Issues of Global Import

22 December 2003


Rwanda Genocide Witnesses Murdered -- Example for Iraq?
As the preliminary idiocies of a show trial for Saddam Hussein proceed apace, friends of sanity might wish to suggest to those establishing this theatre of the absurd that some provision be made for the safety of the supporting players. More directly, if they want this trial to cause less harm than good, they need to make sure their witnesses aren't going to be killed on their way to testify. Yes, it sounds like a Clint Eastwood movie, but witnesses in the Rwanda genocide trials are being killed. Click here for more.

Arab Humliation is a Self-Inflicted Wound
One of the words that keeps cropping up in the Arab assessment of Saddam Hussein's capture is "humiliation." The word has been used over and over, from the shaving of his beard to get rid of whatever was in it (weapons of mass destruction?) to the way he surrendered without a shot. Many feel shame that the great defier of evil America and its British lackeys did not die in a blaze of glory. One rather feels shame that the Arab people, not just Iraqis, have had to put up with this kind of jackass as the best hero their culture could produce. Click here to read Kensington's Opinion.

Disengagement is an Engaging Idea
TPeace between the Israelis and the Palestinians is an impossibility, and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's speech last week outlining his "disengagement" strategy merely acknowledges the fact. The plan doesn't bring peace, nor does it even halt the violence. Instead, it merely tries to reduce the killing. For that reason, it might succeed in its objective. Click here to read why.