanx 4 the links Bill.

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