UN report calls for Darfur war crimes trials

[leftchick]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sudan/story/0,14658,1403309,00.html

Sudan's government and the Arab Janjaweed militia are not guilty of genocide, but committed mass killings, torture, rape and other crimes meriting trial before the international criminal court (ICC), a UN report said today.

Although the US has described the killings in Sudan's western Darfur region as genocide, the report by a UN-appointed panel of five lawyers said there was no clear evidence meeting the legal definition of genocide, which means there is intent to destroy a population group.

However, the report said the atrocities committed in Darfur were horrific, with some probably amounting to war crimes. The lawyers stressed the fact that they were not calling the attacks genocide should not be interpreted as detracting from their gravity.

The UN report spread the blame for the violence and other crimes among the government, the militias - alleged to have been backed by the government - and the region's rebels.



Sudanese displaced children are seen from inside a tent in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp of Drage on the outskirts of the town of Nyala in Sudan's southern Darfur region in 2004. A UN report into human rights abuses in Sudan's troubled Darfur region concluded that the Sudanese government had not pursued a policy of genocide there.(AFP/File/Jose Cendon)

[Psephos]

1. Not genocide?

Oh, ok. Glad to hear that. Now everything is fine.

[bin.dare]

2. New Darfur report triggers US-Europe division

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2005/0201/breaking9.htm

A key report on war crimes in Sudan's Darfur region has sparked a diplomatic battle between the United States and Europe on how to prosecute perpetrators of atrocities there.

A UN-appointed commission of inquiry reported last night that the Sudanese government and its militia allies committed major crimes under international law, setting the stage for Sudan officials and rebels to be prosecuted as war criminals.
But the 176-page report concluded that Khartoum had not pursued a policy of genocide against non-Arabs in Darfur, where at least 70,000 people have died from killings or disease and 1.8 million people were forced out of their homes.

Nonetheless, it said some individuals may have acted with "genocidal intent," which only a court could decide. That court, the commission's five legal experts said, should be the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC), set up to try individuals for genocide, war crimes and massive human rights abuses.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and Europeans want the UN Security Council to refer Sudan to the ICC.

But the Bush administration vigorously opposes the court, citing fears of prosecutions against US soldiers abroad.
Instead it wants to set up a new UN-African Union tribunal in Tanzania. Diplomats said Washington was willing to pay a considerable sum to establish the court but feared no other rich country would help.

[bush_is_wacko]

3. Well this could do it. Once he loses European support completely

we are in deep,deep shit. Does bush EVER attempt to do the right thing? What a horror he is!

[sw04ca]

5. Why?

Isn't it natural for the US and Europe to go their seperate ways now? After all, Europe doesn't need America to protect them from the Soviets anymore. It's not like Europe didn't resent America for the duration of the Cold War, and long for the day that they could go back to their own continental affairs, 1880s-style.

[jukes]

7. europe

needs to protect itself from america. and bush is just begging for it.

[sw04ca]

8. But why would this mean America is in big trouble?

After all, it's not like Europe and America are essential for each other's survival.

[jukes]

11. the rest of the world

won't sit still while they're gobbled up.

sooner or later the civilized world will be done w/ neocon lies, "pre-emptive strikes", imperial conquest.

history does indeed repeat itself.

[sw04ca]

14. Who's talking about gobbling up the rest of the world?

Noone I know.

Besides, the ROTW doesn't actually care that much, and certainly not enough to actually do anything about it. They have their own lives and problems. And that's why Europe and the US are moving apart.

[jukes]

15. pardon me

no dis intended, but it's very naive not to perceive the aspirations of the dominionist cabal.

this crew won't stop till they control everything, or they're crushed.

and the US has no massive industrial base any longer.

[sw04ca]

16. No offense taken...

...but I think you're being a little overdramatic there.

Moreover, control != military conquest. This 'cabal' of which you speak doesn't need to conquer the world in order to preserve America's status as #1. Now, if America really wanted to control the world again, you know what they'd do? They'd ignore the Arab bloc until the Islamofascists finally got their way and formed a new 'evil empire'. Then, Europe would once again be forced to rely upon American military power to keep them safe.

[sw04ca]

4. What?

They acted with 'genocidal intent', but did not commit genocide?

Sounds like the UN is simply making up an excuse to do nothing, since if it was a 'genocide', then every member state would be required by treaty to intervene militarily in the Sudan. And so genocide gets reduced into absurdity.

[Igel]

6. "Conflict of interest" seems to be the phrase that comes to mind. n/t

[jukes]

9. legalize

they want a trial.

remember rummy cancelled his trip to germany?

[sw04ca]

10. Both sides seem to want a trial...

...however, from the looks of it, there isn't much interest in bringing any potential war criminals to justice.

[jukes]

12. chamberlain

syndrome. the appeasement isn't used up yet.

a public trial, defining limits, is hoped to defuse our intent.

[sw04ca]

13. It's interesting that you call it appeasment...

Who are they appeasing? Personally, I think it's a combination of laziness and an utter lack of desire by any of the Western Powers to get involved in Africa, since it's problems cannot be solved by any means short of recolonization.