[Peace-discuss] Re: [Peace] Darfur dvd

Sun Feb 19 16:30:32 CST 2006

Very good articles on Darfur, Carl.  A random Google perusal 
using the words "Oil, Darfur, Sudan, China," also turned up 
a ton.  See for example, a very lenghty Washington Post 
article on the predatory role of China in Sudan.  
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21143-
2004Dec22.html.  This article was one of many.  

Based on what I've gathered from the links Carl forwarded 
and elsewhere, a number of observations could be made on the 
matter.  Among them:

1)  The notion that this is about "race"--at least we think 
of it in the US-- is false and drawn up for American public 
consumption.  It seems a bizarre case of psycho-
social "projection" of identity politics  Though I don't 
doubt his sincerity, this was the essence of Brian 
Schwartz's article in the Public I, which you'll recall was 
meant to commemorate "Black History Month."  In fact, the 
Arab population is "black", at least in the American sense 
of the term.

2)  Though atrocities have taken place and continue, the 
word "genocide" appears overblown.  Statistics vary wildy 
according to which group is doing the counting, but even if 
the statistics used by the pro-intervention crowd are taken 
at face value, they are dwarfed by the millions of Iraqis--
mostly women and children--killed at the hands of the US 
sanctions and military intervention in Iraq.  Most of these 
deaths occurred in the Clinton years.  Those same "liberals" 
campaigning for intervention in Darfur have been silent for 
over a decade on the enormous misery inflicted upon Iraq by 
the US.  They must answer for this silence!  Furthermore, it 
is conceded by all serious parties that the great bulk of 
deaths in Darfur have resulted from disease and famine.  Far 
more have been killed in Iraq at the hands of other men.  
The figure in Iraq for violent deaths numbers in the hundres 
of thousands.

3)  At least one group that campaigns for US intervention in 
Darfur ("A Million Voices for Darfur") includes a number of 
groups who have been silent on US atrocities in Iraq and 
Israeli ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.  
http://millionvoicesfordarfur.org/?page=about.  Much more 
must be learned about the anatomy of the pro-intervention 
crowd.  

4)  Sudan is a flash point in geopolitical rivalry.  It is 
now China's leading source of foreign oil, and accounts for 
more than 10% of Chinese foreign oil consumption.  In the 
past France has also opposed intervention as it too, is a 
major player in the Sudanese oil market.  The US has no 
significant investment in Sudanese oil as of yet.  Should 
the rebels in the South of Sudan be successful, they have 
promised to cancel Chinese oil contracts (see Post article 
above).  Obviously, that would be a major coup for Anglo-
American Big Oil.    

5)   Those advocating US intervention are fond of quoting a 
marginal note Bush made on a report on the Rwanda genocide--
"not on my watch," he scribbled--and demand a letter writing 
campaign of letter-writing to our illustrious president.  
The Bush of Abu Graib and Gitmo?   Who could possibly 
believe in this nonsense?  Any US intervention, or UN 
intervention, will require the hammering out of differences 
among the major powers.  The letter-writing will serve as a 
useful pretext, no more, and in the meantime will be 
utilized to distract and divide the the growing numbers 
enraged by the barbarity of the ongoing US atrocities in 
Iraq.        

Tom

---- Original message ----
>Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 19:35:46 -0600
>From: "C. G. Estabrook" <galliher at uiuc.edu>  
>Subject: Re: [Peace] Darfur dvd  
>To: peace at lists.chambana.net, bjschwrt at uiuc.edu
>Cc: Peace Discuss <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
>
>[1] In the meantime, The NY Times today ran an article that
>reveals the administration's NATO plans (cf. NATO in Serbia 
in
>1999):
>
><http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/18/politics/18prexy.html?_r=
>1&hp&ex=1140238800&en=ffafe734d9ef8f58&ei=5094&partner=
>homepage&oref=slogin>.
>
>[2] The Washington Post runs an informative brief review 
tomorrow:
>
><http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/
>2006/02/16/AR2006021601898.html>.
>
>[3] Reuters today carries a response from the Khartoum 
government:
>
><http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?
type=worldNews
>&storyID=2006-02-18T113238Z_01_MCD830932_RTRUKOC_0_US-SUDAN-
>DARFUR.xml&archived=False>.
>
>[4] This Wikipedia article has good background:
>
><http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darfur_conflict>.
>
>[5] The best single article on the subject in the last year 
or
>so is probably Alex de Waal's:
>
><http://www.lrb.co.uk/v26/n15/waal01_.html>.
>
>Regards, CGE
>
>
>---- Original message ----
>>Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 17:14:14 -0600
>>From: Karen Medina <kmedina at uiuc.edu>  
>>Subject: [Peace] Darfur dvd  
>>To: peace at lists.chambana.net, bjschwrt at uiuc.edu
>>
>>Dear AWARE,
>>
>>Unfortunately the Darfur video will most likely not be part
>of the AWARE 
>>meeting tomorrow evening. Brian Schwartz was unable to get 
it
>back from 
>>someone he lent it to.
>>
>>I will bring the FAQ that he mentions in the email below.
>This still 
>>does not say what the UN forces are expected to do, how the
>UN will know 
>>when the troops could leave the area, and what longterm
>solutions are 
>>being suggested.
>>
>>-karen medina
>>
>><------ an email from Brian of Action Darfur ---->
>>Hi karen,
>>
>>   I have been holding off dropping the video off at the
>>University YMCA because another group has actually not
>>returned it yet.  I am going to drop off some flyers and a
>>Q&A sheet that might clarify some stuff.  Hopefully I'll be
>>able to get the video before your meeting.
>>
>>Best,
>>Brian
>><---- I gave Brian my cell phone number in case he gets the
>dvd back 
>>before 5pm tomorrow -->
>>
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