War: Crimes: Darfur target of International Criminal Court, at last

What the US calls genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan has at last been taken seriously by the UN Security Council, mandating the International Criminal Court to actively investigate and prosecute the most serious deeds of 51 alleged war criminals in the region. The US has in the past been reluctant to participate in the ICC, but at this juncture, unable to get any other UN response against the Arab genocide of Darfur's Black Muslims, the US has decided to pursue active involvement of the 2002-founded ICC.

In Canada, the situation of Darfur's suffering people became part of the Liberal Party government's game to survive a vote of confidence on its proposed national budget, in the House of Commons. The Liberal budget proposed in February 2005 was supported by the official opposition party, the Tories (Conservatives), but when the Tories joined with the separatist francophone Bloc Québecois to use the budget vote to bring down the Libs on the issue of a huge financial scandal (Adscam, le scandal des commandites) that had been the subject of daily exposés by the special Gomery Commission, at first even the socialist New Democrats mused over killing off the GlibLibs (but the NDP has never had any seats in in Québec which was in a fury about the scandals). That's when the New Democratic Party intervened with the Liberals to keep it in power, offerng a deal in exchang for NDP support of the minority Lib govt, were the Liberals to change the budget proposed in February and adopt a new socialist budget that the Tories could no longer support.

Back to Darfur via the Canadian Budget: Counting noses everyone realized that the vote would be very close, and could depend on how the three independents in the House of Commons would cast their votes. One of them, David Kilgour, said he would vote against the Liberal government and let it fall, unless it came thru with massive intervention of a military and aid item to be appended to the new Liberal-NDP budget. Since this fine political blackmail could undo Liberal schemes, a handsome but not grand, gesture was made to Kilgour and Darfur. And a new line item was written into the socialist budget to get Kilgour's vote. Kilgour thawt the amount was laffable, and voted against the government. But the Liberals found other ways to survive. They had other purchases of votes to make. Darfur:

"The vast western region of Darfur is the scene of what the United Nations has called one of the world's worst humanitarian crises [not genocide - says the UN, because its rules would require armed intervention were it what it actually is. - Owlb]. An estimated 180,000 people have died — many from hunger and disease — and about 2 million others have been displaced since the conflict began in February 2003. ¶ "Darfur's crisis erupted when rebels took up arms after what they considered years of state neglect and discrimination against Sudanese of African origin [Black African Muslims, not Arabs - Owlb]. The government is accused of responding with a counterinsurgency campaign in which the ethnic Arab militia known as the Janjaweed have committed wide-scale abuses against ethnic Africans. ¶ " 'The prosecutor's decision to investigate mass murder and rape [of the Black Muslims - Owlb] in Darfur will start the wheels of justice turning for victims there," Human Rights Watch spokesman Richard Dicker said. ¶ "He added that the Sudanese government's reluctance to cooperate with the court indicates it is concerned that it will be prosecuted." - AP in USAToday

refWrite strongly backs this develop involving the US, the UN Security Council, the ICC, the African Union (which has some troops in Sudan's Darfur region, to protect aid workers and hold off attacks by the irregulars, Janjaweed, supported by the central Sudanese Arab government), and we salute the non-government organization Human Rights Watch.

But let's give Martin his due for his, however belated, May 24 initiative. "Prime Minister Paul Martin today announced that Canada is significantly increasing its contribution in Darfur to support international efforts toward peace and stability in Sudan. This pledge includes up to $198 million for more humanitarian aid and increased support for the African Union (AU) Mission in Sudan (AMIS), as well as the creation of a special advisory team to coordinate and promote Canada’s initiatives on the ground."

Another but: Let's not be overly credulous, and instead take a look at Mel Middleton's analysis of the profile that obtained until very recently when the Kilgour episode changed things a bit for Darfur, during the non-confidence vote. And the Martin minority government of Canada, deftly not using the dreaded word, took a more responsive notice of the Darfur genocide. Middleton is Executive Director of the Calgary-based Freedom Quest International. This is must reading!

Then do take the time to check out LM, from Khartoun, for his in-depth analysis of the often mutually-antagonistic "twin fascisms of Islamism and pan-Arabism." This VIP article is by Abu Kwala, a human rights activist and former Chair of the Tunisian section of Amnesty International (not necessarily a recommendation these days, but this gentleman is excellent despite his Liberal milieu). Additional but: I recalled an article I had read some months back, reporting statements issued by the Darfur rebel self-defense organizations composed of young members of the Black Muslim communities there. Their leadership had issued two important statements addressed to the Organization of Arab States in regard to oppression of minorities (either racial - non-Arabs; or religious - not part of the dominant sect which in North Africa is Sunni). I found the remnants of that article here: "Article # 43 Darfur Rebels Call on Arabs to Protect Minorities. CAIRO (Reuters) - 'Rebels from Sudan's Darfur region want an Arab summit this week to show support for minorities in Arab countries and help bring war criminals to justice, rebel leaders said on Monday.' " You get the gist, dear reader. My "but" here is that Reuters has silenced a voice, the important voive behind the Darfur Statements. When I clicked it up, I found only this Reuters censorious ploy: "We're sorry [but! - Owlb] ...this story is not available." Another form of news-capitalism censorship of vital information from oppressed groups who don't meet Reuters' policy of placating Islamafascism and Pan-arabism (Reuters even forbids its reporters to use the word "terrorist" to identify terrorists. But my deadline has arrived without being able to track down an alternative source for the story, sorry! Please, somebody with web-search skills help me track down this story - shit on Reuters! - Owlb