TresSugar

AIDS Group Says Zimbabwe Using Rape As a Tool of Terror

LibertySugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:15:57 -0700

The Zimbabwe government's youth militia use the most horrific tactic - rape - as a tool to terrorize those suspected of sympathizing with the opposition. President Robert Mugabe's ruling party has been carrying out a campaign of political terror since opposition supporters contested his election.

Today's New York Times paints a graphic picture of how many of Zimbabwe's women have been abused, humiliated, and raped, often in front of their families. State hospitals have turned away rape victims, who are often in pain and bleeding, and looking to prevent pregnancy, HIV, or other STDs.

To find out how an upcoming power-sharing deal might mean the perpetrators never see justice, read more.

The advocacy group AIDS-Free World hopes that laboratory and photographic evidence of all these atrocities, along with documentation of the victims' stories, will help make a strong legal case in a potential war crimes trail down the road . . . if there is a trial.

Mugabe's party and the opposition are rumored to sign a power-sharing deal this weekend. Some believe that Mugabe's party will not agree to the deal unless it includes immunity from international justice. Should the deal include immunity from such atrocities like rape for political gains, if it means the violence will end sooner?

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Sri Lankan Media Demand Security Amid Growing Violence

CitizenSugar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:00:41 -0700

In the latest bout of violence Sri Lanka has seen since the ceasefire broke in January, 27 Tamil Tiger rebels and two government soldiers have been killed on the frontlines of their brutal civil war. This bloodshed coincides with an attack on a journalist and a British High Commission official from unknown assailants. The country's situation isn't often the lead story on Countdown but the mounting death toll makes it impossible to ignore.

Part of the reason for the media's silence is that it's a country that's not only dangerous for its citizens, but the media trying to report on the situation. The recent attack of a journalist has led the World Association of Newspapers to rank as Sri Lanka the third deadliest country for journalists. (Iraq and Somalia are ranked 1 and 2 respectively.) Though a reward has been offered for the assailants, media groups have said the government has failed to catch anyone. This year alone, a total of 12 journalists have been attacked including one who was hacked to death. To see the factions behind the violence, read more.

Sri Lanka has been engaged in civil strife for almost three decades and with no end in sight. Like most civil wars, economic disparity, which favored one segment of the population is at the heart of the conflict. During the British colonization, the Tamil minority in the north and east held favored positions and were often used as laborers to produce one of their greatest export products: tea. But once Sri Lanka declared its independence from Great Britain, the Buddhist Sinhalese fomented ethnic division until the 1980s, when civil war officially erupted.

The Tamil Tigers formed in the early 1970s and have since formed one of the fiercest rebel forces to have appeared in modern, guerilla warfare. When the Tamil Tigers lost most of their agricultural livelihood after the the Sinhalese majority took control, they faced devastating economic and social discrimination, which has given them little choice but to rebel.

The Tigers are given intense military training including physical rigors as well as ideological indoctrination. Upon graduation from training, they're given a cyanide capsule to wear around their neck to avoid being captured alive. Their attacks on villagers are renown for their overt and brutal violence. In one 1999 attack, they were accused of hacking to death an entire village including women and children.

To date, the violence has been responsible for the deaths of more than 70,000 people out of a population of 19.3 million - not including the 30,000 people who were killed during the tsunami in 2004. There was a ceasefire and a political agreement between the Tamil Tigers and the government in 2002 - but in 2006 amid rising violence, which caused the deaths of hundreds on both sides, war was resumed.

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Need to Know: Parliaments, Presidents, and Monarchs

LibertySugar — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 03:04:44 -0800

Every nation has a head of state, which serves as the chief public representative for the country. Depending on the constitution, the head of state may or may not exercise executive power.

In parliamentary systems found across the world, and especially in Europe, the prime minister, or premier, functions as the chief executive officer and answers to the parliament. Authority is vested in cabinets responsible to the parliament. The prime minister is the head of the cabinet, and therefore the chief executive of the nation.

In such systems, the prime minister also answers to a ceremonial head of state. In some nations it is a weak president and in constitutional monarchies, such as the United Kingdom or Spain, it is the hereditary monarch.

Unlike with parliamentary forms of government, the President of the United States is vested with real authority and there is no prime minister. The US President is both the head of state and chief executive. Versions of the American presidential system have been adopted in Latin America and the developing world.

And finally, France offers a third example of executive power distribution. In 1958, Charles de Gaulle created the Fifth Republic, which gave France's president potent executive powers. The president has the power to dissolve the national legislature and call national referenda. He or she also appoints the prime minister, who must have the support of a majority in France's lower house. Post-communist countries, including Russia, modeled their constitutions after France. Thus, Russian President Putin will have the opportunity to seek the next best office as Russia's Prime Minister.

