Since 2008, Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Luis Moreno Ocampo has been seeking the arrest of Lieutenant General Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir for his alleged involvement in genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed since 2003 in Darfur. He might want to pop in on the United Nations Human Rights Council — Al-Bashir is about to be one of its members.
He is a central player in the alleged genocide and ethnic cleansing in Darfur, including hiding mass graves, arresting witnesses, and taking other steps to cover up the mass killings. The ethnic cleansing was largely by the Janjaweed (“devils on horseback”) militia with up to 400,000 deaths.
The Human Right Council has long been an international joke as countries with ongoing war crimes and human rights violations have assumed the chairperson position or served as members. Some countries have used positions on the Council to denounce human rights.
Now the addition of Al-Bashir will add the final outrage and irony to the Council. There is an outstanding warrant for his arrest but Sudan will be added to the Council because only five African countries are competing for five slots.
Sudan will then serve a three-year term. Human rights advocates are also crying foul over the candidacies of Venezuela and Pakistan.
Sudan can get pointers on the Council for its fellow Human Rights protectors Iran, Zimbabwe and Syria.
Source: FOX
United Nations. Some are not nations.
Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir and James Holmes. They’re not that far apart in my opinion. And likely to also employ the same defenses, too, ironically: http://lawblog.legalmatch.com/2012/08/06/alleged-killer-james-holmes-psychiatrist-liable/
Funny how Fox News is the source reporting on this, and how GWB would be blown up for allowing this, and you give BHO a pass. Funny.
CLH,
I agree. The U.N., like the League of Nations before it, was a good idea, but in the end it is often an exercise in futility and disappointment as on this little farm some animals are definitely more equal than others. The world desperately needs something like it – including an international criminal court with unquestionable jurisdiction to deal with things like war crimes and abuses by multinational corporations as well as a civil analogue to address disputes between sovereign states and torts committed by international actors – but the U.N. (while more functional than the League) and the ICC as currently formulated has been a real disappointment.
It’s funny. I just read the title of this post, and skipped straight to “Leave a Reply”. The title says it all. The UN needs to go away. It should be replaced with another body, as having a place where all the nations can meet without being shot at is a good thing, but the rest of it… blech.
David,
Public ruminations should be encouraged if, as in your case, they emerge from the heart. There is no right or wrong. Only that we try.
How do we teach others? By example. By being our brother’s keeper. Many words. Same principles.
You learned early. Others, myself included, learn late.
Genocide is just another word for xenophobia.
Classic arabic saying:
I against my brother.
He and I against our cousin.
We against the tribal elders.
All of us against the other clans.
Malisha, the rule of Law is the only road for the developing Human race to follow. Our ancestors walked on many a narrow path. Current events prove those paths certainly are still used. IMO the best we can do is cut back the weeds and widen the road (rule) of law.
These Beasts of Genocide could not exist without support. These Beasts could not exist without many an eye turned. The US government supports many a beast. My Fathers family came from Germany in the 1860s, I am quite confident some distant cousins of mine wore the German uniform.
I am doing my best to “Rise” the rule of Law is a shiny light.
I shiver and quake imagining the suffering, pain, and death, so many humans have endured and succumbed to at the hands of human beasts.
I can raise the “Beauty” in myself and refuse the Beast. I recognize that.
How does one promote 7 billion others to do that ?
William Wallace, see above, referenced Prem Rawat. I don’t reference the man, but I do reference his words. I have seen 4 or 5 half hour videos of him speaking.
His words ignited some neurons and synapses within me. I do not follow him, but considering his words have been enlightening.
I want to be better than my (our) ancestors. There are many in this world that choose to be lesser.
PS. my ruminating is starting to rub shoulders with rambling…. :o)
The U.S. still has influence in the world.
David B: You can only “stay out of the Genocide business” if others agree.
1st rule of Genocide… you must have people eager to kill people.
2nd rule…. you better make sure the killers don’t turn on you.
3rd rule… inspire your trained killers to willingly die for you.
WOW ! I’m staying out of the Genocide business.
