March 13, 2005

• I ride in a sedan in Sudan.
• The real engine driving stories like this, though, is the knowledge that no-one would be surprised that imperial presences like the U.S. had already conducted such tests, were planning some in the future, or were interested in the idea of them in general.
• They're easily upset: Sudan outraged at namesake dye. I dunno, you'd think maybe they'd have bigger things to worry about.
• I like how the BBC story just casually slips in how "Sudan's government is accused of war crimes in the western Darfur region." And they are worried the dye will hurt their reputation?
• What maroons, Somebody replace the dumbkof with a spellchecker. Ha, ha, ?
• Coppermac: quite true. When the US bombed the Chinese embassy by mistake during the Balkan war, the Americans said it was an intelligence error. Hardly anyone in China believed it.
• So... this story is about an innocent typo being ridiculously misinterpreted by a war criminal government, and the story then being picked up by several foreign press agencies who dont seem to bother with fact-checking. And somehow the US is the bad guy?
• That's "NUKular".
• We can all agree that the US has used its position to do some very questionable things, even if we might argue as to what those things are. These actions lead the Chinese, as adversaries of the US, to naturally suspect the US of deliberately bombing the embassy. At the same time the majority position in the West, with a closer perspective on the American viewpoint, was to believe the US, simply because the US did not appear to have anything to gain. Bombing the embassy caused much more trouble than it might be worth. At the same time, that same history of questionable US actions, often by disparate US elements, makes it impossible for reasonable people to completely dismiss the possibility that the US did deliberately bomb the embassy. None of which helps us get anywhere at all. Fascinating post illustrating the limits, vulnerabilities and possible saving graces of information flow. Thanks Storeybored.
• "war is an uncivilized business"?
• That's "NUKular". LordSludge, it'll be at least four years before that's funny again. In the meantime, it's just noise.
• Heh, funny that you'd get bent out of shape about the U.S. being considered 'the bad guy' at the same time as identifying another country's leaders as a 'war criminal government'. Exactly which members of the Bush regime is history not going to regard as war criminals?
• coppermac, we get it, you don't like the war in Iraq. Currently, there may be issues of genocide in the Sudan. I haven't been there, don't know many of the facts, so right now I consider it alledged genocide which should be investigated, but I do know that no matter what, their civil war (I believe government against southern insurgents) makes Iraq look a very neat and nice war. Lots of civilian casualties, many targetted by government forces, including government forces "protecting" Canadian oil businesses by raising nearby villages. Please don't allow your dislike of the current U.S. government blind you to the fact that there are really really nasty things happening that are not perpetrated by the U.S. government.
• that is exactly what Rove wants you to believe.
• The civil war in the Congo is likely the worst thing going on in the world today. Death toll over 3.8 million. And hardly a peep about it on the news.
• blogRot - Except that I am not a) American, b) a supporter of the current government. As a non-American living in the States, I think the whole country is too right wing, that the current government is setting bad precedents in international relations, has threatened domestic civil rights, and is probably breaking international law regarding holding of non-citizens. All of these are serious things. But that is a long, long way from being the murderous dictatorship people want to accuse them of being. It would be intellectually dishonest to claim otherwise. And as a non-American living in the U.S. without any legal or constitutional rights, I still know that I am safer here than under too many African governments. To constantly equate the situations is to belittle the suffering of the people in those countries - and takes away from our learning about what is happening there on its own terms.
• To that end - a handful of stories from the BBC Africa webpage: (Sudan) UN's Darfur death estimate soars

  At least 180,000 people may have died in Sudan's Darfur region over the past 18 months, according to the United Nations' top emergency relief official. ... A UN report earlier this year concluded that while the killings in Darfur did not amount to genocide, killings, torture, enforced disappearances and sexual violence were carried out on a widespread and systematic basis and could amount to crimes against humanity.

  D.R. Congo - UN ultimatum to DR Congo rebels

  ...More than 50,000 people have died in ethnic violence there since1999... The UN mission has 16,700 soldiers, making it the largest peacekeeping mission in the world.

  (Zambia) Chiluba fury at seizure of suits

  Ex-Zambian president Frederick Chiluba has hit out angrily after hundreds of his shirts, suits and shoes were seized from a warehouse at the weekend... Police suspect the clothes were bought using government funds and believe the ex-president hid them at the warehouse...The BBC's Musonda Chibamaba says this is the latest of several seizures of properties that the former president has gone through. Motor vehicles and buildings both in Zambia and Europe have already been seized in the past.

  For perspective, Zambia has a GDP per capita of $800 and a GINI index of 52.6 - CIA factbook. (Most Western countries have a GINI index of between 25 and 40). (Uganda) Corruption fears over new aid plan

  ...This belief that corruption is widespread is driving despair. And in Uganda disillusionment can be deadly. The country has a bloody history that only ended 19 years ago when President Yoweri Museveni came to power. But even now a war still smoulders on in the north...