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Now You Know: Darfur Conflict in Sudan

LibertySugar — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 09:00:59 -0800

At least 200,000 people have died, and more than 2.5 million have been displaced as a result of the Darfur conflict in Sudan. In 2004, the Sudanese government troops, as well as independent, Arab, pro-government militias, began targeting discontent rebel forces and the black African population. The rebels sought to resist a Muslim central government, accusing them of neglecting the black African residents of the region in favor of the Arabs. It's thought that the government supports one of the militia groups fighting against the rebels, the Janjaweed, known for brutal acts of theft, rape, and slaughter, though the government denies this link. Since the beginning of this conflict, the region's black population has been the target of unthinkable atrocities and destruction carried out by the Arab, pro-government militias.

While international leaders condemned the government's campaigns as genocide and called for the presence of United Nations peacekeepers, the Sudanese government resisted UN forces. On May 29, 2007, President Bush announced that Sudan would suffer new unilateral sanctions. Three weeks later, Sudan reached a deal with the UN to allow a force of 20,000 troops to bolster the struggling 7,000 member African Union (AU) force. But things have not gone well for the UN/AU peacekeepers. Just this month, rebels open fired on a UN/AU supply convoy.

Some believe the situation has moved from genocide to anarchy. Save Darfur, a leading advocacy group, does not see it that way. They believe that the conditions in Darfur are not evidence of an end to genocide and the onset of a new war-but are instead echoes of genocide. And where are they getting the weapons? A lot of them are supplied by China. How? Well, read more.

According to the New York Times, Amnesty International USA reports that:

In exchange for access to Sudanese oil, Beijing is financing, diplomatically protecting and supplying the arms for the first genocide of the 21st century. China is the largest arms supplier to Sudan, officially selling $83 million in weapons, aircraft and spare parts to Sudan in 2005.

This summer, the 2008 Olympics may be the stage for protests at Chinese embassies, and athletes and spectators may call attention to the genocide, too.

For more information on Darfur, check out these sites:

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Need to Know: The Sunnis, the Shiites and Their Conflict

CitizenSugar — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:00:59 -0800

So, Iraq. It's admittedly complicated. You hear the news, you hear about the Sunnis and the Shiites and you know there's internal conflict in the country, but you're not sure how, who, and why? Let's shake it out.

First, the Sunnis and the Shiites both practice Islam, the religion founded by Mohammed in the seventh century. They're just two branches of the Muslim religion. Here's where they differ:

The Sunnis: The Sunnis have a broader belief of who Mohammed intended to become religious heirs. They believe that heirs of the first four caliphs, (or political successors of the prophet Mohammed) should be recognized. US forces are currently working with non-extremist Sunni groups in Iraq. Interestingly, Osama bin Laden is a Sunni Muslim, as are 90 percent of the Muslim world. In Iraq, only 35 percent of the population is Sunni. To find out about the Shiites and the conflict, please, read more.

The Shiites: Their narrower view of legitimate religious leaders, means that they only recognize heirs of the fourth caliph, Ali. Since they experienced the disappearance of a religious leader, the Twelfth Imam in 931, the Shiites believe they have suffered. Until the ascendancy of Ayatollah Khomeini in 1978 the Shiites didn't believe they were living under the authority of a legitimate religious figure.

Here's one more difference: For Shiites, the Mahdi, “the rightly-guided one” who they think will bring a global Muslim caliphate into being, has already come and will return from hiding. For Sunnis, he has yet to arrive.

Why all the fighting? In addition to the above difference in belief, the Shiites have closer ties with Iran which is also Shiite. The Shiites also control the areas of Iraq that include the oilfields. Also, the Shiites were an oppressed majority under the rule of Saddam Hussein, a Sunni. George H. W. Bush, after the first Gulf War, encouraged the Shiites to rise up against Saddam Hussein and the Sunnis, provoking violence. When Saddam Hussein was removed, a power vacuum was created and is one of the main causes of the struggle taking place today.

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Need to Know: Telling Apart the Taliban and al-Qaeda

CitizenSugar — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 09:01:30 -0800

Our news tends to report stories in a simple binary: good guys versus bad guys. And sometimes those cast as "bad guys" become interchangeable. Not to sound too Rudy Giuliani about the whole thing, but since September 11, we've had a pretty steady stream of appearances in the media by the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. Whenever they appear, the story is usually bad, so it's understandable that the distinction between the two might be blurry. Let's shake it out.

To meet these groups, read more.

