Vital Perspective

Companies doing business with sponsors of terror

Thanks to Judith for pointing this out.  The SEC publishes a list of companies that do business with state sponsors of terror .Of course, our so-called friends the Saudis, oil tick sponsors of Wahhabi Islam and Islamist terror, aren't considered a state sponsor of terror by our government, so companies that do business with them aren't listed.  But this list is useful anyway. You can make a difference with your investment decisions and purchase choices - for maximum impact let the companies know why you are taking your business elsewhere.

Companies that do business with Iran

Companies that do business with Sudan

Companies that do business with Syria

Companies that do business with North Korea

UPDATE: Well, look at our spineless political class: Congressional pressure forced SEC to remove the above lists. SEC withdraws list linking companies to terrorism

Within the last week, both the chairman and the ranking Republican member of the House Financial Services Committee had written to the SEC criticizing the list. The chairman, Barney Frank, Democrat of Massachusetts, called the list "unfair and perhaps counterproductive." He said some companies "apparently have investments that are so negligible they could not be considered material either to investors or the economy of the terrorist financing state." The ranking Republican of the committee, Spencer Bachus of Alabama, said "this initiative appears to have been ill-conceived and poorly implemented."

UN troops in Sudan raping children

In case you thought that news of the blue helmeted United Nations troops raping kids in the Congo was an aberration, this should set you straight. The UK's Daily Telegraph reports:

Members of the United Nations peacekeeping forces in southern Sudan are facing allegations of raping and abusing children as young as 12, The Daily Telegraph has learned.

The abuse allegedly began two years ago when the UN mission in southern Sudan (UNMIS) moved in to help rebuild the region after a 23-year civil war.

The UN has up to 10,000 military personnel in the region, of all nationalities and the allegations involve peacekeepers, military police and civilian staff.

The first indications of sexual exploitation emerged within months of the UN force's arrival and The Daily Telegraph has seen a draft of an internal report compiled by the UN children's agency Unicef in July 2005 detailing the problem.

But the UN has not publicly acknowledged that there is a problem and when contacted repeatedly by this newspaper UN headquarters refused to comment.

[...] This paper has gathered more than 20 victims' accounts claiming that peacekeeping and civilian staff based in the town are regularly picking up young children in their UN vehicles and forcing them to have sex.

It is thought that hundreds of children may have been abused.

[...] The Daily Telegraph has learned that a number of complaints have been made about the behaviour of UN personnel stationed in Juba. Yet those accused have not been tracked down nor has there been any attempt by the UN or local officials to interview those making the accusations. [...] An unfinished copy of the internal Unicef report, seen by The Daily Telegraph, shows that the UN has been aware of the problem for more than a year.

"Evidence suggests that UNMIS staff may already be involved in sexual exploitation," the report says. "UN cars have been staying into the early hours of the morning, as late as 6am, at a restaurant/disco called Kololo in Juba … adult informants reported seeing a UNMIS car stop along a main road in Juba to pick up three young girls."

We would respectfully refer the previously mentioned hypocrites who call for "Saving Darfur" by sending in UN peacekeepers to the above article.

A local judge doesn't appear too concerned though:

Juba's county court judge, Ali Said, said that the region had seen an increase in child prostitution since the UN arrived.

''The majority of people working for the UN and NGOs are men and need to be entertained. But no cases have come to court," he said.

Aha, we get it Ali, it's just men needing to be entertained. Nothing to see, move along folks.

Read the whole sordid thing. For more information on the cesspool of corruption that is the U.N., see Nations United by Alex Grobman.

UPDATE:

Just to be clear, the UN isn't the only one doing the raping in Sudan.  The Islamist militias themselves have been quite busy as well.

Su-Shi Watch: Sudan Sunnis accuse Iran of promoting Shiism

Taking a breather from their campaign of rape, pillage, and genocide* against the  Christian, animist, and Sufi Sudanese blacks, the Arab Islamists of Sudan are accusing Iran of spreading Shia Islam in the east African country:

The Sudanese chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood organisation in a meeting with authorities in Khartoum on Monday said it had presented evidence of Teheran's attempts to convert locals to Shiitism. "It's a large scale plan conceived by Shiite groups and local organisations with the objective of spreading Shiitism in Sudan," a spokesman for the group told the Arab daily al-Hayat.

