Darfur: Will the international community stay silent again?

[Farnan]

In 1938, on a usually normal November day, something happened that will forever change history. Mobs, supported by Kaffer Hitler and his government, attacked Germans of Jewish descent. This day will forever be know as Kristallnacht. The Holocaust proper began shortly later. During this whole ordeal the internternational community remained quite. Seven years later, when the full details of this incident, the world vowed "Never Again." In the 1990s, though the international community broke their vow in Rwanda. The results: Hundreds of thousands dead. Today it seems the same thing is happening with regard to Darfur. The international community is remaining silent as Janjaweed murderers slaught Black Africans.

The time for debate on this issue is long over, action is needed. The whole world needs to work togethor to stop the Janjaweed and protect the people of Darfur. The US can probably spare a few thousand boots on the ground (you may believe we are stretched then, but there are definately a few thousand Marine clerks we can deploy, and everyman an infantryman), France, Germany, Spain, Russia, Australia, Canada, India, South Africa, Hungary, Romania, Hungary, and many other nations have thousands of troops they can contribute. The USAF and RAAF, along with other Airforces, can give the coalition complete air dominace. Sure deploying troops isn't good politically, but those who are willing to sacrife hundreds of thousands for political expendiency aren't worth respect. I rather Hilary become President and Congress go to the Democrats, than hundreds of thousands of innocence die.

I personally wish I could do something, but I am only 18 and live in an area rife with political apathy.

[barbarion horde]

It's really quite a tragedy that no Major power is going to intervene anytime soon........

It's what's happening to these people is a tragedy. By the end of the year, the Janjaweed would've killed close to a million people.

Despicable.

[removeduser_426582376423734]

This debate truly is an emotional one. It may be ignorance on my part, but only when I visited the Holocaust Museum in Norfolk did I hear about the Darfur conflict. I'm ashamed of myself, but there is no time for self-pity, we need to help the Darfurians.

[Farnan]

A face of evil:
The President of Sudan Omar el-Bashir


Its up to almost a million already?

[Dirty Harry]

Maybe europe should do something for once, all those countries that dont feel like helping in afghanistan or Iraq, especially since all they do is cry about team america: world police.

[Sidus Preclarum]

Maybe europe should do something for once, all those countries that dont feel like helping in afghanistan or Iraq, especially since all they do is cry about team america: world police.

Since your proposition rules out France, Germany, the UK, Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Portugal, Greece, Estonia, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Iceland and Cyprus (who either have directly participated to either of the conflicts, or are Nato members, and therefore have supported the former) are you effectively proposing that Finland, Luxemburg, Sweden, Malta, Austria and Eire take care of it ?

[Farnan]

I don't really care who does it, as long as the people are protected and safe and the Janjaweed routed...

[Blaven]

Maybe a few years from now, when Darfur is virtually devoid of blacks and there's nothing left but a few janjaweed tending their flocks over disused black farms, the U.N. will sanction airstrikes, and maybe a few ground troops to beat back the janjaweed and kick them out of Darfur, where they'll probably be pardoned by the Sudanese government. The West marvels at the triumph of freedom and justice over tyranny, and the remaining Darfur blacks rot in makeshift refugee camps.

[Harlanite]

The West marvels at the triumph of freedom and justice over tyranny, and the remaining Darfur blacks rot in makeshift refugee camps.

Its outrageous and sickening what is happening there, something needs to be done no doubt about it. But I'd just like to clear up some misconceptions . This isn't a racial conflict, but an ethnic one, both the the Janjaweed and the Darfurians are black. Physically, they look exactly the same. The reason why the Janjaweed are termed Arabs is because they are nomadic (follow Bedouin way of life).


“Characterizing the Darfur war as, ‘Arabs’ vs. ‘Africans,’ obscures the reality. Darfur’s Arabs are black, indigenous, African and Muslim – just like Darfur’s non-Arabs… Until recently, Darfurians used the term ‘Arab’ in its original sense of ‘Bedouin.’ These Arab speaking nomads are distinct from the inheritors of the Arab culture of the Nile and the Fertile Crescent.”

(The Observer, July 25, 2004)"

[Kanaric]

Will they stay silent? The answer is yes. People in this country (USA) whine about when editorials non stop talk about this issue. You should see some of the **** people say to these guys that try to bring up the issue, its sad.

[Major.Stupidity]

It is quite the paradox for an administration which preaches spreading democracy and all but yet falls back to the traditional foreign policy of realism when it comes to Darfur... A paradox in a box...

[CiaranG]

by my memory the genicide occured at a similiar time as the tsunami. The press instantly dropped the story and replaced it with the tsunami despite more were killed in darfur.

Why: because the tsunami is a natural disaster we don't have to take blame for letting it happen we just get the feel good factor helping out.

(no offence to those affected by the tsunami or those who donated I blaming the mass media)

[RZZZA]

I think the only reason the USA is trying to silence this Darfur issue, is because we're not actually capable of doing anything worthwile there at the moment. I agree that some of the countries that arent helping in the middle east, could maybe take responsibility for Africa...the west isnt the only ones who are supposed to care, why doesnt China spare some of their millions of soldiers? Or Russia? Exactly...nobody cares....

I dunno why the U.S. cant at least make a political/diplomatic stand on the issue, perhaps lob a few missles at some janjaweed camps...etc. I think that'd do a hell of a lot.

[CiaranG]

I would be worried if china sent troops to africa. Remember what our troops were upto in africa during our industrial revolution? (Me being british that is) Hardly call it genicide prevention.

Still a good point it does fall to much on north america and western europe to deal with these sorts of problems. But my opinion is how can you expect others to follow if you don't lead?

[RusskiSoldat]

Nobody will do a thing.
For other example, see Rwanda in the 90s.

[hellheaven1987]

I want to fell into sleep... of course international community would silent again, as long as there is no interest for their country, they would do nothing and waiting the people kill eachother. (For example, Congo is a good case)

[Yorkshireman]

How long would it be before the same people who complain about coalition troops in Iraq began protesting about US/British "occupation" of the Sudan. And as the Janjaweed militia are muslim the west would be giving yet another cause for the terrorists and extremists to fight for. There are several capable African nations with large military's who are much closer to the problem, so why don't they intervene. It would make more sense as it's their backyard.

[Farnan]

The African countries that would be inclined to aid the people of Darfur lack the military assessts and know-how to assist. Currently, AU (African Union) forces are doing their best, but they are too few and don't have the logistics necessary to do the job.

[Yorkshireman]

The African Union has 7,000 peacekeepers there already, so why aren't they doing anything ? You can't blame the West as it is the African Union that will not approve the deployment of UN troops and niether will the Sudanese government. If the Sudanese government won't allow UN forces into their territory there is little you can do, short of invading the region.

[Nationalist_Cause]

To Farnan: How old are you? If 18, then why haven't you joined the military? Would you risk and sacrifice your comfortable life to save theirs? I don't mean this as a personal attack, but its my observation that few people who preach such crusades do little more than preach.

This is a tragic episode, but the U.S. is already tied down in other foolish international debacles. And if we were to commit ourselves to ending human rights abuses, how many countries would we invade? It is logistically impossible and absurd. The U.S., even with the help of other western allies, isn't capable of stopping all of these violations. We must be prudent in selecting the situations we get involved in.