>(loband)- original | Report error

Blogroll

icon18_wrench_allbkg[i-icon18_wrench_allbkg]

Climate Change

Blog Archive

icon18_wrench_allbkg[i-icon18_wrench_allbkg]

Counters



Site Meter[i-Site Meter]
icon18_wrench_allbkg[i-icon18_wrench_allbkg]
Showing posts with label Saddam Hussein. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saddam Hussein. Show all posts

gallows[i-gallows]On Monday the foreign ministers of the EU member states will meet to discuss various items, foremost of which will be a call from Italy's foreign minister for all EU members to push for a worldwide moratorium on the death penalty.

This is at the behest of prime minister Prodi, who made such a song and dance about the 30 December execution of Saddam Hussein. Foreign minister Massimo D'Alema will urge EU countries at a to agree on a common strategy to help stop executions around the world.

At the same meeting, we are told the ministers will express strong concern about the "intolerable" situation in Darfur, and denounce air strikes on civilians by Sudanese government.

It is now estimated that at least 200,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million driven from their homes during the four-year-old conflict in Sudan’s remote western regions, although the EU has refused to accept the United States view that this is genocide.

Strangely, therefore, the EU is putting itself in a position where it is calling for an end to the killing of genocidal maniacs but it refusing to call for an end of the genocide in Africa. As always, it is nice to know that it has it priorities right. And our views on its action have not changed.

COMMENT THREAD

Haj[i-Haj]From multiple sources, including The Times, the consensus seems to be that Saddam will be despatched from this earth while we in the UK sleep soundly in our beds.

But there are those amongst this lot at the Haj - more than two million pilgrims crowding on to Mount Arafat, near Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, praying for Muslims around the world - who are complaining that the timing is "insensitive". There are fears that there may be a backlash.

MOAB[i-MOAB]But, if it gets out of hand, I suppose there's always this. Interestingly, with the initials MOAB, it is known as the "Mother Of All Bombs" - rather appropriate under the circumstances. We have the technology to put an end to a very large number of lives, very quickly and, on that basis, the fact that these people are still alive is a testament to the restraint of the Western powers.

But it need not always be like this. The Muslims need to believe, methinks, that we would use one - or several - of these bombs if we are pushed too far. And it might serve to concentrate minds if we let it be known that the Haj would not necessarily be considered immune. They, like us, should know fear.

COMMENT THREAD

>(loband)- This page might not display properly. designed by Aptivate