Speechless

Secretary-General Kofi Annan accused Sudanese rebels of increasing abductions, extortion and banditry in a ``descent into lawlessness'' that has intensified insecurity in the conflict-wracked Darfur region.

Is that what Kofi's calling genocide today? Descent into lawlessness?

The targeting of humanitarian workers, harassment and looting of civilians, and ``unprecedented criminality'' in the town of Nyala are also part of the ``dangerous pattern'' of violence caused by the prolonged conflict, he said.

It's called targets of opportunity. There aren't that many of the locals left to terrorize and murder.

``While the daily rate of casualties from fighting has declined in recent months, the damage to the social and economic fabric in Darfur and the longer term costs of this conflict are steadily becoming clearer,'' Annan said in the report to the U.N. Security Council obtained Tuesday by the Associated Press.

The reason that the number of casualties has dropped, though he doesn't provide any actual facts to back up that assertion, is that there are simply fewer people left to terrorize or murder. They've already been whacked and hacked to death by the janjaweed and Sudanese militias. It was called genocide Kofi. That's why there aren't as many people in the region left to talk or be victims once again.