Bahrain: Omar Al Bashir and the Cross-Eyed Justice

Reacting to the news of the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir, Bahraini blogger Hayat [Ar] describes the decision as ‘cross-eyed justice.’ Will the ruling save Darfur and its people or is it another ploy to allow the United States direct control over the region and its rich resources?

Hayat briefs us about what happened and says:

اتهم مدعي عام المحكمة الجنائية الدولية الرئيس السوداني عمر البشير بارتكاب جرائم حرب وجرائم ضد الانسانية والابادة الجماعية في دارفور وطالب باعتقاله .. و طلب الإعتقال و المحاكمة غير الزامي فهو بمثابة اتهام و اقتراح لن يدخل حيز التنفيذ .. لأنه يحتاج إلى ادانه دولية و تأييد دولي .. فلكي تتشكل قوة عسكرية دولية لتتدخل عسكريا في السودان و تعتقل البشير و تحيله للمحاكمة يتطلب ذلك موافقة من مجلس الأمن الدولي .. و هذه الموافقة لن تتحقق في ظل عدم توافق الصين و اوربا و روسيا مع امريكا و تضارب المصالح بينهم و اختلافهم في الكثير من القضايا و الملفات .. ..و ايضا سبب آخر و هو بإن هذه المحكمة لا تعترف بها الكثير من الدول .. بالإضافه إلى ان امريكا مقبله على رئاسة جديدة .. و في نهاية عهد بوش لن تتمكن من اعادة سيناريو العراق في السودان

The International Court of Justice Prosecutor has accused the Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur and has asked for his arrest. The court's decision is not mandatory and is only a request which will never be implemented because it needs an international condemnation and support. The United Nation's Security Council should pass a resolution for an international force to be formed and intervene military in Sudan to arrest Al Bashir and put him on trial and this will not happen as China, Europe, Russia and the United States are not in agreement, and their interests conflict. They also disagree on a lot of issues. Another reason is that a number of countries do not recognise this court. Add to this, the US is entering new elections, and at the end of Bush's era, it will not be able to repeat the Iraqi scenario in Sudan.

Why is Darfur such a prized territory? According to Hayat:

دارفور غنية بالمواد الخام كالبترول ويعتقد أن هنالك احتياطي نفط يبلغ 7 مليارات برميل .. و يوجد فيها اليورانيوم و تنعم بثروة حيوانية كبيرة .. مما ادى إلى صراع القبائل فيها على الموارد الطبيعية الشحيحةالمتوفره لهم .. و اتسع الصراع ليشمل حكومات دول عدة منها السودان و التشاد و كلا منهما يدعم قبيلة ..لإستغلال هذه الثروة و لتبسط سيطرتها و نفوذها على دارفورد ..و السؤال هنا ..كيف ستتمكن الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية من التدخل في هذا الصراع كي تحمي مصالحها في هذه المنطقة و تتفوق على فرنسا التي تزاحمها و تتصارع معها على هذه الثروة ؟

Darfur is rich in raw material, such as oil, and it is believed that the oil reserves alone exceed seven billion barrels. It is also rich in uranium and a substantial animal wealth and this has led to a conflict between tribes on natural resources which they lacked. This conflict has expanded to include governments of a number of countries, including Sudan and Chad, each of which supports a tribe, in order for them to exploit those resources and control the area and Darfur. The question here is: how will the US be able to enter this conflict and protect its interests in this region and beat France, which is competing against it for this treasure?

Hayat asks if the ICC's real motive was charging a rogue leader, why aren't the leaders of other countries on trial. She says:

ساهمت امريكا بزيادة وتيرة الصراع في اقليم دارفور و ذلك من خلال دعم المتمردين على الحكومة .. و قرار المحكمة الجنائية الدولية يعتبر غطاء انساني و و سيلة و ذريعة ستمكن امريكا من التدخل في الشؤون الداخلية لهذا الأقليم بشكل مباشر ..
و يعتبر هذا القرار انتقائيه و ازدواجية ومزاجية من المحكمة الجنائية الدولية .. تحركها المصالح السياسية و الإقتصادية .. و ليس مبادىء و قيم الإنسانية .. و إلا فاين هذه العدالة العوراء عن الجرائم التي يرتكبها زعماء امريكا و اسرائيل و مصر و البحرين و الخ .. اين هم عن ما يحدث في العراق و فلسطين ؟؟ .. انا مع هذا القرار و لكن ضد العدالة العوراء التي تحركها المصالح السياسية و الإقتصادية ..

