Darfur In The Crosshairs ... Again!

While the American media slumbers on Darfur, The Guardian has an ominous update on the situation. Omar al-Bashir's government is ordering the small contingent of peacekeepers from the African Union out of the country and is set to embark on a large military operation in the region to "restore stability." This, of course, spells the end of the "peace deal" brokered by Deputy Scretary of State Robert Zoellick; the peace deal that largely rewarded (appeased?) the human-rights-abusing Sudanese government.

There can be little doubt but that Bashir has timed this to take advantage of the U.N. (and the world media) having shifted their collective attention to Lebanon.

It should also be noted that the Sudanese government has imposed a media blackout on the Darfur and has arrested, as spies, brave journalists who have attempted to get the Darfur story out.

What price will the Sudanese government pay for undercutting Condi's work? Will the American media even note this foreign policy failure and, more importantly, will it call out Sudan on its latest acts stifiling press coverage of what are almost sure to be acts of brutal violence?

The history of the Bush Administration in Sudan is only one of action following media scrutiny. Unfortunately, the American media seems loathe to cover Darfur until the bodies have largely and publicly piled up.