September 10, 2004 ☼ Foreign Affairs
After the body count exceeded the American government’s definition of genocide, the US government decided to get tough with Sudan’s Islamist dictatorship, once a beneficiary of Osama bin Laden’s largesse, but now an ally in the war on terror, like Pakistan, its friend in the UN Security Council.
But having friends in high places helps, and Pakistan has again joined Algeria and China in blocking sterner measures against Sudan. Strange behaviour coming from America’s non-NATO ally, and strange behaviour for a country that is always ready to call for UN intervention in Kashmir. The hypocrisy is obvious - state-sponsored genocide in Sudan, conducted by Arab Muslims against black Africans is not quite as serious as ‘atrocities’ committed by Indian security forces against Islamic terrorists.
What is not quite obvious is why Pakistan is standing up for Sudan? There are similarities between the two countries apart from the ally-in-the-war-on-terror bit, they are both run by military dictators and both played host to Osama bin Laden. And both are close allies of Saudi Arabia.
Throwing in the bogey of geopolitics of oil is exceptionally curmudgeonly when the death toll is in the millions. But with US President Bush personally getting serious about Darfur, the Pakistan dog may not remain in the manger much longer. What Pakistan would gain from backing the genocidaires against the wishes of its current benefactor is anyone’s guess.
Update
The Ambassador of Pakistan to the United Nations, Munir Akram, told reporters that the 15-member Security Council would have supported the US resolution before the statement issued by US Secretary of State Colin Powell saying that a genocide was taking place in Sudan.
“If you’ve already branded it as genocide before you begin the inquiry, it makes it look as if you’re prejudging the result,” Mr Akram said[Dawn]
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