The Genocide Bloc

China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Sudan. These nations are charter members in the Genocide Bloc. You have heard of the "Soviet Bloc," the "Eastern Bloc," and so forth. Now there is a new bloc, the Genocide Bloc. The nations named above have come together in a dramatic and powerful fashion over the past few weeks, and blazed onto the world scene last weekend in defense of the government of Sudan.

These nations share one thing in common in addition to uncritical support for the government of Sudan: they do not respect human rights in their own countries.

They see the genocide in Sudan differently than citizens and leaders of free nations. The Genocide Bloc members value stability in their own countries, and see their citizenry through eyes of fear. They understand the paramount importance of "counter insurgency" against their own people. They are willing to overlook the atrocities in Sudan, just as they overlook them in their own nations.

Sudan is a partner for other Genocide Bloc members. For China Sudan is a major business partner in oil extraction. For Pakistan, Sudan is a long-time commercial and banking partner. For Saudi Arabia, Sudan is a fellow oil producer being castigated inappropriately by the international community. For Egypt Sudan is a next door neighbor. Egypt would be loath to share a border with a free society that might export threats to its stability and control of its own people. In addition, Sudan is a junior partner and Egyptian client in international diplomacy, providing Egypt with an opportunity to demonstrate dominance over other African nations, especially Nigeria.

The Genocide Bloc is exerting itself powerfully on behalf of the rulers of Sudan.

First, working with the Arab league it has convinced the UN to take Sudan off the hook. Jan Pronk, the UN representative to Sudan, has essentially re-written in the field an already weak UN Security Council resolution. The government of Sudan is now sure to "pass" without being required to stop the main line of its genocidal actions against the people of Darfur.

Second, the bloc has undercut the threatened African Union peacekeeping mission--sparing Sudan the presence of trained peacekeepers from Nigeria and Rwanda with a strong interest in protecting Darfur's victims.

Instead, and third, the Genocide Bloc is offering up its own troops--schooled in the arts of repression--as police who will "calm down" the people of Darfur.

Unfortunately, the remainder of the international community appears ready to let the Genocide Bloc succeed in preventing a real rescue in Darfur. That will be disastrous for more than a million people who are already suffering unimaginably.

Success of the bloc will have another even more bitter fruit--one that will come back to poison our efforts to spread freedom and human rights worldwide. The success of the bloc in Sudan will teach leaders of other nations a lesson: join with the Genocide Bloc and you can trade with us and do what you will with your populations.

This is exactly the opposite lesson, by the way, that the US hoped to teach in and through its work in Iraq and Afghanistan. Whatever your view of the wisdom or skill of these efforts, failure in Sudan sets back the overall agenda of promoting freedom across the world.

Comments

[owukori]

You may add to this list Nigeria whose President is the new Chairman of the AFrican Union

[Anna Luise]

Day for day I surf around in net to meet interesting people and international places. It’s great to see that it really works. Thanks