No U.N. Troops For Darfur

Omar Al-Bashir has rejected a proposal for a U.N. force to bring peace to Darfur, and has written a letter to the U.N. Security Council saying that the government in Khartoum needs more time to cope with the situation themselves. In his letter he states that he fears that a U.N. presence would lead "to acts of violence and unmanageable confrontations among all parties in Darfur, including the United Nations forces." Which, given the fact that he is a genocidal killer, reads to me as more of a threat than a concern.

He also says that he is going to send more troops into Darfur in an effort to keep the peace. Which is about as comforting as if Hitler had said that he was going to send more SS officers to help improve conditions in Auschwitz.

But the U.N. will continue to talk with the Sudanese government, because no matter how criminal a state has become, everyone is equal at the U.N. (or at least, they are as long as they have oil to share with the Chinese).

But perhaps all is not yet lost for the suffering children of Darfur, because I have a plan: dress them all up like little pageant contestants and take pictures of Omar sipping champagne. That region will get the 24 hour news coverage faster than you can say Nancy Grace.