ClarkCast 014 - The Crisis In Darfur
June 11, 2006
transcript by Melange

Hello everyone. I'd like to talk to you today about one of the challenges we face abroad - and there are many. We know the war in Iraq is at a critical juncture and the window of opportunity for trying to make a difference there is about closed. We know we've got problems with Iran. I hope the negotiations will work. I hope they'll take it seriously but we've got a long way to go. We haven't dealt with the Korean nuclear problem. We've got our military stretched thin worldwide, gasoline prices are high, interest rates are rising. We've got a lot of real problems with healthcare, education, the environment. But, I need your help on one more thing.

I think Americans have got to stand up for what they believe in. One of the great strengths of our values has been we've acted on them in the past. It's what Bill Clinton said one time when we were dealing with the Balkans. He said “when you can make a difference, you should.” Well, in Rwanda in 1994, we didn't. We could have. But we didn't. And now in Africa, in a different place in Africa, we have another problem and we can make a difference. And we must. And that's in the Darfur region of the Sudan, where ethnic cleansing and efforts of genocide are under way. This is a case where people have been caught up in a power struggle. Leaders are engaged in an effort to solve a problem by force and where human rights are being abused on a daily basis. This is the case in Darfur. It's been the case in other places, but today it's in Darfur.

Some 300,000 people died, millions have been made homeless and for nearly 3 years our president George W. Bush has watched from the sidelines while senior officials in his administration have searched for solutions, sought denial, issued statements but nobody's pulled together a real policy on Darfur. There's been talk about the African Union and there are African Union troops in there. There's been discussions with the government of Sudan. There's been talk about putting NATO in. But the truth is that none of this is going to make a difference unless the United States makes up its mind that it is going to make a difference. And that's really a function of presidential leadership.

Of course there are contending lobbies. Certainly the military planners at the Pentagon have plenty to do. They're not going to ask for another mission. The intelligence agencies - well, they're concerned because I guess we're getting some intelligence from Sudan and we probably are. They know a lot and they can trade off a little of that to try to buy our interest but they're also engaged in genocide. The truth is it's up to the president as it is in so many other areas. He talks about bringing democracy. He talks about human rights. He talks about doing the right thing. Well he should do it by taking the lead in Darfur. We've got intelligence. We've got leadership in NATO and we've got the ability to make a difference. So I think our president should stand out and stand firm.

He should declare that the United States is going to be at the heart of a NATO force and it's going to work with the United Nations and pull together an international coalition built around NATO that will help maintain stability and protect human life in the western region of Sudan. The Sudanese government won't like it but we can deal with the Sudanese government. Some other governments won't support it but we can deal with these governments if the President of the United States shows the leadership that he's charged to demonstrate in his office.

This is Darfur and the time in Darfur is now for action. Please, take action now. Come and write in to your Congressmen and tell them you want action in Darfur and come to my website, tell me you've heard this and help build a library of concerned Americans who want to take action and stop a problem in the world. This is a problem where America can make a difference and we should. With your help, we will. Thank you.