Philocrites

Rwanda reloaded.

by Philocrites

"This has become a routine scenario: massacres foretold, warnings ignored, slaughter erupting under the noses of U.N. forces with useless mandates." (Philip Gourevitch, The New Yorker 6.2.03)

The horrible story is playing out again in the Congo. The Security Council voted yesterday to send 1,400 international troops to intervene, but the New York Times argues that the mandate is still too limited to do much good. President Bush invoked Rwanda (accurately and yet still hypocritically) in defense of the U.S. war with Iraq, but the real test of American commitment to human rights abroad is happening now. Do we believe that the world has a responsibility to stop genocide? Do we invest in institutions that can act? Do we pressure our governments to take this responsibility seriously? Here's the test case.

More 6.1.03. "In Africa, pricking the West's conscience" (Somini Sengupta, New York Times 6.1.03, reg req'd)

Copyright © 2003 by Philocrites | Posted 31 May 2003 at 1:21 PM

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