Needed: A Serious Approach to Darfur
By Ed Rawson
Washington Times
April 21, 2006

Nat Hentoff is to be commended for his straightforward review of the situation in Darfur in his Monday Op-Ed column, "Rallying against genocide. "President Bush acknowledges that the 7,000 minimally equipped African Union peacekeepers are "not enough" and "we mean genocide must be stopped."

The issue is simple, but not easy to resolve: Namely, who will provide immediate help? Mr. Bush's solution is NATO. However, NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer seems to be under the delusion that the Africans can handle this problem on their own.

For three years, Darfur has been a blot on the consciousness of humanity and those who proclaim "Never again." Conditions have improved, relief supplies are available, and nongovernmental organizations (on a precarious basis) provide other needed help.

However, the current small contingent of African Union troops is unable to deal with the situation. In short, in the absence of immediate commitment of an effective force by the African Union and the concurrent commitments to supply helicopters, air security, adequate armaments and other areas of support, it would be a miracle if the ravages of the Janjaweed and others would cease quickly.

Not too long ago, former Liberian President Charles Taylor was wrecking a wide swath of West Africa. Today, thankfully, he is in jail. For two countries, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast, this dramatic change was largely because of successful intervention and restoration of order by small contingents of British and French forces with minimal casualties.

President Bush should recognize that when he speaks, he is speaking as the commander in chief of the most powerful military force the world has ever known. It should be incumbent upon him to provide a small expeditionary force (Marines from Djibouti?), hopefully in conjunction with other countries, the United Nations and NATO, to repeat the British and French success in West Africa.

He surely knows it is standard practice not to pass the buck when someone says something needs to be done and resources exist to do it, even though your forces may seem to be fully committed elsewhere.
I intend to attend the Save Darfur Rally on April 30 and demand that Congress act before "never again" becomes a hollow joke.

EDWARD RAWSON
Vice president
Citizens for Global Solutions
Washington

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