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Africa Horn
George Clooney urges action on Darfur
2006-04-28
Hollywood star George Clooney implored the US government to work harder to end what he called "the first genocide of the 21st century" in Sudan's troubled Darfur region. "What we cannot do is turn our head and look away and hope that this will somehow disappear, because if we do, they will. They will disappear. And an entire generation of people will be gone," Clooney said at a press conference. "Then only history will be left to judge us," said the actor, who returned earlier this week from a tour of the Darfur region in southern Sudan and Chad.

The George W. Bush administration has taken a tough line on the Darfur crisis, calling the violence there "genocide," while the US Senate and House have both passed legislation that would slap sanctions on Sudanese officials deemed responsible.

But Clooney said a louder public outcry would encourage governments around the world to do even more, and urged broad participation at rallies to be held Sunday in San Francisco and Washington. "The president wants to put a stop to it, the Congress want to put a stop it. What they need now is the American people and the world's populations to help them, to tell them that it matters that much to them. It is the first genocide of the 21st century," he said.
I worry when a mental giant like George Clooney says things that I agree with. It makes me worry I'm turning into a dipshit.

Pretty Boy's inclination is, of course, to get lots of Brainiacs like himself out in the streets with signs saying "Stop the Killing," and maybe some giant puppets. This does little but play to the participants' collective ego. If he wants to make a real difference, maybe he should think about raising money to buy the Darfur people groceries — and maybe even arms and ammunition to use against their oppressors.

My own inclination is to let Rice, Bolton, and the rest handle it as best they can. I don't want to see American troops in Sudan, though I wouldn't mind seeing American aircraft, preferably B52s, in Sudan's skies. We've been watching the diplo moves unfold, and we know, even if Clooney doesn't, that it's been one of the administration's top priorities, even as Kofi and Company and the Arab League have been running interference against us.
Posted by:Fred

#20  Eric, thanks for going, especially if it blows Arab minds: Jews for Muslims??? WTF?????
Posted by: Frank G   2006-04-28 18:33  

#19  This a patent PR gesture for a "hunk" in repair. After such looney "blockbusters" as Syriana and Good Night, and Good Luck, George is on the offensive.
Posted by: Captain America   2006-04-28 17:45  

#18  Liberalhawk, I really worry when we coincide.

Now for the others: WOT is primarily an ideological battle and here it is an occasion to score against islamisma and panarabism. If we pLay on tgeh resentment of Blacks (instead of going low profile in the ideology field like in Irak) we can deny the whole subsaharian Africa and part of the Bronx to wahabism.
Posted by: JFM   2006-04-28 17:11  

#17  Stamp your pretty feet, George. And they will all just stop.

Twigging yet that the problem in Darfur is the same Arab islamofascism that you protest against fighting elsewhere? Can you get your damn Hollywood heads around the fact that it's the same mob?

You can't be suggesting that we just ignore the demand by Sudan for infidels to stay out of their country - no UN forces here - and move in? To stop atrocities? Like Iraq? You must be very confused.

Clueing in to the fact that they'll anyone who isn't as "pious" or "pure" as them - muslims, christians, jooooos, hindus - anyone?

Stamp your pretty feet again and see if that doesn't knock some bigger picture into view for you.
Posted by: Thinemp Whimble2412   2006-04-28 17:06  

#16  "I worry when a mental giant like George Clooney says things that I agree with. It makes me worry I'm turning into a dipshit. "

LOL! Yeah Fred, what i and people like me have been going through with wingnuts these last 5 years. There are some liberals who say, if wingnuts are for it, it must be wrong. Fortunately Hitchens has skewered that kind of thinking. Same applies here.


I too will be there on Sunday.

And I think its naive in the extreme to think that anything will happen, at the UN, in the admin, or anywhere else on this subject without steady public pressure.

You may be willing to let Rice, Bolton, etc handle it as best they can. I dont see evidence they wouldnt sell out Darfur in a heartbeat without public pressure. Your level of faith in certain officials is inspiring, but I think misplaced. The admin has been quite willing to deal with Sudan (which i dont hold against them) and have focused on genocide because of outside pressure (including, I'll be quick to add, from the evangelical community)

as for raising money, the Save Darfur coalition has been doing that - my daughter chose Darfur for the donation that her Bat Mitzvah class made in her honor. But money wont help if the Sudan govt doesnt let aid go through. And arming the none too efficient rebels probably isnt the most cost effective approach either.

Im sure we WILL be talking about Russia and China at the rally.

The notion that we should let innocent Darfuris be murdered to spite the UN is beneath contempt. Would you have let the gas chambers run to spite the League of Nations?

Posted by: Liberalhawk   2006-04-28 14:19  

#15  Nice to see the left finally saying something about this. What a pity it's about five years later than the rest of us.
Posted by: Robert Crawford   2006-04-28 13:20  

#14  NOW you can see, brazenly and in the open WHY it is that the Hollyweird lefties get so angry with the US.

