Outrage Over Iraq Welcoming of Wanted War Criminal Bashir

Wanted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 29, 2012

ADVOCACY GROUP CALLS ON UNITED STATES TO EXPRESS OUTRAGE OVER IRAQ WELCOMING OF WANTED WAR CRIMINAL BASHIR

(Washington, DC) – United to End Genocide denounced Iraq for allowing the visit of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, and called upon the United States to express outrage over the visit. Bama Athreya, United to End Genocide’s Executive Director, made the following statement:
“Is this what the United States went to war in Iraq for -- to allow a wanted war criminal to visit? The U.S. government should issue a statement of outrage.
“This is the third visit of Bashir to a close U.S. ally in recent months and should be seen as a slap in the face to U.S. standing, if not outright U.S. commitment to justice for one of the world’s worst criminals. Nor are the consequences of this simply historical. Even today Omar al-Bashir continues to drop bombs indiscriminately on the people of Sudan and to put hundreds of thousands at risk of starvation by refusing to allow humanitarian aid into his own country.

“Bashir should not be visiting countries like Malawi, Libya, and Iraq that the United States has so robustly supported. The next headline we see should not be about a war criminal being welcomed by a U.S. ally, but rather that Bashir is welcomed to the seat of the International Criminal Court in the Hague.”

Background:

On March 28th, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir traveled to Baghdad, Iraq for an Arab League Summit. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Bashir for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Darfur, where over 300,000 people have died since 2003. Iraq is not a signatory to the International Criminal Court so does not have a legal obligation to arrest Bashir, however such visits have resulted in diplomatic pressure and canceled visits to non-signatory countries in the past. The United States recently announced that it is suspending $350 million in aid to Malawi under the Millennium Challenge Corporation, citing deteriorating economic and political conditions, but also concern for Malawi allowing a visit by Omar al-Bashir as a contributing factor. Ongoing violence against civilians in Abyei, South Kordofan, Blue Nile, and Darfur regions of Sudan displaced over half a million people last year and USAID’s Famine Early Warning System has warned of hundreds of thousands of people being at risk of emergency hunger levels one step below famine as the Sudanese government continues to block access for international humanitarian aid in South Kordofan and Blue Nile.
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The Save Darfur Coalition and Genocide Intervention Network are now United to End Genocide. The organization remains committed to its work to end the crisis in Darfur and bring peace to all of Sudan as well as to end violence in other areas of mass atrocities. The merger creates the world's largest anti-genocide activist organization, with a membership base of hundreds of thousands of committed activists, an unparalleled nationwide student movement, more than 190 faith-based, advocacy and human rights partner organizations, and a network of institutional investors collectively representing more than $3 trillion in assets under management.

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Dear Aisha, It started yesterday in Juba

Dear Aisha,
It started yesterday.
One of the most prophetic Sundays in Southern Sudan, but will the skies no longer be gloomy in Darfur?
I know that David must be happy for you.




The lanky Senator John Kerry and George “the debonair” Clooney were there. They flew all the way from America to witness the making of history. The week-long independence referendum to free your people of the south from the shackles Khartoum. They joined the crowds sweating in the heat of the Sunday sun. January 9, 2011, will be an unforgettable day in the history of southern Sudan.


Nobody seemed tired of standing in the long queues as they were waiting to cast their votes in the last leg of the long march to freedom.
The harrowing nightmares of the horrifying and terrifying years of the rampaging devils on horsebacks will no longer haunt your people?


Dr. Halima Bashir will no more drink from the pool of the tears of the desert and the sleepless nights of Daoud Hari The Translator of the years of the wrath of the Janjaweed of Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir will no longer linger?


For the vultures will no longer be overfed with the carcasses of your people littering the ravine of Jebel Marra, because their corpses will no longer be left unburied.


“This is the moment the people have been waiting for,” said Southern president Salva Kiir as he was rejoicing in Juba yesterday.


Omar Bashir is kicking and cursing, because he has lost the battle and his northern region will be dependent on the over 75% of oil in the south and hoping he will not siphon it as it passes the northern pipeline to the sea.


But will the referendum will bring succor to Darfur?
Not until the rest of the world can read the secret letters from Darfur.
The testimonies of the agonies of the bereaved ones who have been scarred for life from the Massaleet to the Zagawa communities in the land of the Fur


May the overflowing joys of the new dawn wash away the ashes of the sorrows of the past. For the people of Juba shall be redeemed like the children of Judah.

Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.

Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:

But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.

Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.

Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.

Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.
And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.

~ Joel 2:18-27 (King James Version)