France Complicit in Darfur, UN silent

When the number of displaced reached a million or so, and when the dead numbered in the tens of thousands, and when the victims of rape and mutilation could no longer be counted at all, and when the entire population stood at the brink of starvation, and when all the rock stars were busy planning to go out pimping for Kerry, the U.S. did what John Kerry says we should always in order to wage a more sensitive campaign for democracy and justice. America went to the U.N. The Daily Telegraph reported that the U.S. secretary of State stood in the middle of a big Sudanese nowhere, spoke softly, and threatened the killers with the big Nerf stick: knock it off, he said, or face the wrath of the U.N.

For weeks, while more and more people were being kicked and killed in Darfur, the Security Council debated just what should be done to convince the government of Sudan to stop supporting the Janjaweed militia, the band of Muslim brothers responsible for the slaughter. The U.S. wanted to move decisively, but the resolution offered by the Bush administration went off the tracks because it contained the word “sanctions.” “Sanctions” is not a sensitive word. The reporting in the French-leaning press

dang how could i have missed that one oh bugger i won’t be able to get the information needed to counter fred here and blame it all on him instead i will have to just concur that whole mess in sudan is the fault of the europeans never mind the fact that all those guns and ammo were sold to the gingerweed militia because that is how george bushscum and colin i can relate to them powell pronounce it indirectly through by the americans during the time of nimeiry of well never mind broonnotallowed to shout on the internet anymore oh i just noticed that the internet changed my lowwer case e in europeans to a big one and i just want to say that i did not shout the forum did it for me oh my god i am going to be horrendously rapped over the knuckles here and why isnt god changed automatically by the same volume control mechanism i dont know what to say

Ah but that is the point Broon Ale:

Why isn’t France’s connection to this mess revealed. We know that the US supplied weapons to Sudan (but you would have to go back to the mid 1980s for most of it) and it was sold at a time when the USSR was actively involved in Ethiopia. Different worlds, different realities.

But here we have the French once again opposing action against a nation with which they have signed lucrative oil contracts. Coincidence? Dya think so?

And what do you have to say about French and German machinations to sell weaponry to China? How can this be about defense? Everyone is against it but these two unilateralists have to keep their corporate sponsors happy. So $$$$s are more important than morality and be damned to the US for trying to keep a lid on security concerns in East Asia. The French and Germans are undermining that and that should be of concern to EVERYONE here in Taiwan.

So MFGR:

Did you hear about the joke where Chirac and de Villepin enter a bar and talk about oil deals in Sudan. The only hitch is that 2 million people have to be driven from their homes with hundreds of thousands raped and killed and de Villepin needs a manicure to which the bartender says why a manicure and de Villepin says I told you no one would care about the rest of the deaths, displacements and rapes. Let’s get our oil.

Gosh I wonder where MFGR is? He usually likes to discuss how nations foreign policies are in thrall to oil interests. Gee. Given France’s record in Iraq and now Sudan, I was sure that he would be here to hear all about the facts non? Gee. Odd. He otherwise seems so well reasoned, consistent and principled. Truly odd.

Fred:

Please tell me more about why the French are evil and nasty and should be crucified? Will you? I have learned so much from you and hope to see you posting more EVEN MORE about how the French are EVIL and nasty on this site, say tomorrow after you have gone home and slept all the wine you have had tonight off?

Okay Alleycat:

I will do that…

Take care. Nighty night.

Fred

And it’s not just the French…

[quote]“The dominant and most ruthless international player in Sudan’s oil sector,” Reeves writes, is "China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).
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When you read about Khartoum’s helicopters bombing villages in Darfur as a prelude to the murderous raids by the Arab Janjaweed, who are often accompanied by official Khartoum troops, you may not have realized that, as Eric Reeves continues:

"Khartoum’s extensive military purchases, especially over the last half-dozen years, have been made possible by virtue of realized and anticipated oil revenues. These purchases include many of the helicopter gunships that have been deployed to such deadly effect against civilians in both southern Sudan and Darfur. A measure of the profligacy of Khartoum’s military purchases can be seen in the recent completion of a deal with Russia for 10 MiG-29s

Is there a dictator in the world with whom the French president cannot “do business?” Now, that Saddam and Qadaffi are out of the picture, I guess we have to remember de Villepin’s frenetic trip right during the lead up to the Gulf War II to whom? Syria and Iran. Interesting role model for the peace protesters this France. Very interesting indeed.