As for logic, you seem to equate any intervention in Sudan as a Vietnam scanario and can’t even pay attention to any arguement that might only involve sanctions, and this while most players agree that an real live genocide is occuring.

No one doubts that most of the actors are far from rational and that each side will seek to use outside intervention to gain advantage. But there is also no doubt that a genocide is occurring and that the Sudanese government is the primary enabler and supporter of the Janjaweed. Perhaps you should read some accounts of what exactly is occurring as a large number of victims are mutilated to death. Your arguments against sanctioning Sudan really are beyond the pale.

Do you also argue that we should have stayed out of Rwanda? When the French military showed up they were expecting to see dead Hutus, not Tutsis. Under your logic, this lack of knowledge of who the good guys and bad guys are means the French should have never went in. But then again, the revulsion people will have to your viewpoint might be some strong pathos to support intervention.

Thanks.

They go to Chad, they are not attacked there. There are many refugee camps right on the border. What’s needed is more supplies, food, etc. – more money, basically. The problem with western military forces (and especially the US military for some reason) is that they don’t do peacekeeping, they do killing. Especially in poor countries where they have no idea of what’s going on around them.

In order to defend people you need to understand who you are defending against whom, and that may not be that simple.

You mayy end up defending murderers, or somehow giving advantage to the side that doesn’t necessarily deserve it, or taking away incentive to negotiate from one side or the other. It may make matters worse, easily.

If there was any realistic chance of an intervention in Sudan leading to the situation being as bad as Iraq, I would say steam in. It is already much worse than Iraq. The fear is of a Somalian-type situation.

So what is it?

On September 15, a series of African Union mediated talks began in Abuja, Nigeria. Representatives of the Sudanese government and the two major rebel groups are participating in the talks, however the Sudan Liberation Movement faction refused to be present and according to a BBC reporter the SLM “will not recognise anything agreed at the talks”.

The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/SLA) is a loose association of Sudanese rebel groups fighting against the arab-militia Janjaweed.

Who do you want to punish and how? It’s a civil war.

Sanctions will always be a joke until CVN-76 is sitting off the Sudan shore with a target list of oil assets to be hit for every report of a cease-fire violation. Having Europe impose sanctions is like having Elmer Fudd track down your killer. Yeah someone is on the case, but are they really going to get anything done?

Thanks.