Russia and China Block Darfur Action

John R. Bolton, the United States ambassador, said Monday that he intended to offer a Security Council resolution on Tuesday that would publicly identify four Sudanese individuals responsible for atrocities in Darfur and possibly force a vote on whether the panel would impose sanctions on them. ...
He said he decided on the move after learning that China and Russia had objected to action against the four individuals. Their names were circulated among Council members last Thursday under a so-called silence procedure that would have applied the sanctions unless they met opposition.

On Monday, China said it opposed the sanctions, and Russia said it backed China's view. Wang Guangya, the Chinese ambassador, said that taking action now would complicate African Union-sponsored peace talks on the conflicted Darfur region under way in Abuja, Nigeria. "At this sensitive moment, to publish the list of names will have a negative effect on the negotiations there," he said.

The four — including a member of government, as well as fighters from pro- and anti-government militias — are charged with committing atrocities and undermining peace efforts in Darfur. The sanctions include travel bans and freezes on assets.

And because Russia and China oppose action, the genocide will continue and Khartoum will escape justice. Millions of Sudanese have been affected by the Darfur genocide, with hundreds of thousands already dead. How many more will die as a result of the Russian and Chinese action?

Oh, and why are Russia and China so intent on protecting Sudan from UN resolutions or actions? Oil. They need the Sudanese oil. Pure and simple.

Still think that the UN is the cure-all for international disputes? Ed Morrissey has similar thoughts:

We castigated ourselves for not intervening in the Rwandan massacre before it turned into the horrid genocide that left hundreds of thousands dead. Now we find out that even had we wanted to get action in the UNSC, the genocide enablers would likely never have allowed any action at all. Perhaps someone can craft a rationale for the continued existence of the United Nations, but the pursuit of peace and justice can't possibly be one of the components for such an argument.