BREAKING: Sudan's VP Garang killed in crash

[DU9598]

<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4733571.stm>

The BBC confirms VP of Sudan - John Garang - has been killed.

Mr Garang had been missing since Saturday, when contact was lost with his helicopter flying back from Uganda.

He was greeted as a peacemaker by more than a million people when he was sworn in three weeks ago as part of a deal ending a decades-long civil war.


The VP was educated at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.

[bluestateguy]

1. Didn't the Rwanda genocide start in a similar way?

If I remember wasn't it a plane crash or sabatoge of the Rwandan's president's plane that started the genocide?

[DU9598]

3. Yes

This is particularly scary because John Garang was seen as the peacemaker between the Christian south in the civil war against the Muslim north. Let's hope the world does not ignore another genocide.

[wildwww2]

5. Evil Bu$h Inc. gets what they want again. More instability in the ME

So they can keep sticking their murderous war profiting noses into it. Hell when the US economy goes totally down the toliet they will have all the cannon fodder they need. What a joy to watch my son growing up in this neo-con fuck story.
Peace
Wildman
Al Gore is My President

[mike_c]

2. gee, what an amazing...

...accident. :tinfoilhat:

[NYC]

4. Report from 6 hours earlier.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1666776

[coffeenap]

6. BBC article refers to his helicopter and his plane--WHAT? nt

[NYC]

7. Photograph from the Sudan Tribune.

[theophilus]

8. Hmmmmmm......what a shame on top of the recent unpleasantness to Condi's

entourage and the press visiting over there. Really a horrible coincidence.

[Bluebear]

10. Indeed. A horrible, horrible coincidence.

:crazy:

[Karenina]

9. Kick!

:kick:

[earthboundmisfit]

11. Sudan Vice President Dies in Copter Crash

Caught this on Yahoo:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050801/ap_on_re_mi_ea/sudan_plane_missing

[still_one]

12. This story is extremely strange

first they reported that his "plane" lost contact
then they reported that it landed safely
and finally they reported that his helicopter crashed

it sure smells rotten

[Bluerthanblue]

15. smells crude....

... like oil-
""""Oil

Some left-wing commentators have interpreted the motive behind Washington's newfound concern for Darfur — as well as the British and Australian governments' volunteering of troops for a phantom UN intervention force — as an effort by Washington to justify an Iraq-style invasion of Sudan to achieve “regime change” and seize control of its potentially massive oil reserves.

While US and European governments' goal is renewed access by their countries oil corporations to Sudan's oil wealth, Washington's latest threats against Sudan are part of a “carrot and stick” approach that it has pursued with Khartoum since the 9/11 attacks. Knowing that Sudan is desperate to “normalise” relations with the US, Washington is attempting to lure Khartoum back into the neocolonial fold using the “carrot” of promises to lift US economic sanctions imposed in 1997 and the “stick” of the threat of further sanctions. Such an approach was successful with neighbouring Libya. """
http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2004/593/593p17.htm

[rman]

20. wrt regime change, war is a last resort

first choice is economic invasion (via IMF, World Bank etc), requires cooperation from a corrupt government

second is assasination (or otherwise removal, ie Aristide) of uncooperative officials, to be replaced with cooperative officials (ie Allende / Pinochet)

third is military invasion


The fact that Iraq was invaded militarily shows they couldn't get to Saddam.

[applegrove]

13. Wasn't he from the South? Didn't they just announce him last month?

[earthboundmisfit]

14. Think so... Here's some info from the article:

"The 60-year-old former rebel, who was sworn in as vice president just three weeks ago, left on a flight from Uganda for southern Sudan at 5:30 p.m. Ugandan time Saturday afternoon, Sudanese and Ugandan officials said. It was not clear when the last contact with his craft took place.

Garang's plane had attempted to land in the New Kush region of southern Sudan but aborted the landing because of bad weather and headed back south, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said early Monday. Weather reports showed rain in the area.

Garang, who earned a doctorate from Iowa State University, is seen as the sole figure with the weight to give southern Sudanese a role in the Khartoum government, which they deeply mistrust. He also was a strong voice against outright secession by the south, calling instead for autonomy and power-sharing.."

[applegrove]

16. Scarry. Helicopters are dangerous things. Especially with 50 Calibre guns

with tracing fire bullets for sale - in the USA - and easily exported (60 Minutes did a story on that). Thinks of how easy it would be to get something like that from China or Russia?

I hope this was just a crash. Helicopters can easily crash themselves. I'll send good vibes to the country that it was in fact an accident. They'll get another Southerner and be off on a better path.

Far too sad if that peace agreement goes caput. It is afterall why Darfur was ignored for so long "were negotiating - things are delicate - we can't push too hard".

[WhiteTara]

17. oh this is terrible

will there never be peace anywhere? It is like the forces of evil are so deeply entrenched that it will take a miracle for the human race to survive.

[Judi Lynn]

18. You may remember the odd crash killing some of Venezuela's top officers

who supported Hugo Chavez, only a few days following the coup attempt. I just looked for an article to refresh memory, and found this almost creepier in light of Vice President Garang's untimely death:

Four Generals Die In Crash Of Helicopter In Venezuela

by Juan Forero, April 21, 2002

CARACAS, Venezuela, April 20 - Four Venezuelan generals, including the newly appointed commander of the air force, died Friday evening when the military helicopter they were traveling in crashed in fog-shrouded mountains just north of here, military officials said today.

The military said the crash, which killed 10 members of the military, appeared to be an accident caused by bad weather. But it is certain to serve as a setback in the government's efforts to reorganize a splintered armed forces, whose military high commanders withdrew support for President Hugo Chávez during antigovernment protests a little more than a week ago.

Mr. Chávez was temporarily deposed but returned to power two days later with the help of officers loyal to him. Since he regained his post, he has been reorganizing the armed forces to ensure that he is surrounded by officers he can trust.
(snip/...)

http://www.lovearth.net/4generalsdieinhelicoptercrashinvenezuela.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On edit: It's hard to imagine how something like this could happen to supporters of someone _{George W. Bush} despises, isn't it? :eyes:

[MaineDem]

19. Riots after Sudan VP Garang dies

Large-scale riots have broken out in Sudan's capital Khartoum following the death of the country's vice-president, former rebel leader John Garang.

The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Khartoum says gangs of youths from southern Sudan, like Mr Garang, are battling the security forces and looting cars.

Mr Garang died in a helicopter crash as he was returning from Uganda.

He signed a deal to end 21 years of civil war in January and was sworn in as vice-president three weeks ago.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4734517.stm

[Angry Girl]

21. As usual, it's about the oil.... Cheney doesn't want peace in Sudan

Sudan is China's largest overseas oil project. China is Sudan's largest supplier of arms, according to a former Sudan government minister.
<...>
China in October signed a $70 billion oil deal with Iran, and the evolving ties between those two countries could complicate U.S. efforts to isolate Iran diplomatically or pressure it to give up its ambitions for nuclear weapons.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21143-2004Dec22.html