  Zimbabwe private radio 'jammed'

  SW Radio Africa, a private radio station broadcasting to Zimbabwe, said its broadcasts from the UK were being jammed by the government... The government denies the accusations, a state run newspaper reports. Only state-controlled media are allowed to broadcast in Zimbabwe.

  (Central African Republic) Results due in landmark CAR vote

  Preliminary results are expected in the Central African Republic to end what most observers have described as successful democratic elections. ...President Francois Bozize is seeking a democratic mandate after the 2003 coup which brought him to power. ...Mr Bozize, a former army general who seized power in a coup two years ago, is favourite to win the election. He was condemned internationally when he ousted the unpopular Ange-Felix Patasse in 2003, but he has gradually gained approval at home. The CAR has a chequered history of coups and army mutinies, as well as endemic corruption, and remains one of Africa's least developed nations, despite rich resources of diamonds, gold and uranium. Male life expectancy is just 43 years. The BBC's Arnaud Zajtman in Bangui says polling stations did close before everyone was able to cast their vote. But the lack of electricity in this small land-locked country meant that there was no way for voting to continue after sunset.

  On preview - good point, Storeybored.
• Thanks jb. Your post shows there are some press organizations covering the stories that seem to be missing from the front-pages. Hooray for the Beeb. In our city, (1 million population) the headline on the front page this morning was in large 36 point type: "Son held, as parents, sister stabbed to death".
• jb: "as a non-American living in the U.S. without any legal or constitutional rights..." You are wrong on both counts. But please continue to enjoy your stay.
• Nope, blogRot, I was the same, at least as far as Constitutional rights, when I lived in the US. They could come and search my house any time, or my person, I had to carry identification at all times, etc. The legal rights part is not 100% true if you count things like liability in an accident: then you're treated like anyone else. But if you were held for a criminal offense you are treated very, very differently to a citizen.
• The real engine driving stories like this, though Stories like this? There are other countries laboring under the misapprehension that foreign nations have set off a nuke or two on their land that for one reason or another nobody actually noticed going *pop*, due to writing the wrong near-homophone in a transcript?
• And by "they" I don't mean to say I'm a tinfoil hat wearer. "They" would most likely be the INS.
• First Amendment – freedom of expression Fourth Amendment – protection from unreasonable search and seizure Fifth Amendment – protection against self-incrimination Fourteenth Amendment – guarantee of "due process" or "equal protection" under the law If you are an alien who has been legally admitted to the U.S., then generally you have these rights (no matter if "they" tell you otherwise. Talk to an ACLU laywer pronto.) You don't have 100% same rights as a citizen, agreed, but the initial statement was "without any legal or constitutional rights..." Either someone is feeding him bad, bad info or he(?) is not aware of what rights he, in fact, has.
• She (and I) would probably not be aware of what rights we do/don't have as resident aliens until the time comes that you need them. I was more aware, though, after 9/11 that aliens were unfairly targeted by INS, Homeland Security, all that carry-on, but there's little if anything that you can do when it's all in the name of national security, yadda-yadda. I believe it was Sen. Barbara Feinstein that was a strong proponent of removing many aliens' rights that they'd had until that point, but I'd have to actually do some googling to back that up properly. :) Thank you for clarifying your comment, blogRot, btw. I was lucky in that my visa was for a working resident's spouse (H1-B), whereas everyone I knew on student visas had to go to a buttload of effort to keep their status stable.
• Not sure if I have the last of those rights, blogrot - aliens have been already held without due process. In fact, a Canadian was summarily deported by the US to Syria where he was tortured, and it was all perfectly legal. He was there for a year or more. I wouldn't count on anything here. But my point was that even without the rights of a citizen, it's still safer for me.
• including government forces "protecting" Canadian oil businesses by raising nearby villages That's nice of them. I've raised a villager or two.
• For what it's worth, the Canadian oil company in question, Talisman, pulled out of Sudan a while back. It is now an Indian oil company that has taken over. It takes a global village to raze a Sedan.
• I'm glad you get it, jb, but it's not a war. It's terrorism, an illegal invasion of a sovereign nation, and the rape, torture and murder of thousands of innocent people. Until everyone gets it and the Bush-sponsored terrorists are stopped, I'll keep saying it.
• FWIW: I thought it was the canadian "elites"/Power Corp/Total Group/Sudan genocide-that-ain't-a-genocide-cuz-no-Eurowhities-slaughtered connection. jb: Maher Arar was not deported from the US - he was a Syrian citizen denied entrance to (passage through) the US and ultimately returned to his country of origin, which his native country then proceded to beat the bloody shit out of him cuz he was a Senators fan. Should've Syria fielded the ice to pummel the living daylights out of each other in a civilized manner in the name of sport, profit and Gatorade endorsements under the ever watchful gaze of Lord Stanely? Hell yeah they should've, but they didn't and now the NHL is canceled and its ALL ARAR'S FAULT CUZ HE WAS TOO CHEAP TO BOOK DIRECTLY TO MONTREAL!