Idealist contributed:
“But you can exchange “Congress” for where it stands UN in your comment, IMHO.”
~+~
I couldn’t agree with you more on that one.
Darren,
Agreed.
But you can exchange “Congress” for where it stands UN in your comment, IMHO.
This story is an example of the blind leading the blind. Sometimes you have to say no to genocide, even if feathers are ruffled. Don’t you think?!
Another example of the UN losing credibility due to its head-strong march to abide by the charter of inclusiveness regardless of any larger sense of reason.
And this to me is one of the worst enablers of tyrrany in the world. The UN talks big about human value but when one of their member states murders its citizens by the thousands or more lofty unelected plutocrats in the leadership of the UN scoff and debate each other into inaction while regular people die every day.
Perhaps a mandatory field trip from the ivory tower to Darfur or Syria would be in order for this gentry.
First of all – ICC has proven to be US dog. Second, Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir recently served as head of UN-AL fact-finding journalists group in Syria. However, he became a ‘mass killer’ because he criticized the US and other foreign countries for funding a regime-change Salafi-Wahabi rebels in Syria.
As Jewish-American scholar said: “United States is world’s greatest terrorist state” – but Washington appointee Luis Moreno Ocampo will never dare to prosecute Bush, Cheney and Obama for murdering more than two million innocent Muslims and Christians in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan, Iran, Nigeria, Bahrain, Yemen, etc. etc. Last year, Ocampo turned a request from Palestinian and Iranian human rights groups to investigate Israeli leaders for their crimes against humanity.
I guess Mr. Turley has no objection to pro-Israel Jewish-run groups such as UN Watch and Human Rights Watch, etc.
http://rehmat1.com/2009/07/29/icc-is-a-zog-judicial-setup/
People don’t seem to understand that it’s important for the U.N Human Rights council to have representation from all aspects of the diverse range of human rights in these politically correct days.
Human Rights are subjective, one man’s human rights is another man’s genocide. In some countries it’s necessary to wipe out your enemy and his women, children, brothers, sisters, neighbours, friends and people who look vaguely like him to prevent future human rights atrocities they would commit against you, others might call this kind of thing genocide but they call it preventative Human Rights.
We cannot assume the Western Way is always right, indeed it’s arrogant to do so. Female equality may be a Western ideal but in other countries it’s a violation of their Sacred Laws that would surely bring down the wrath of their god upon them; it is therefore necessary for men to subjugate women even though they don’t want to. In many parts of the USA their religion prevents LGBT equality too, one wouldn’t expect them to change; heck it’s only a couple of centuries since they discovered their religion didn’t sanction slavery, that it was all a mistranslation or misunderstanding or something…
Allergy Warning: Some of the above comments may contain traces of satire and sarcasm.
Well, well….. Now we know that Bush, Cheney, Yoo, Gonzales, Bybee can actually have second careers…..something they too are familiar with…..
There be nothing one can do but in looking upon
the bright side of life. What’s that? pray tell.
One can via meditation turn their senses inwards
in doing so have spiritual experience in strenth
that one can maintain ones sense unto compassion
as understanding / thus one does not let hope go
the hope of better times /where nations at peace.
If wish trying meditation as a source of strength
then on PC search put (words of peace) or ( words
of peace global) on site be a selection of videos
which Prem Rawat explains meditation its benefits
which brings a deeper unfolding of ones spiritual
self / thus an needed balance of strength betwixt
material and spiritual aspects of life /of living.
Prem in having dedicated his life in aid to those
whom turn to meditation /seek the needed strength
in what being but testing time’s for all humanity.
I think it’s a good idea for the U.N Human Rights Council to have members who have *first hand experience* of genocide and human right denial.
No?
I assume that if he attends meetings in NY, he won’t have to fill in a US Visa application form.
You know, the one that asks applicants if they entering the US in order to commit acts of terrorism, espionage, etc. – or if they have been involved in genocide or are Hitler.
It’s not clear what happens if someone answers those questions in the affirmative. I had assumed that such might introduce difficulties.