After four years of genocide in the Darfur region of the Sudan, the United Nations has decided to enter the fight to halt the senseless killings. Late in the night, the UN Security Council along with the UK, co-sponsored a resolution to create a 'hybrid' UN force. Comprised of roughly 20,000 'soldiers' and 6 ,ooo 'civilian police'. Are these police Blackwater USA?
Blackwater has long eyed doing business with the UN in the Sudan. They see the Iraq war winding down and are looking for more opportunities for expansion and the continuation of their 'soldier of fortune' corporate business plan. Chris Taylor, head of strategy for Blackwater, stated in 2006 that
"(his company) has a database of thousands of former police and military officers for security assignments...Blackwater personnel could set up perimeters and guard Darfurian villages and refugee camp in support of the U.N."
"There are a lot of crises in the world...so if they can get their foot in the door, it potentially opens up an entire new business sector" stated Peter Singer of the Brookings Institution.Blackwater USA's previous acknowledgment of wanting to pursue doing 'business' with the UN in the Sudan leads to an eerie suspicion that they are part of this new 'hybrid' force. Although billed by the UN and British officials, the new hybrid force will have a 'predominantly African character'. What does that mean? Are they going to hire the rebels for cheap...Peruvians, Chileans, Fijians...Malyasians...Who? Triple Canopy Inc. has done the same in Iraq and worse.....they've had the contract to guard the Green Zone since 2005, not the U.S. or British military.
"If Sudan does not comply with this resolution, the United States will move for the swift adoption of unilateral and multilateral measures...now Sudan faces a choice. Sudan can choose the path of co-operation or defiance." stated Zalmay Khalilizad, US Ambassador to the UN, former US Ambassador to Afghanistan, former US Ambassador to Iraq, the infamous double source for the Office of the VP and the Pentagon in the prewar intelligence Debacle, Original PNAC member, CFR member, architect of Afghan Mujaheddin policies (Osama's long time buddy).Where are these soldiers and police coming from? Who is paying who for what contract? Is the Darfur going to become the 'new Iraq' for privately funded sub 'machine gun' contractors?
Luckily the House of Representatives have learned a little since the days of 'no bid contract Iraq'. In an attempt to keep a tab on U.S. corporations participating in the Darfur resolution force, the House passed the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act(H.R. 180) on Monday. H.R. 180 reads
"....require the identification of companies that conduct business operations in Sudan, to prohibit United States Government contracts with such companies, and for other purposes."Let US hope the language stays the same.
Privately funded armies are a danger to the United States and the world. Trillions of dollars are spent worldwide on the proliferation of war by nations. We do not need contractors to do the bidding of nations who seek to maximize their profits and minimize their losses. We must not forget that corporate greed and lax oversight gave US Enron, Arthur Andersen, Haliburton, Qwest, Tyco, World Com, and countless other scandoulus companies. Do we really need to risk adding Blackwater USA, DynCorp, and Triple Canopy Inc. to this list. That day nears. Watch the Darfur force unfold...Blackwater USA shall soon appear as a new 'hybrid' force with a 'predominantly African character'.
The cause is noble..but does the means justify the ends. Shouldn't the US be fighting this battle. Is genocide not a cause for US...or is it because China has most of the oil claims to the region, leaving US to fight for 'blood oil' in the Middle East.
Same Players. Different Scandal.
5 comments:
My nephew works for General Dynamics and has been going to Sudan frequently.
There is a deeper story. It is not just that Blackwater is a private army with no actual loyalty or control by the United States "kinda like Al Queda" , that is that they are to Christianity what Al Queda is to Islam, A powerful armed force that wishes to install a vicious totalitarian theocracy any place they can. And unlike Al Queda a mechanized army and airforce to do it.
A few links to research:
Jeremy Scahill discussing Blackwaters Domionist links.
A very good discussion about what Domionism is about.
a very good discussion about who would support such folk
It's the oil, stupid.
http://www.alertnet.org/thefacts/reliefresources/111885496661.htm
http://www.energybulletin.net/925.html
http://www.twf.org/News/Y2004/0807-Darfur.html
http://www.worldpress.org/Africa/1911.cfm
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0819-26.htm
Etc.
Darfur: Forget genocide, there's oil
It would indeed be a noble cause, if were not for the fact that the US Govt has shipped at nearly $20 million in surplus U.S. military equipment was sent, in 1996, to Ethiopia, Eritrea and Uganda. All three of these countries supported Sudanese opposition groups [particularly the SPLA] preparing a joint offensive to topple the government of Sudan.(Wielding Aid, The US Targets Sudan, Washington Post, 10 November 1996).
The New York Times also noted, SPLA leader John Garang's explicit strategy was to render south Sudan ungovernable, and in that he succeeded. The South became "ungovernable" [and] "virtually uninhabitable" (New York Times, 3 March 1996). The NYT elsewhere records that the SPLA have behaved like an occupying army, killing, raping and pillaging (New York Times, 6 December 1999).
British Sudan expert Dr. Sean Gabb elaborates: "All three of the regimes most involved in what could be termed American-backed "military adventurism" against Sudan are run by gunmen who seized power through the barrel of a gun, and whose exposure to politics was within intolerant guerrilla movements. Authoritarianism and intolerance has been the hallmark of all three governments, with the resultant serious problems with regard to human rights and civil liberties.
Attempts by western governments and media to explain the anti-Sudanese stance and activities of Eritrea, Ethiopia and Uganda as being in some way related to the fact that Sudan is an Islamic republic, and alleged to be supporting Islamic destabilisation within their countries, are simply not credible, particularly given the fact that these countries have come into similar conflict with neighbouring countries in which religion cannot be said to have been an issue.
In other words the US is stimulating the genocide, and therefore calls by the US Ambassador to the UN to 'save' the Sudanese are similar to someone witnessing a severe and near lethal beating being adminsitered by their friends and proffering band-aid and aspirin for the victims wounds, all the while being ever so careful not to get inthe way of the assailants nor to be besnirched by the victims splattered blood.
The only people who can really stop this atrocity, and others like it, are the American and European citizenry - by a full on strike, followed by a UN Force NOT composed of US/UK Troops, mandated to disarm those armd by the US.
That and the arrest of all US officials complicit with these crimes, and their subsequent public prosecution before the Hague court for International Crimes!
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