Sunni groups have denounced what they say is a "Shiite peril" and the opening of several Shiite mosques in Khartoum.

They have asked authorities to close down the Iranian embassy's cultural centre and to prevent it from holding conferences which they say are being used for propaganda purposes.

"Shiite penetration in Sudan has become possible because of a lack of control on the part of the authoritie," the Muslim Brotherhood's Sudan country representative, Sadiq Abdullah Abdel Majid, said.

The article notes that 11 teachers were arrested in Algeria last week on the charge of spreading Shiite propaganda among their pupils.

*We've seen these Save Darfur posters on buses in Washington DC lately.  Hm. Seems to us that "Save Darfur" is becoming akin to "Free Tibet" - one of those causes that makes the expounder of sentiment feel morally superior while requiring zero action on his or her part (excuse us, but after the shame of Rwanda etc, anyone who calls UN Peacekeepers "action" is either deluded or a liar).  Whoever claims he wants to Save Darfur and is opposed to the things one would actually need to do in order to Save Darfur - say, sending in the 101st or 82nd Airborne, or at least dropping off some genocide prevention kits - is a hypocrite.

Annan Sends Message to Human Rights Council to Go Beyond Israeli Issues

Yesterday, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan reportedly sent a letter to the Human Rights Council, condemning it for being too narrowly focused on the Israeli - Palestinian conflict. Today, we have seen the letter itself. Below is the opening of the letter, which goes on to discuss less exciting structure issues for the Council.

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
MESSAGE TO THE THIRD SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
GENEVA, 29 NOVEMBER 2006

Distinguished Members of the Human Rights Council,

I send you my greetings as you begin your third regular session. Since your first session in June you have been very active - holding three special sessions as well as two regular ones. You have focused especially on the Arab-Israeli conflict, which indeed has escalated during these months in ways that cause deep concern to us all. I am glad to note that the High Commissioner is also paying close attention to developments in the Middle East, and that you will be hearing a report from her on her recent visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory.

I hope, however, that the Council will take care to handle this issue in an impartial way, and not allow it to monopolize attention at the expense of others where there are equally grave or even graver violations. There are surely other situations, besides the one in the Middle East, which would merit scrutiny by a special session of this Council. I would suggest that Darfur is a glaring case in point.

Arab States Attempting to Use U.S.-Israel Relationship as Leverage on Darfur

Analysts believe that Arab states are unlikely to stand with the U.S. in demanding that Sudanese President Omar al Bashir accept UN peacekeepers in Darfur to stop the genocide and provide humanitarian relief. Their reluctance, according to Maamoun Fandy of the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London, stems from the U.S.-Israel relationship.

"Darfur is horrific, but also what is taking place in Palestine ... is horrific, so unless the menu includes movement on the Palestinian issue, the Arabs will not bite on that Darfur issue," said Fandy. Does this rationale make sense to anyone?

Journalist in Khartoum Beheaded by al-Qaeda in Africa; Crackdown Ensues

A group calling itself al-Qaeda in Africa has reportedly claimed responsibility for the death of a Sudanese newspaper editor in Khartoum. Mohamed Taha was found beheaded last Wednesday. In the days following Taha's death, Sudanese security has begun cracking down on newspapers in Khartoum.

In April 2005, Taha printed an article that questioned the lineage of the prophet Mohamed. Taha was arrested and his Al Wifaq newspaper closed down. Thousands of demonstrators stood outside the courthouse where he was tried in June 2005, calling for his death; but he was acquitted of the charges.

In the days after Taha's body was found, several local editors reported that their newspapers had been confiscated and that they had given instructions to stop printing articles about Taha's death. Alfred Taban of the independent Khartoum Monitor says Taha's death and the subsequent crackdown on the press are an attempt at intimidation that violates the January 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which ended twenty-one years of civil war.

CT: Intelligence Report Ties al-Qaeda Operatives to Sudanese Janjaweed

Douglas Farah writes on Counterterrorism Blog that "a recent international intelligence document says there are credible reports that a cadre of about 15 al-Qaeda operatives in Sudan are providing training to troops under the control of Janjaweed leader Musa Hilal.

