Juridics: ICC: First steps to arrest perpetrators of suspected Sudan war crimes in Darfur region

Jurist carries a vital report by Caitlin Price, "ICC prosecutor urges arrest of Sudan war crimes suspects" (Jun7,2k7):

Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Luis Moreno-Ocampo Thursday renewed his call for the arrests of two top suspects accused of committing war crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan. Moreno-Ocampo briefed UN Security Council (UNSC) delegates one week prior to their joint trip with African Union (AU) representatives to several African capital cities to lay out a "hybrid force" peacekeeping effort. The suspects, former Sudanese interior minister and current humanitarian affairs minister Ahmad Muhammad Harun and former militia leader Ali Muhammad Al Abd-Al-Rahman (also known as Ali Kushayb) are each accused of nearly 50 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Moreno-Ocampo underscored the importance that every African nation help to apprehend the suspects and urged the Security Council to "take the lead" in bringing them before a court.

Rather than focussing explicit positive steps toward serious amelioration, if not "solution", to Darfur's misery, action-absolutists blame in every direction they can intrigue, but now seem to be getting to a clearer stance:Foreign Policy carries an analysis by Morton Abramowitz and Jonathan Kolieb, "Why China Won’t Save Darfur" (Jun,2k7):

Frustrated by the West’s failure to halt the slaughter in Sudan, Darfur advocacy groups are pinning their hopes on a country they see as genocide’s enabler in chief: China. But in pressuring an indifferent Beijing, activists are merely helping Western governments evade responsibility for a humanitarian crisis that they could do far more to stop.

Africa > Darfur

After four years of tireless efforts, Darfur advocacy groups have had little success in pressuring the Bush administration or any other Western government to move decisively against the Sudanese government for its atrocities in Darfur. These groups are right to dismiss the Bush administration’s latest sanctions initiative as mere posturing; like all of the president’s efforts to date, it’s too limited in scope and lacks a wider, more holistic diplomatic strategy. These groups are focusing instead on the two C’s of humanitarian advocacy—China and celebrities—as a remedy for a crisis that has killed over 200,000 people and displaced more than 2.5 million. But in pointing the finger at China, proponents of stronger action on Darfur are merely helping the White House evade moral responsibility for a humanitarian disaster that it labels a “genocide.”

Politics: France: UMP under Sarkozy set to win increased representation in parliamentary elections

Javno carries a Reuters story about France's upcoming parliamentary elections, Sarkozy UMP Extends Lead -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP political party could win up to 460 seats in parliamentary elections to be held later this month (Jun2,2k7):

French President Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP political party could win up to 460 seats in parliamentary elections to be held later this month, four times as many as the opposition Socialists, according to a poll on Saturday. The IFOP poll for Sunday's Journal du Dimanche newspaper put support for the UMP and Socialists steady at 41 percent and 27 percent respectively, but movement in support for other parties meant Sarkozy's UMP was forecast to win more seats than before.

France's parliamentary elections are due to be held over two rounds on June 10 and 17. A big win for the UMP would cement Sarkozy's grip on power after he was elected president on May 6.

The survey projected the UMP could win 420 to 460 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly compared with a projected 410 to 450 in IFOP's previous survey and 359 currently.

The Socialists were seen winning 80 to 120 seats compared with a previously forecast 90 to 130 and down from 149 now.

The Socialists are having their own fierce internicene battle, with some of their candidates standing firm for orthodox Socialism-by-peaceful-means and others seeking seats on the basis of a turn of the Party to social democracy which accepts capitalism but seeks to control it and promotes a a strongly welfarist-capitalism under a social-democratic government and an all-powerful all-responsible state (little sphere sovereignty or sphere-responsiblity for other societal spheres), as in many other European countries. In France, one could well imagine that in due time the present SP will split in two (SP vs. SDP).

The main loser in the poll was Francois Bayrou's new centre-right Democratic Movement, with support falling to 9 percent from 12 percent.

Europe > France

Bayrou's party said it would distribute thousands of orange flowers in Paris on Sunday -- Mothers' Day in France -- in an effort to drum up support.

Another story, this time from a marginal Trotskyite websource Indymedia Bay Area offers a telltale report, in its own desultory way, on Sarkozy's deft navigation among the splintered vote-pools of the French political panorma, "France: Guy Môquet, Sarkozy and the Stalinist school of falsification" (Jun2,2k7):

"After his official installation as French president May 16, Nicolas Sarkozy’s first engagement was a memorial ceremony to fallen Resistance fighters against the Nazi occupation of France during the Second World War.

Sarkozy used the event to issue his first presidential decree: the obligatory annual public reading in schools of Guy Môquet’s letter to his family shortly before his execution by a Nazi firing squad on October 22, 1941. Sarkozy intends this to serve as an example of “heroism” and “sacrifice” for the “nation.” The 17-year-old Môquet was a member of the Young Communists.

