The American Islamic Congress held a discussion of “Violence in Sudan: Muslim and Arab Responses.” Deng Deng Nhial of the Mission of the Government of Southern Sudan to the U.S. said that the Sudanese government is using a strategy of Islamization to manipulate the Sudanese people. He warned that the country is like Mount Vesuvius and will disintegrate like the former Soviet Union if nothing is done. (more…)
TRNS bureau chief Ellen Ratner interviews Edward Luck, senior vice president and director of studies at the International Peace Institute about his dual roles in the institute and the United Nations and the responsibility nations have to protect their people from genocide, ethinic cleansing and war crimes. (9:17)
At an American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) says that America’s progress in Iraq is a “direct result” of the new military strategies that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) “vehemently opposed” and that he predicted would fail. McCain says that Obama’s plan to withdraw one or two brigades per month until they are all removed, “regardless of the conditions in Iraq, regardless of the consequences for our national security, regardless of the Israel security, and in disregard of the best advice from our commanders on the ground” will “surely result in catastrophe.” McCain says that if U.S. troops are forced to retreat, the Middle East will be subject to “all-out civil war, genocide, and a failed state.” (0:55)
At the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Darfur, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) says that the U.S. cannot take more extreme action in Darfur because it is overextended in Iraq. (0:35)
At the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Darfur, Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) says that if it were his choice, he would “literally, not figuratively” unilaterally deploy U.S. forces to Darfur because “when a nation engages in genocide, it forfeits sovereignty.” He said that the only way to take action is for the United States to mobilize the rest of the world. (0:45)
At the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Darfur, Jane Holl Lute, officer in charge of the United Nation’s Department of Field Support, says that there are 4,000 helicopters available in NATO countries, and asks if there are not 24 for Darfur. (0:41)
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing this morning to discuss “The Continuing Crisis in Darfur.” A long line awaited entrance to the hearing half an hour before it commenced, which Chairman Joe Biden (D-DE) cited as a testament to the resonance this issue has with the public. Biden, along with many other senators, said he believed the situation in Darfur is little improved since last year’s April hearing about a “Plan B” to stop the slow-motion genocide.
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A student demonstrates shelters in refugee camps
Protest participants stage a “die-in” in a demonstration against genocide in Darfur
Dan Patterson reports live in the sweltering heat of Sudan. Minutes after witnessing hundreds of slaves being freed, Patterson describes a world where people have lived in captivity for years, where freedom is “purchased”, and where murder and torture is a part of every day life. (2:03)