The United States has been able to increase the intensity of this conflict in Darfur by supporting the rebels against the government.. and the ICC ruling gives a humanitarian cover and an excuse for the US to directly interfere in the internal affairs of this region. This ruling is considered hypocritical and selective on part of the ICC, and is moved by political and economic interests and not principles and humanitarian values. Otherwise, where is this cross-eyed justice from the crimes being committed by the leaders of America, Israel, Egypt, Bahrain and others? Where are they from what is happening in Iraq and Palestine? I am with this decision but against the cross-eyed justice, which is manipulated by political and economical interests.

She further notes:

اعتقد بإن قرار المحكمة الجنائية الدولية سابقة خطيرة و ورقة جديدة تضاف إلى ورقة التهديد بالعقوبات .. و اللتان بهما ستتمكن امريكا و غيرها من السيطرة و حماية المصالح و تحقيق الأهداف و الأجندات الإستراتيجية ..
هل سيرى العالم عمر البشير في السجن الدولي كما حدث مع تشارلز تايلور الليبيري وميلوسيفتش الصربي؟ .. ام انه سيرضخ لهذه الضغوط و سيلعب لعبة المساومة و الصفقات لكي ينجو بنفسة ام انه سيواجه امريكا بسلاح اتفاق أبوجا للسلام و بالقوة التي يتمتع بها في البيت السوداني ؟ و هل هناك صدام جديد و بشير آخر ؟ .. نترك الإجابة للأيام القادمة

I believe that the ICC decision sets a dangerous precedence, and is a new page in the series of threats for sanctions. They will enable America and others to control the region, protect their interests there, and fulfil their strategic agendas and goals. Will the world see Omar Al Bashir in jail just like they have seen the Liberian Charles Taylor and the Serbian Milosevic? Or will he cave in to pressure and play the game of compromises and deals to save himself? Or will he confront America with the Abuja Agreement and the power that the Sudanese house enjoys? Or is there a new Saddam and another Bashir? We will leave the answers for the next few days.

Also on Global Voices Online:
Sudan: Who's Next After Al Bashir on the US Hit List?

4 comments

  • […] on Global Voices Online: Bahrain: Omar Al Bashir and the Cross-Eyed Justice Posted by Amira Al Hussaini Share […]

  • cooper

    First I think you need to be clear on the fact that the ICC is not the United States, and the United States isn’t part of the treaty of the ICC.
    http://www.icc-cpi.int/statesparties.html

    I find it interesting the different opinions I have seen on this, certainly from those in Sudan who have not suffered from this horrible humanitarian disaster it seems they are not that interested in tose damaged or murdered, at least in my country the people rose up against their governmnet in the case of Katrina – are still rising up as a matter of fact.

    Yet I see more and more stories like these as well.
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/22/sudan

    “This ruling is considered hypocritical and selective on part of the ICC, and is moved by political and economic interests and not principles and humanitarian values”

    – He slaughtered his own people with intent.The intent of GW Bush was not to slaughter people – that is the technical difference of all those charged with this crime.

    IMO Those who perpetrated the pre-emptive war in Iraq and the lies which went with it are criminals as well.

    In a minute would I give to any court which wanted to take them those who perpetrated this fraud upon my county and Iraq – especially Iraq.

    I can only say that it is due to the corruptness of most governments that the people don’t have a chance.

    Yet getting rid of a murdering tyrant is really not such a bad thing because the more we the people of the world get rid of murdering tyrants the easier it is to get rid of them all.
    Power to the People.

    The citizens of this country are still are quite aware of our governments faults and are helpless to get justice for a war started under false pretenses. They still try though and as recently as a couple of days ago four citizens tried to make a citizens arrest on Karl Rove the architect of the Bush administration.

  • […] case. The potential case has proved controversial in the blogosphere, with reactions from Sudan, Bahrain and elsewhere cropping up on Global Voices Online's radar. Today, we take a look at reactions […]

  • […] Sul radar di Global Voices Online continuano ad arrivare commenti e rilanci dal Sudan, dal Bahrain e un pò da tutto il mondo. Oggi daremo uno sguardo alle reazioni del Medio Oriente e del Nord […]

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