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Africa: Horn
Jesse Jackson Raises Concerns Over Sudan
2004-08-25
The Rev. Jesse Jackson said Tuesday he feared that the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of western Sudan could potentially grow to the scale of Rwanda's 1994 genocide when more than 500,000 were killed.
A little late to the party, aren't you Jesse?
Jackson was visiting to draw attention to himself the need for urgent action on Sudan. "After the Rwandan crisis of '94, we said it will never happen again. But it could happen again unless there is immediate relief," Jackson told the Associated Press in a telephone interview from Benghazi, Libya where he was to meet later on Tuesday with Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to discuss Sudan. "For too long the world was silent on Rwanda," Jackson said of the 100-day-long massacre of an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and Hutu moderates by Hutu extremists in 1994. "There is a paralysis of action on the growing crisis in Sudan."
The UN's involved...
Jackson said he planned to go to Sudan on Thursday and Friday to raise his profile and get on teevee visit the ravaged Darfur region and to meet with government officials in Khartoum and with U.N. officials. He did not say specifically what he would be asking of those officials. "Obviously this is a crisis of huge proportions. They need food and medicine and a safe passage to get those displaced people returned home," Jackson said.
Not to mention some security forces capable of killing the Janjaweed on sight.
Posted by:Steve White

#17  Jesse's doing nothing but rebuilding domestic political credibility by playing the internationalist. His main competitor, the Rev. Al, didn't get much out of the Democrats.

Both the party and the Kerry campaign are going to need help. Jesse would like to be 'available' for that. If he can get something from the Sudanese, that's bonus.
Posted by: Pappy   2004-08-25 7:56:32 PM  

#16  Barbara Skolaut: CF - How? The Sudanese government doesn't give a shit. They're helping in the genocide.

Simple - Jesse will provide a clean bill of health for the Sudanese government to Uncle Sam. This will help forestall any potential American intervention. Whatever problems the Arabs in Sudan have won't be solved by Uncle Sam bombing the crap out of them. To the blacks in Sudan a bombing campaign against the Arabs would be kind of like manna from heaven.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2004-08-25 12:45:43 PM  

#15  Warnings about the crises started months ago, and the outrage of black leaders in the US barely registered a blip on the cable circuit. Other than humanitarian impulse-of which he has some- why is Jesse Jackson entering the fray now?

Think. What will surround him if he goes there? Thousands of starving black Sudanese, some of whom have been gang-raped, some of whom have been mutilated, all around Jesse. Powerful visuals that will fly all over the Internet and cable TV, reinforcing his reputation. And what about the droning accusations on blogsites that America only gets involved when there is oil? Will he speak against or reinforce that fable-i.e., will he likely castigate America VIA THE MEDIA for going to Iraq and not going into Sudan?

Darfur is a crisis that needs addressing, but the same people that supported a policy of bluff, delay, and inaction at the UN re Iraq are the ones now decrying a lack of action in the Sudan. Diagnosis-schizophrenia.
Posted by: jules 187   2004-08-25 12:13:55 PM  

#14  Barb, Perhaps he will tell them that he will make the 'UN' and those pesky Human Rights Organizations go away so they can murder, rape, pilliage and burn in peace....
Posted by: CrazyFool   2004-08-25 11:51:53 AM  

#13  He's going to "shake down" the Chinese? Good luck buddy.
Posted by: Secret Master   2004-08-25 11:43:53 AM  

#12  Yes Jesse Black people (or would you call them African-Africans?) are being killed in Sudan FOR THE PAST DECADE! Got to be about the Oil. Look for an oil company to give Rainbow Push a big check if things simmer down.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2004-08-25 10:45:35 AM  

#11  Say, maybe Jesse is going to shake down the Chinese!
Posted by: RN   2004-08-25 8:33:25 AM  

#10  The Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company, a consortium dominated by the China National Petroleum Corporation constructed an oil pipeline from the Darfur area to Port Sudan on the Red Sea in July 1999, exporting crude petroleum (primarily to China and India). Last year, oil exports accounted for 70% of Sudan's export revenues.

Chevron estimates “Sudan had more oil than Iran and Saudi Arabia together”.
Posted by: RN   2004-08-25 8:31:59 AM  

#9  Its all about oil !!!! (company money)
Posted by: Grunter   2004-08-25 8:19:01 AM  

#8  Incredible! Jesse Jackson caring about Blacks
Posted by: JFM   2004-08-25 1:29:00 AM  

#7  Either that or some FatBurgers are going up.
Posted by: Brewer   2004-08-25 1:28:39 AM  

#6  Maybe there's going to be a NASCAR race in Darfur.
Posted by: .com   2004-08-25 12:58:51 AM  

#5  The angle? It's all about the ooooiiiiillllll!!!
Posted by: ed   2004-08-25 12:51:59 AM  

#4  CF - How? The Sudanese government doesn't give a shit. They're helping in the genocide.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2004-08-25 12:48:53 AM  

#3  CF: I'd say he plans on shaking down the Sudan government.

You beat me to the punch there. I was looking for Jesse's angle - but you beat me there.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2004-08-25 12:31:23 AM  

#2  I'd say he plans on shaking down the Sudan government.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2004-08-25 12:20:25 AM  

#1  So Jesse finally gets around to the genocide in Darfur.

I don't know what it is, but he's obviously figured out some way to shake somebody down over this, and/or fill his lately-lean coffers.

What, you think he actually gives a rat's ass about the people there? Silly you.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2004-08-25 12:16:17 AM  

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