They really want to believe the US is all-powerful like the teacher at school, or the world police.

Much as they rant about hating the 'empire' and that the bully-boy US is bossing the rest of the world around, what they really mean is that they WISH the US would boss the world around MORE and in ways they'd like.

They don't want the US to act like a nation-state, using war as a tactic to further it's own security and that of it's allies.

They want the US to interfere all over the world for just causes.

They want 100% selfless foreign policy and for the US to be what they wish the UN could be. The world police.

But they are stupid because the US IS a nation, not a world police force. Funds and manpower are not unlimited. And who said you even SHOULD interfere in every injustice, even if it is genocide?

The US's number 1 priority is the safety and welfare of Americans.

Number 2 priority is the safety and welfare of Allies with whom they share defence treaties and who have promised to defend each other.

And a distant third is justice or humanitarian aims.

And that's the way it should be!!

In actual fact, the US has absolutely NO business wasting any money or arms on Sudan, despite the tragedies there, unless there is some benefit to the US or her allies in doing so.

Otherwise it is a waste of US taxpayer's money, and of US blood.

Clooney can go begging to the UN I'm sure Kofi would like to entertain his concerns.

Or perhaps he'd like to put together his own global army of justice seekers and they can run about the globe righting wrongs.

But do it on your own dime, as Judge Judy says.

It's like kids being angry at their parents for being human, and at the same time wishing they were superhuman.
Posted by: anon1   2006-04-28 11:38  

#13  George Clooney urges action on Darfur

Clooney lied and people died

rich Hollywood actors start wars and poor people fight them

Nobody Died When Don Knotts Lied

No Blood for Chinese Oil
Posted by: RD   2006-04-28 09:30  

#12  I'm with PhilB on this.

Clooney should be protesting in front of the Chinese and Russian embassies. The dafar March should have been in front of these embassies.
Posted by: mhw   2006-04-28 09:18  

#11  The reason the Chinese are blocking even the 'dreaded' UN Resolutions is cause of their 'oil' contracts. Just tell [this] George - No Blood for Oil!
Posted by: Ulavitle Wholumble8398   2006-04-28 09:00  

#10  A few Qs for Clooney and company: why are the victims of Islamofascism in Darfur deserving of US protection -- but not the victims in Iraq?

Are you advocating unilateral intervention against a sovereign UN member?

Finally, will you name who is responsible for that "genocide" -- and what ideology motivates them?
Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever)   2006-04-28 08:12  

#9  Hey GEORGEY,You've got all that experience,why don't you and your hollywad wanna be "soldiers of fortune" go on down and have some REAL fun.
Posted by: ARMYGUY   2006-04-28 08:10  

#8  personally i think fuck Sudan - reason being if the 'UN' thought it was so bad to remove Saddam and illegal then it sure as hell is here too! Nope you cant have it both ways. Hell iraq was the worst thing to happen to this world for 1000 years according to some of these fckwits out there like clooney so why the double standards?? No dont go near Sudan let the 'UN' and kofi try and solve it on thier own - let them have thier own little war - Infact fck it Veto any action what so ever on Sudan so nothing can happen, after all thats what they wanted with Iraq which was 100 times worse. Might teach the fck nozzles a lesson too lol.
Posted by: ShepUK   2006-04-28 08:00  

#7  Iran first.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2006-04-28 07:51  

#6  Going into Darfur can be agood thing provided that we stop to be politically correct and play to the hilt the racist aspect of the crimes. WOT will be a lot easier if Muslim world is divided and non-Arabs consider salafism as a tool of Arab domination and a pretext to plunder non-Arabs be them Muslims or not. It is the first steo for them rejectoing Islam.
Posted by: JFM   2006-04-28 07:09  

#5  What Fred said, plus if Clooney was serious about intervention in Darfur he should be lobbying the UN, Russia and China because they are blocking effective action, and then when that doesn't work, advocating the US and its 'allies' bypass the UN and intervene directly.

Until he does (channeling .com) this is just his personal wankfest.
Posted by: phil_b   2006-04-28 06:28  

#4  If a leftist thinks its the right thing to do, you just know it isn't.

We have leveridge now, let's use it.

We intervene in Darfur in exchange for EU's military help in taking down the Mullahs.

Deal?

Didn't think so...
Posted by: badanov   2006-04-28 06:08  

#3  George you and your Hollyweird pals can hire a group like Executive Outcomes and quit waiting on the UN, Europe,China and teh Russians. They plan to let the genocide go forward.
Posted by: SPoD   2006-04-28 01:50  

#2  I'll be at the DC march; my synagogue is sending a contingent. Of course, if it turns into a “US out of Iraq, US into Darfur” event, I won't stay for the whole thing. Look for Congergation Beth Emeth.
Posted by: Eric Jablow   2006-04-28 00:46  

#1  You go, George.

After all, you have all that experience.... from your movies.

Even a moonbat stopped clock can occasionally fall over the right position is right twice a day.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2006-04-28 00:09  

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