Support, Arm The Sudanese Rebels

[NATO AIR]

Good enough for public consumption or does it need more work? (is it too much, do i need to edit it further) What do you think about arming and supporting the Sudanese rebels?

Billed as a dawn of new hope in Sudan, a peace effort spearheaded by Pres. Bush with all the right intentions towards ending a devastating North-South civil war is instead a tragically flawed disaster in the making. The Jan. 9th Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which calls for a national unity government later in the year, has now been authorized by the UN Security Council an unwieldy, costly “monitor” force of around 10,000 peacekeepers and police. How this vague mandate (eerily similar to other murky mandates in Rwanda and Bosnia that led to greater tragedy) will adequately prevent a renewed civil war between Southern rebels and the oppressive regime in Khartoum (who have engaged in a scorched earth civil war that has taken around 2 million lives in over 20 years) is an unknown that only adds to uneasiness about this process. Along with the standing failure of many donor nations to live up to their promises of aid (totaling 500 million dollars), it should be apparent a crucial misconception dooms this noble effort from the start; that the Khartoum regime deserves to exist.
Throughout recent history, rarely have oppressive governments like Khartoum stood by their previous agreements, whether they are peace treaties or arms inspections. Examples abound of illegitimate regimes, well-known for using violence against their own citizens and neighboring countries, which have lied and misled the international community. From Saddam Hussein to Slobodan Milosevic, the Soviet Union to the North Koreans, the pattern of deception is well known. Indeed, Khartoum, so interested in securing peace, prosperity and justice for its citizens in this new age of hope, is showing the world how much it truly holds these values in esteem by engaging in a genocide in the Darfur region of West Sudan while it makes promises and signs agreements towards peace in the South.
A regime that uses slavery, mass rape, indiscriminate aerial bombing of civilians and genocide against its own people does not deserve to exist one more day than necessary. A regime that ruthlessly quells dissent, supports terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism and enacts widespread discriminatory policies against non-Arab citizens should not be supported by the World Bank with prospective loans. A regime that is already violating its peace agreement by ordering its militia proxies to take the village of Akobo in the Eastern Upper Nile region should not be allowed to fool the world that it desires peace by any means other than what it may dictate by its weaponry. Khartoum is guilty of all this and much more, a damning indictment of the world’s most successful mass murderers (North Korea can only receive Western aid through nuclear blackmail).
In expecting Khartoum to keep its word, Washington is courting disaster. Even worse, it is assisting the regime’s survival, during what is likely a lull period for it to continue its arms buildup with oil revenue and Chinese Communist aid. When the regime is ready to strike in full force, it will do so without a second thought to international opinion. After all, it is now a Chinese proxy, receiving weapons, training and aid, as well as crucial diplomatic cover from China’s perch on the Security Council. Its oil quenches China’s energy thirst, and Khartoum gets all it needs to stay in power, at great cost to millions of Sudanese who will suffer more poverty, suffering, war and death.
It is doubtful America will take military action in Sudan, either to support the ill-fated South Sudan peacekeeping operation or the AU’s tiny monitor force in genocide-ravaged Darfur. It is even less likely the AU will move beyond its rhetoric and truly challenge Khartoum to halt the genocide and not return to war in the South in the future. The UN will continue its disgraceful slide into irrelevance, led by a Communist China which cares not at all for human rights or peace, only for its own energy and security needs. The bodies will pile up in Darfur, the arms will flow into Khartoum, and the future of this war-torn region of Africa will grow bleaker.
Evil continues to triumph in an area that has never seen justice or those in positions of power use determined force to fight oppression.
Regime change will not come directly from America’s hand, but it should be considered through other means. Primarily, this entails arming and supporting the rebel groups in the South and in Darfur, whose rebellions have just cause in the past and current actions of Khartoum. This is not the most attractive option, but is the most feasible, given current realities in geopolitics. Unless the regime is overturned from within by more moderate forces, the only realistic future for Sudan is a break up, with an independent South and an autonomous Darfur. A regime that engages in crimes of this magnitude, especially genocide, against its citizens has no moral basis from which to rule them any longer.
Arm, train and support the rebels in Sudan by whatever means feasible. America must not allow Khartoum to triumph over freedom and hope. 20 years ago, a great president reminded Americans of a basic truth about their past; “Time and again we've aided those around the world struggling for freedom, democracy, independence and liberation from tyranny. . . . In the 19th century we supported Simon Bolivar, the great liberator. We supported the Polish patriots, the French resistance and others seeking freedom. It's not in the American tradition to turn away.” Another great president, leading the world in another era of freedom toppling over oppression, is in office today, will he heed these words and take the necessary action to help the oppressed of Sudan?

 

[Annie]

Nato, the writing is superb. You submitting this?

 

[NATO AIR]

Nato, the writing is superb. You submitting this?

I hope to submit it to the Wall Street Journal in a few minutes... if they don't want it, I'll try another newspaper or maybe the National Review.

(thank you for the compliment, that coming from a school teacher doubles the value and importance of it, that coming from a friend who is a school teacher triples it )