Chavez backs Sudan's al-Bashir

[Bacchus39]

a little more recent history. http://english.eluniversal.com/2009/03/31/en_pol_esp_chavez-backs-sudans_31A2277723.shtml

and Chavez is in Iran visitng his friend at the moment. http://english.eluniversal.com/2009/04/02/en_pol_esp_chavez-begins-three-_02A2280853.shtml


Chávez backs Sudan's al-Bashir before international bench warrant

Chávez's address was preceded by a round of applause from the audience (Photo: Hassan Ammar / AP )

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Venezuela's Hugo Chávez announced on Tuesday that he invited Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to visit Venezuela, thus supporting the Sudanese ruler, who faces an international bench warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"I spoke with al-Bashir and asked him about the risks he is facing when he visits a foreign country. I invited him to visit Caracas, and I told him, 'I hope you do not have any problem there,'" Chávez said during his speech in the 2nd Arab-South American Summit (ASPA), held on Tuesday in Doha, EFE reported.

The decision of the ICC to issue an international arrest warrant for Omar al-Bashir for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, is "a legal eyesore and a political abuse, not only for Sudan but for the people of the third world," claimed the Venezuelan ruler.

In his view, the move is due to the "cynicism" of developed countries. Chávez wondered, as he did earlier on Tuesday when he arrived in the Qatari capital, "why do not they order the arrest of (former US president George W.) Bush, who is a genocidal murderer who ruled the United States for eight years and ordered bombing Iraq?"

Chávez's address was preceded by a round of applause from the audience. His was the only speech acclaimed before the speaker began his intervention.

Venezuela is a signatory of the Rome Statute that was signed in October 14, 1998 and led to the creation of the ICC.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

1. He has a point

While Bush was going on and on about Darfur (to the exclusion of other equally dreadful human rights situations in Africa, like the Congo and Zimbabwe), he was also pursuing an illegal, immoral war on Iraq.

Looking into the situation, we find that the REAL concern is Chinese oil interests in Sudan. If there were no such involvement, Bush and others would never have noticed.

Just because Bush didn't murder people in his own country (just some faraway brown people), he's considered okay.

Look, it's the U.S. that made an enemy of Chavez, not Chavez who made an enemy of the U.S. He's probably working on the principle of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

[Bacchus39]

2. well if he's OK with the president of Sudan, why not OK with Bush?

using your logic.

the atrocities in Sudan are on-going whether the US is "concerned" or not. it doesn't excuse Sudan, Congo, or Zimbabwe for their murderous repression. why would anyone invite this scum to their country? that would go for Bush too.

lets forget the US for a second. does Chavez' invitation look like something other countries in the region or the world would want to copy or should admire? inviting a leader accused of genocide.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

3. Duh, Bush has been ragging on him from day one

That could make him disinclined to favor Bush.

[Bacchus39]

4. ok, but hosting a leader implicated in genocide is OK

got it!!!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

5. Just because "Darfur" is on every celebrity's lips doesn't mean that

it's the worst thing going on in the world now. It's not even "genocidal," since the ethnic lines between "Arabs" and "black Africans" are quite blurred in that part of the world. If there were no likelihood of oil in the Sudan and if the Chinese weren't involved, no one would have heard of Darfur, just as few people have heard of the horrific situation in the Congo, because our elites would have no economic interest.

I'm deeply cynical when the mass media tell us we're supposed to get all excited about one particular human rights situation in the world while ignoring others. I always look and see what other interests are involved in the area.

By the way, you wouldn't be Thor Halversson, would you?

[Bacchus39]

6. maybe Chavez will invite the leader of Zimbabwe and Congo too

thats Ok with you isn't it?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. It depends on who the leaders of the Congo and Zimbabwe are at that point

IF it happens.

Besides, a lot of what happens in the Congo is due to the country being basically out of anyone's control rather than being a central policy.