Ominous Warnings

Just saw an article on BBC News about UN staff pulling out of the Darfur region of the Sudan. So, you have a lawless Arab militia (the Janjaweed) aligned with the government threatening the UN presence that is trying to stop them from continuing the systematic rape and murder of the native black (non-Arab) Africans. The latest estimates I've seen are 70,000 killed and over 2 million have fled their homes. The Sudanese government claims no connection to the Janjaweed, but shows no sincere desire to disarm the militia, as they also keep rebel groups SLA and Jem in check. The parallels to the Rwandan genocide continue to grow. I applaud the US government for previously attempting (yet failing) to apply the term "genocide," which would legally obligate the UN to intervene. This latest news, though, is frightening and it appears that it will only be a short time before the situation explodes. Shall we wait for thousands more to be killed, then proclaim, "Never again?" I can't help but wonder, if our administration hadn't insisted on Iraq, would they have had more stature to push the UN into acting? Sad...