The Taliban: A religious-based group who came to power during civil war and ruled in Afghanistan from 1996-2001. It was removed from power following the events of September 11. This authoritarian government's goal was to create the world's most pure Islamic state. They strictly interpreted Islamic law and forbade, among other things, television, music, and the Internet. Under the Taliban, women wore burqas and most of their freedom was eradicated, including the ability to attend school. Some Afghanis tolerated the harsh rule of the Taliban, as its focus was on the punishment of Islamic trespasses and restoring order to a chaotic country.

al-Qaeda: This Islamic militant organization seeks to end foreign influence in Muslim countries, "to kill US citizens - civilian or military - and their allies everywhere," and create a perfect Islamic form of government in the Muslim world. Internationally branded a terrorist organization by many, including the UN Security Council, and the US Department of State, al-Qaeda is known for suicide attacks and coordinated bombings. The Taliban and al-Qaeda are sometimes mentioned together because of their similar goals of a pure Islam, and because the Taliban gave safe harbor for al-Qaeda for training camps and granted it legitimacy as part of their ministry of defense.

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Need to Know: Cease Fire Is Over in Sri Lanka

LibertySugar — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:05:41 -0800

Sri Lanka's civil war continues to escalate, following the government's annulment of a 2002 cease-fire treaty. On Wednesday, 23 people were killed and 67 wounded in a bombing of a civilian bus. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Tamil Tigers) were responsible for the bombing. Three soldiers were killed in a second rebel attack of a military vehicle.

The Tamil Tigers have been employing guerrilla tactics in their fight for an independent state since the 1970s. The rebel force of around 10,000 men, women, and children is made up of poor agricultural workers and unemployed urban youth. The group is notorious for suicide attacks and its willingness to attack civilians.

The 2002 cease fire, between the government and the rebels, broke down two years ago and ended officially on Wednesday after President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government decided to withdraw. The government announced last week that it had killed over 200 insurgents. Since 2006, more than 5,000 people have been killed in bombings, battles, and ambushes. The government's renouncement of the cease fire does not signal a peaceful solution to this drawn-out and deadly conflict.

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Need to Know: Unrest in Kenya

LibertySugar — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 09:03:24 -0800

Unrest and violence have plagued Kenya, one of Africa's most stable nations, since the disputed December 27 presidential election. Since then, more than 600 people have been killed and 250,000 have been displaced.

Many Kenyans, along with much of the international community, believe the election was rigged to give the ruling party an unexpected victory. This outrage may have been enough to turn long standing tribal tensions into violence.

Right now, both promising and frustrating news is coming out of Kenya. Last week, mediation by the US and the African Union failed. Unfortunately, a Kenyan minister rejected former UN chief Kofi Annan's offer to mediate. Annan is expected to arrive today. On a positive note, many Kenyan children were back in the classroom on Monday, as some schools reopened.

Currently, Kenya is braced for a new wave of violence. This week, newly elected Members of Parliament will take their seats, just as opposition leaders plan three days of protests. I hope that the political crisis will be resolved quickly, as a peaceful, prosperous, and diverse Kenya could serve as a ray of hope on the war-torn continent.

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Need to Know: Women as Bombs

LibertySugar — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 09:00:07 -0800

A recent surge in suicide bombings carried out by women, may indicate that desperate Iraqi insurgents will increasingly employ women for suicide attacks.

Using women as human bombs gives the insurgents a tactical advantage. Many conservative Muslims believe physical contact is forbidden between unrelated women and men. Women, already less suspicious, are therefore allowed to pass through male-guarded checkpoints. Images of women suicide bombers can also be used to recruit men by claiming that wives and mothers must be sacrificed because there aren't enough brave men.

According to a recent AP article, some women are motivated by revenge-perhaps their sons were killed in the war. Others may do it for ideological reasons, just like the men.

Perhaps the rise in female bombers reflects a changing role for women in the Middle East. Are women rising in status, as suicide bombers are often hailed as heroes? Or, are they merely pawns used by desperate insurgents trying to gain strategic advantage?

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Need to Know: The Hispanic Vote

LibertySugar — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:00:03 -0800

Participation in a Univision sponsored debate might not be enough to solve the GOP's Hispanic vote problem. Republican immigration rhetoric, which can have an us-against-them tone, has seemed to reverse the inroads George W. Bush made with the fastest-growing segment of the population. In 2004, Bush captured 40 percent of the Hispanic vote.

Currently, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, 57 percent of Hispanic voters call themselves democrats, while just 23 percent identify as republicans. Hispanic voters rank immigration below other issues such as education and health care. Yet, it is the only issue that sharply rose in importance.

Hispanic voters loom as potential swing voters, as they are located strategically on the electoral-college map. If the GOP does not find a way to reconcile the concerns of Hispanics with the more native wing of the party, it may lose votes from Hispanics who are in line with the party on most other issues.

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