The visit to the memorial ceremony and his proclamation about the letter brings to light an important historical episode that reveals the counter-revolutionary essence of French Stalinism.

The latter expression is Trot-speak for France's Communist Party which at one time commanded 20% of the vote, while in the last election the orthodox Communists garnered 1.6%. However, together with the half-a-dozen other small ultraleft parties that have picked up refugees from the Commies, the total of the whole farleft wing is about 10%--who largely voted against Sarkozy in favour of the mainstream Socialists.

The initial indignation of French Communist Party (PCF) leader Marie-George Buffet at Sarkozy’s cynical use of Môquet’s death to promote nationalism during his election campaign was short-lived. “The reading of Guy Môquet’s last letter before his execution is a strong message,” she declared, after Sarkozy had pronounced his presidential decree, “because this young man was a patriot through his engagement in the Resistance, but also because his combat for the emancipation of humanity had a goal, that of constructing a Republic of rights and liberties in a democracy.”

Buffet’s servile falling into line with Sarkozy reinforces the latter’s attempts to present himself as president of “all the French.”

With such gestures, Sarkozy seems intent on chipping away at his opposition to win more seats in the Parliament than even Jacques Chirac could muster. For his interim cabinet, Sarkozy has named at least one Socialist to an important ministerial portfolio.

Politics: Riot: Ahead of G8 Summit, Europe's violent nutcult seriously hurt 18 police, injure 128 others

"The world shaped by the dominance of the G-8 is a world of war, hunger, social divisions, environmental destruction and barriers against migrants and refugees," [protest] organizers said in leaflets handed out on the streets.

CNN.com carries a dreadful story from Rostock, Germany: "146 German police officers injured in violent G-8 protests" (Jun2,2k7):

Masked demonstrators showered police with grapefruit-sized rocks and beer bottles, then were driven back with water cannon and tear gas during a protest march Saturday against the upcoming Group of Eight summit in Germany.

The clashes left smoke from burning cars and the sting of tear gas drifting through the harborfront area in the north German port of Rostock. Some 146 police were hurt, 18 of them seriously.

Radicals "are smashing everything in their way to pieces," said Karsten Wolff, a police spokesman.

The officially permitted march preceded a three-day summit beginning Wednesday in the seaside resort of Heiligendamm, where German Chancellor Angela Merkel hosts the leaders of the other G-8 nations -- Britain, France, Japan, Italy, Russia, Canada and the United States.

The leaders are expected to discuss measures against global warming, the fight against AIDS and poverty in Africa, and the world economy. As in previous years, the summit drew protesters of various stripes opposed to globalization, capitalism and the G-8 itself.

Most marchers were peaceful, but others pried up paving stones and broke them into chunks before charging police. Officers in helmets and full body armor fell back, then charged the demonstrators.

Five large green police trucks with twin water cannons mounted on top blasted groups of rioters. A police car was destroyed and several parked cars burned, spreading black smoke over the area.

Protesters torched a large blue recycling bin.

Police spokesman Frank Scheulen estimated the number of violence-minded demonstrators at about 2,000. Police put the size of the demonstration at 25,000, while organizers said it was 80,000.

Officials said 17 people were arrested.

Werner Raetz, an anti-globalization activist with Attac, one of the organizing groups, distanced himself from the violence: "There is no justification for these attacks."

Economy USA: Alan Greenspan: Reviews 18 years at Federal Reserve Bank and peers into the future of world economy in new book

CNN.com carries a Reuters article, "Greenspan: 'Very unusual' economic conditions -- The former Fed chief, noting a 'very unusual' situation in which interest rates around the world are low, defended his trademark circumspection and reflected on the surprising lesson he got from 9/11." (Jun1,2k7):

Former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Friday that U.S. interest rates are low, but that rates are low all over the world.

He said the prevalence of low interest rates throughout the world was one of the things that surprised him as he prepared his reflections on his past for the new book he was promoting, The Age of Turbulence [Sept2k7, Penguin Press].

CNNMoney.com's Allen Wastler discusses U.S.-China trade issues and Alan Greenspan's ominous warning. ... Greenspan warns China stocks primed to fall

Politics: Latin America: Bolivia and Ecuador join ultraleftist suppression of privately-owned news media begun by Cuba, Venezuela

Washington Times carries a story by Martin Arostegui, "Morales, Correa target TV foes" (May31,2k7):

>SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia -- The leaders of Bolivia and Ecuador are moving with Cuban encouragement and in concert with their mentor, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, to restrict press freedom in their countries.

Bolivian President Evo Morales and Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa both announced steps to crack down on independent broadcasters within days of Mr. Chavez's closure on Sunday of Venezuela's main independent television station, RCTV.

My editor has asked me to develop analysis of the full report on refWrite refBlogger Insert, which he will post. I hope to add there some musings on the future role of blogging in these no-free-speech totalitarian countries.