Sudan

[Phuzzie_the_camera_girl]

Okay...after researching for a speech on the crisis in Sudan I found some info...

In order for sanctions to be issued on Sudan and Sudan to be forced to do SOMETHING about the genocide, the UN needs to agree that genocide is in fact occuring (I think uninanimously?)

Anyway...the U.S. already acknowledged the genocide...but other countries are simply refusing because they don't want the sanctions...

I dug around the U.S. Secretary of State site and found this:

On-The-Record Briefing: United States Agency for International Development Administrator Andrew S. Natsios and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Affairs Michael Ranneberger on Sudan


Washington, DC
September 29, 2004

<-- cut -->
QUESTION: Do Russia, Algeria and Pakistan -- you mentioned China extracting oil, Mr. Natsios did -- do they have commercial interests there, those three countries?

ADMINISTRATOR NATSIOS: There was a --

QUESTION: The reason I ask --

ADMINISTRATOR NATSIOS: Pakistan just took over the oil concessions of Chevron-Texaco. I don't know whether Algeria or Russia does, but Pakistan and China do. That's not secret information.

QUESTION: The Secretary did an interview and, surprisingly, said commercial interests motivated countries to not support the U.S. on genocide. He bracketed these four but he didn't pinpoint which, if all, or possibly all of the four, he is accusing.

ADMINISTRATOR NATSIOS: I don't know about the other two. I can tell you Pakistan and China clearly do have commercial interests.

QUESTION: So does Russia.

ADMINISTRATOR NATSIOS: Russia does, too?

QUESTION: Russia, too.

<-- cut -->

Is that what this is about?

People are dying and the UN is concerned about OIL?

 

[starsgoblue]

I really resent how government and politics interfere with helping the people in Africa...whether the issue is AIDS or genocide. I think it's awful. If we (meaning those 'in charge') really saw the Africans as our equal then we'd be doing something to help...do you think the stuff going on in Africa would be allowed to happen for a second if it was Europe or something? It's really terrible because we do have the power to change things in Africa and we're sitting on our hands and looking the other way.

 

[dandy]

i've come to the conclusion that root of most of the discord on this planet stems from valuing money over human beings. africa is the most prominent example of this, unfortunately. the world has been exploiting africa's natural resources for decades without worrying about conservation efforts, and i don't need to tell you guys about the AIDS crisis.

of course they're worried about oil, instead of the people being mass murdered.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Natsios was the guy who made that lovely comment about Africans/AIDS and wrist watches (I can't remember the exact quote, Bono talked about it on stage during the Elevation tour), so it doesn't surprise me

 

[starsgoblue]

It really breaks my heart....we are living in evil times for sure...

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Here's that quote from Natsios. Bono suggested people send him wristwatches

Many Africans, he said, ’’don’t know what Western time is. You have to take these drugs a certain number of hours each day , or they don’t work. Many people in Africa have never seen a clock or a watch their entire lives. And if you say 1 o’clock in the afternoon, they do not know what you are talking about.’’

 

[indigo tree]

Shite like this pisses me off to no end.

 

[A_Wanderer]

Where are the mass protests against Arab imperialism?

 

[Kevdog1800]

The thing that scares me the most is that sudan's government puts the term "Ethnic Purging" in the picture, instead of straight out saying that they are killing all of the black africans to get rid of them. Makes me think of our government putting ricen in the water and calling it tolerance testing.