Bush’s Darfur policies falling short

Since the Bush administration classified the violence in Darfur as genocide two and a half years ago – making the U.S. the first and only nation to do so – some have argued that Washington has stalled in attempting to fulfill its promise to end the violence in Sudan.

An article in today’s Washington Post commented on a host of issues that have contributed to the wilting domestic and international commitment to the crisis. Despite the president’s passion for this issue, his policies have fluctuated between putting pressure on and engaging with the Islamist government. Constant turnover of crucial advisors on Darfur has also contributed to the slow progress. The current U.S. involvement in other Muslim countries, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, has added to the already complex foreign relations quagmire.

“It’s impossible to keep Iraq out of this picture,” said Edward Mortimer, who served as a top aide to then-U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and says resentment over Iraq caused many countries to not want to cooperate with the United States on Darfur.

Multilateral bodies such as the U.N., NATO, and the African Union have suffered from bureaucratic slowness, preventing a unified effort to address the humanitarian crisis.

Notably, few other Western nations besides Britain and a handful of Nordic countries have shouldered responsibility for resolving the violence either diplomatically or militarily.

According to the article: “Advisers say Bush came to accept, albeit grudgingly, the arguments against using U.S. military assets – especially the possibility that they might attract al-Qaeda.”

“In my mind, there would never be enough troops to impose order on this place,” former secretary of state Colin Powell said an interview. “The only way to resolve this problem was for there to be a political settlement between the rebels and the government.”

“Overall,” concluded John R. Bolton, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, “Sudan is a case where there’s a lot of international rhetoric and no stomach for real action.”

For the full article, click here.

Attacks on aid workers on rise in Afghanistan with 34 killed this year

The U.N. reported that 34 aid workers have been killed in Afghanistan this year and called for Taliban militants and other criminals to stop attacking humanitarian aid convoys, particularly with winter looming, The Associated Press reported today.

The convoys have had difficulty accessing Afghanistan’s main highways due to the increasing violence in the south.

“Those responsible for these attacks and for the insecurity are pushing the most vulnerable people outside of our reach,” Tom Koenigs, the head of the U.N. Assistance Mission to Afghanistan, said. “Those responsible for these attacks need to know that they are attacking the welfare of Afghanistan’s most vulnerable communities.”

The World Food Programme (WFP) said that it has been set back $750,000 in stolen aid due to attacks on aid convoys, according to BBC News. Rick Corsino, the head of WFP in Afghanistan, added that the cost of transport has increased to the heightened violence.

“In a majority of these incidents, food was looted ... and so far we have lost something like 100,000 tons of food,” Corsino said.

The continued conflict has “tremendously” worsened the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and 78 districts in the country are rated as “extremely risky” for U.N. workers to operate, Koenigs said.

“Reaching the people is not a political issue, it is a humanitarian priority,” Koenigs said.

For the full Washington Post article, click here.

For the full BBC article, click here.

U.N. envoy concerned about rising violence in Afghanistan

Tom Koenigs, the United Nations envoy to Afghanistan, said on Monday that the frequency of violent incidents there has increased by around 30 percent, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported the next day, citing Xinhua news agency.

Koenigs also expressed concern about the significant increase in civilian casualties, citing the deaths of at least 1,200 Afghan civilians since January.

He said that the greatest threat to Afghans is the “ongoing campaign of intimidation, abduction, and execution being carried out by antigovernment elements against all those seen to have a connection with the Afghan government or the international community.”

In reference to this campaign, he called for the development of an “integrated political-military strategy” that would both combat violence and establish sustained peace in the country.

For the full article, click here.

Attack on Afghanistan mosque highlights increased targeting of religious figures

Two people were killed and 10 injured after a group of gunmen opened fire in a mosque in Afghanistan’s Wardak Province, which borders Kabul, BBC News reported today.

Local police have not determined a motive, but suspect Taliban involvement.

The article indicated that the insurgency is moving closer and closer to Kabul, as demonstrated by this latest incident.

Attacks on religious figures, while unusual, have been increasing over the past year. Many of the targeted leaders are thought to be pro-government.

For the full article, click here.