The Real Issue

The binary issue relating to the genocide occuring in Darfur is whether or not US should intervene. Their is much skepticism on the topic and arguments of whether it is our place or if we should be spending money on this issue. 67% of Americans feel that action needs to be taken to protect these people (http://www.globescan.com/news_archives/GS_PIPA_Darfur.html ) although only 58% believe that our nation needs to send troops to Darfur. (http://www.americans-world.org/digest/regional_issues/africa/africa4.cfm). We feel the need to act as humanitarians to fix the horrors of the world. The world is saddened when we see that 2.5 million people have been run out of their homes to dodge the destructive force of the Janjaweed. We need to help the millions who saw their homes get burned and pillaged while their families and neighbors were brutally murdered in front of them. Darfur has been officially declared a genocide with over 200,000 being killed over the past 3 years, this is why action needs to be taken now; the more time we wait the more people die. (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/sudan/).

President Bush is really urging the government to send aid into the Sudan. But the real question is, why is the Bush Administration pushing the issue? Do we really care about the helpless citizens of this country being killed and moved out of their homes, or does it have to do with our own well-being? Some people say it is on an imperialistic standpoint why we want to intervene. Since the issue in Darfur has blown up over the past 3 years their oil output has significantly decreased (http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=13865.) Do we just want to help them because they are a factor to our economy? Also, it is said we are concerned that China has been the main recipient of their oil reserves, and we dont them to surpass us in any way being that they are also one of the great world powers. (http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/mar2006/sudn-m10.shtml.) We really need to evaluate why we are going to help this country, is it for a more abundant source of their resources or is it because we truly are outraged by the atrocities going on in their country?

The Bush Administration has to be very careful and precise with the decisions they make pertaining to aiding the Sudan. Overseas affairs is always a tense topic because some think that it is not our place to intervene with other countries business. The Bush Administration has already taken so much heat with certain subjects in the Iraq War and they are not supported by majority of their own citizens. 56% of US citizens think that the Iraq War "wasn't worth it" (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14266-2004Dec20.html.) Most citizens are outraged at the unnecessarily long duration of time we have been in Iraq and the amount of casualties in our troops. American support was lost over time as casualties kept adding up (http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1121/p01s02-usfp.html.) With Economists sayng that this war is going to top $2 trillion dollars that also made citizens aware of how expensive this war has been and how far into debt this war can put us (http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2006/01/08/economists_say_cost_of_war_could_top_2_trillion/.) The Bush Administration needs to prove to the people that another Iraq is not going to happen; people are worried of falling even further into debt and losing even more of our troops. The costs of the project in Darfur is estimated to cost $2 billion the first year alone, so people might need to be convinced that it will be worth it (http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/sudan/darfur.html.)

Although the UN has done a lot by sending in troops and giving so much aid to refugees it isnt enough. The UN's relief organizations have provided over half a million refugees with food, and nearly a million with shelter material and blankets. (http://darfurinformation.com/hc_key_facts.asp.) They have done an adequate job of treating the people who have already been harmed but they need to do more preventative work. Recently, the UN Seucurity council agreed to send 20,000 troops into Darfur to accompany the miniscule 7,000 troops previously fighting there. This is a drastic improvement and hopefully will help keep peace in this torn region (http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/aug2007/darf-a07.shtml.) More troops are needed and other countries need to help too. Other nations are starting to recognize this, and England, whos initial aid grant in 2004 was $65 million, has been urging other countries to help as well (http://darfurinformation.com/hc_brit_law_urge.asp.) It is estimated that if we get involved, the first year will cost us up to $2 billion. African countries alone can only do so much. The neighboring nation of Chad is accepting Darfurian refugees that are fleeing from the corrupt nation. Is is estimated that more than 200,000 have fled Darfur across the border into Chad (http://www.boston.com/news/world/africa/articles/2004/08/10/chad_struggles_with_growing_stream_of_refugees/?page=2.) But this weak country can only do so much and is beginning to struggle with the masses fleeing over the border. Their far from plentiful amount of resources is not enough to cover the masses escaping the horrors of their neighboring Sudanese country. The country is experiencing water shortages, food shortages, and unsanitary conditions which cause 200 people to die everyday in their refugee camps (http://www.redcross.int/EN/mag/magazine2005_2/22-23.html). Chad is also getting attacked around the borders by the Janjaweed. They are not only attacking the camps and the people but stealing the little resources and cattle and other animals( http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/africa/chad0206/3.htm.) Another fear that is betowed in all of the people near the issue is that the Janjaweed has even gone far enough that they have even kidnapped the humanitarian staff (http://darfurinformation.com/hc_su_acc_reb_kn.asp.) It has gotten to the point where it is dangerous for not only the people of Darfur but the citizens of nearby countries. Not only are refugee camps being attacked by the Janjaweed of Darfur but by Chadian people as wells. Tribes do not want to deal with the chaos these people are bringing to their country. The refugees are in danger not only from the Janjaweed but from the citizens of the country they are seeking protection in (http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/16/africa/AF-GEN-Chad-Darfur-Refugees.php.) Another issue the refugees are confronted with is that most are scarred from the evils that they witnessed in their country. Most are psychologically unstable and need psychiatric help. The problem is there is little staff that can help them in the camps, the severe cases have to be sent to Doctors without Borders because they have no one else to help them deal with what they saw and experienced (http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2006-05/2006-05-29-voa19.cfm?CFID=204946948&CFTOKEN=34935885.)
Something needs to be done to resolve all of these issues.
Want more information on this topic? Go to http://news.yahoo.com/fc/World/Sudan or the main website, http://www.savedarfur.org/content.