Marching on Darfur Intervention

Talk is cheap, and the people who are marching have to come through with actions, not simply marches and statements that make them feel better rather than pushing for real action. One has to wonder whether those who are now marching and calling for an intervention in Darfur would take the next step and call for direct military action to stop the genocide. That's the next logical step, and one that would effectively eliminate the janjaweed and the Sudanese militias' capabilities to inflict more misery on the Darfurians.

Instapundit has more.

And that leads me to wonder, yet again, is why we must act in Darfur, but action against Saddam Hussein and Iraq was inappropriate. Genocide was a tactic used by the regimes involved. Mass murder, rape, and rampant violations of basic human rights were a hallmark of Iraq under Saddam and the current regime in Khartoum.

Then, there's the oil. Both Sudan and Iraq have significant reserves of oil. If going to war against Iraq was wrong because there's oil there, is it not wrong to do so in Sudan? What is the difference?

Well, to answer my own question - plenty. Iraq was consistently and regularly violating international agreements, UN Security Council resolutions, and the 1991 cease fire agreement. Iraq has been sanctioned throughout that time period since 1991. Sudan has no such action against it, and the UN is unable to gain the needed consensus to take any action stronger than imposing sanctions on four Sudanese leaders known to be involved in the actions in Darfur.

Here's the thing. I've been calling for action on Darfur for quite some time now. Acting to stop the humanitarian disaster will have collateral results that will improve and enhance US national security. Inaction on Darfur may enable al Qaeda to reestablish itself in the lawless regions of Sudan, and that is simply unacceptable. It is clear that the UN, EU, and NATO are unable or unwilling to stop genocide, despite the fact that all are bound to do so under international law. Thus, it is up to the US to take action, not only to stop the genocide, but to protect the US from the threats posed by allowing lawless regions become a breeding ground for terrorism.