Big Ol' Smitty 0 Report post Posted October 11, 2005 UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.S. Ambassador John Bolton blocked a U.N. envoy on Monday from briefing the Security Council on grave human rights violations in Sudan's Darfur region, saying the council had to act against atrocities and not just talk about them. Bolton, joined by China, Algeria and Russia, prevented Juan Mendez, Secretary-General Kofi Annan's special adviser for the prevention of genocide, from briefing the council on his recent visit to Darfur, despite pleas from Annan and 11 other council members that Mendez be heard. "I strongly regret and deplore that Mr. Mendez ... was not authorized to brief the council today as Mr. Kofi Annan had asked," French Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere told reporters outside the council chambers. But Bolton said he had objected to the briefing to make the point the council should be "talking more about the steps it can take to do something about the deteriorating security situation" in Darfur. He gave no new proposals... Mendez, who visited Darfur for a week in late September, later briefed reporters on his findings. He said Sudanese officials were taking only cosmetic steps to prevent systematic human rights abuses there that might amount to genocide. crimes against humanity or war crimes. He also accused Khartoum of refusing to cooperate with the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, a tribunal strongly opposed by the Bush administration on grounds it might pursue frivolous prosecutions of U.S. soldiers or officials working abroad. INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE "We cannot let the government of Sudan get away with that," Mendez told a news conference. "I haven't seen any indication of the international community telling Sudan, 'You don't have a choice, you have to cooperate with the ICC."' Mendez said the Security Council had to put more pressure on the Sudanese to disarm nomad Arab gangs, known as Janjaweed, responsible for many of the atrocities now escalating in camps housing African tribesmen thrown off their land. So far Sudanese trials of any perpetrators were meaningless, he said. Secondly, Mendez recommended that the international community make good on its pledges to give aid to the Africa Union, which has monitors and troops in Darfur. Council diplomats who wanted to hear from Mendez said it was a council tradition to give the envoy a platform when Annan called for a briefing from his adviser on genocide. They noted Bolton had lined up with the three council members -- Algeria, China and Russia -- which have watered down action against Khartoum. "He's playing into the hands of people who don't want to do anything," said one council diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to irritate Washington. The Security Council met for a briefing on the latest developments in Darfur after rebels in the western Sudanese region abducted a number of African Union peacekeeping troops and killed some of them. The incident prompted Annan to warn in Geneva on Monday that a surge of violence in the region may force the world body to suspend some aid to Darfur. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Special K 0 Report post Posted October 11, 2005 Wow, this boggles the mind. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CheesalaIsGood 0 Report post Posted October 11, 2005 Well this is what they wanted him in there for I guess. Just plain spiffyitydoo. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NoCalMike 0 Report post Posted October 12, 2005 my gawd.................. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Ol' Smitty 0 Report post Posted October 12, 2005 I guess Bolton was trying to say "quit talking and act"? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Agent of Oblivion Report post Posted October 12, 2005 Well gee, what should we do then? "I dunno...act! yeah. We'll act." How? "..." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Special K 0 Report post Posted October 12, 2005 It seems like this was a report, rather than a debate as well. I could almost see his stance if it was after a long series of debates, but it seems like a briefing, not a debate, and it's his fucking JOB to debate. Just terrible. Why's he so gung-ho if he doesn't even know what's going on there? Oh, because he's a Bush appointee, and he's more concerned about getting into a dick-measuring contest, trying to look 'decisive' and macho, when it's entirely inappropriate to do so. Is his plan of action "I've heard enough, let's invade those fuckers!"? Because that worked so well before. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Ol' Smitty 0 Report post Posted October 12, 2005 Maybe it has something to do with this... LA Times: 4/29/05 The Bush administration has forged a close intelligence partnership with the Islamic regime that once welcomed Osama bin Laden here, even though Sudan continues to come under harsh U.S. and international criticism for human rights violations... Sudan has "given us specific information that is … important, functional and current," said a senior State Department official who agreed to discuss intelligence matters on condition of anonymity. The official acknowledged that the [sudanese intelligence agency] Mukhabarat could become a "top tier" partner of the CIA. "Their competence level as a service is very high," the official said. "You can't survive in that part of the world without a good intelligence service, and they are in a position to provide significant help..." From Khartoum the view is markedly upbeat. "American intelligence considers us to be a friend," said Maj. Gen. Yahia Hussein Babiker, a senior official in Sudan's government. During an interview at the presidential palace, Babiker said Sudan had achieved "a complete normalization of our relations with the CIA." Intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Salah Abdallah Gosh, who otherwise declined comment for this article, told The Times: "We have a strong partnership with the CIA. The information we have provided has been very useful to the United States..." Concern that the White House might soften its policy toward Sudan on the Darfur issue to encourage intelligence assistance was raised in an October report by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. It said Gosh and other Sudanese officials had played "key roles in directing … attacks against civilians" and noted that the administration was "concerned that going after these individuals could disrupt cooperation on counter-terrorism..." The administration denies that it is retreating in any way. A senior administration official called intelligence-sharing one of "the building blocks" of U.S.-Sudanese relations but said "it wouldn't matter unless there was progress in other areas," including human rights. "We began mobilizing and leading international pressure on Khartoum ever since the dimensions of the Darfur situation became clear, and we have continued to do so ever since," the official said... But critics are impatient for a stronger response on Darfur. "We have not taken adequate measures given the enormity of the crimes because we don't want to directly confront Sudan [on Darfur] when it is cooperating on terrorism," said [John] Prendergast, the former National Security Council staffer. Last month, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sent a letter to the Bashir government calling for steps to end the conflict in Darfur. But the letter, reviewed by The Times, also congratulated Sudan for increased cooperation with an African Union mission to Darfur. It also said the administration hoped to establish a "fruitful relationship" with Sudan and looked forward to continued "close cooperation" on terrorism... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