This is striking given the recent mentions of the Janjaweed in Osama bin Laden's most recent public pronouncements, where the Arabs fighters in Sudan are congratulated along with the Islamists in Somalia.

Sudanese officials, who have done nothing so far to halt the Darfur slaughter by the Janjaweed, have seized on the report and others like it insist the government's hands are tied in controlling the murderous raiders because the Janjaweed are tied to al-Qaeda, not the government.

Such logic may be a useful way to try to deflect the accusations of government participation in the genocide there, when faced with strong evidence of al-Qaeda support. But the government, which hosted bin Laden and continues to maintain contact with al-Qaeda groups, cannot and should not be allowed to get away with such egregious support for mass murder.

The confidential report says the trainers are foreigners who have arrived in Sudan from Kenya, Mali, Libya, Somalia and southern Egypt, and possibly Yemen. There are indications the cadre came out of Afghanistan and Iraq to join the Janjaweed for training and combat."

White House Touts Humanitarian and Security Plan to End Genocide in Darfur

The White House has released a press sheet on the "Darfur Agreement: A Step Toward Peace" detailing the President's actions. After a brief history of the situation, the White House jumps right into the two-pronged attack. First, America and other nations must act to prevent a humanitarian emergency. This includes a request for $225 million in food aid from Congress and the immediate shipment of five shiploads of food for people in Sudan. Second, America and other nations must work quickly to increase security on the ground in Darfur. That includes working with NATO and the UN to support the AU.

The White House also notes that "In a recent audiotape, Osama Bin Laden attacked American efforts in Sudan and urged his followers to kill international peacekeepers in Darfur. While the terrorists are attempting to exploit the misery of fellow Muslims and encourage more death, America and other responsible nations are fighting misery and helping a desperate region come back to life. The contrast could not be clearer."

White House Press Secretary: Darfur Peace Agreement a "Significant Step"

As communicated by the White House:

Statement on the Darfur Peace Agreement
STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

"The United States welcomes the Darfur Peace Agreement between the Government of National Unity and the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Mini Menawi, the largest rebel force in Darfur. This agreement is a significant step in a long process to bring peace to all the people of Darfur. We urge Khalil Ibrahim of the Justice and Equality Movement and Abdul Wahid Nur of the SLM to join the peace process.

The United States congratulates President Obasanjo of Nigeria; President Sassou-Nguesso, Chairman of the African Union; and Salim Salim, African Union Special Envoy for the Darfur Talks and African Union Chief Mediator, for their commitment to peace and facilitation of the agreement. The United States and the international community were united in pressing the parties to accept this peace agreement. We will remain united in ensuring that it is fully implemented.

The United States fully supports this agreement to end the conflict and suffering in Darfur. This is an important day for the people of Darfur."

End of Genocide Near? Sudan Government; Rebel Group Sign Peace Deal

The government of Sudan and the main Darfur rebel faction signed an agreement on Friday to end three years of fighting in Sudan's vast west.

The signing came after a week of intense negotiations and international pressure to conclude two years of African Union mediated talks on the Darfur conflict, which has produced one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

UPDATE 05/05 @ 3:26pm: This reaction from White House Spokesman Scott McClellan:

Q Could you characterize it? Is it -- has an agreement been reached? And is it an agreement if it's just one rebel group and the government?

MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, this could be an important moment for the people of Darfur. The president has made this a priority. He's concerned about the some 2 million people that have been displaced. There are people dying every day. There are people suffering, and we've provided an enormous amount of humanitarian aid to the people of Darfur.

But we do now have before us an opportunity to move forward on peace. The largest rebel group has come into an agreement with the government of Sudan. This is a result of an intensive international effort. We appreciate the efforts of the African Union. Deputy Secretary Zoellick has been in the region helping with this. My understanding is that now the second-largest rebel group is reconsidering their position on this. So those discussions are ongoing within that group.

This is -- this would be a step, but it would be a very important step. There is more that we will need to do. We need to continue to move forward on blue-hatting the African Union force, transforming that into a U.N. force with NATO logistical support.

Q But at this point, this step cannot -- a peace agreement.

MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, there's an agreement with the largest rebel. The second-largest rebel group is still considering it at this point, is my understanding. And we think that there's an opportunity there to move forward on peace, and that would be a very welcomed step.