Last US combat brigade exits Iraq - Give Tony Blair credit for a truly magnanimous gesture

HISTORIC news just in from the BBC. The last US combat brigade in Iraq has left the country, seven years after the US-led invasion:

The 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, began crossing by land into Kuwait in the early hours of Thursday [19 August 2010], a military spokesman said.

Some 50,000 US troops will remain until the end of 2011 to advise Iraqi forces and protect US interests.

A further 6,000 support troops will be in Iraq until the end of the month, when US combat operations will end.

State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said the US involvement in Iraq was far from over, but that it would be less intrusive and more civilian focused.

"We are ending the war ... but we are not ending our work in Iraq. We have a long-term commitment to Iraq," he told MSNBC.

The 50,000 soldiers who will remain will be armed, but will only use their weapons in self-defence or at the request of the Iraqi government.

Full story: BBC - Last US combat brigade exits Iraq - Thursday, 19 August 2010; Last updated at 09:43 - excerpt:

Analysis
Hugh Sykes
BBC News, Baghdad

US policies early on opened the door to al-Qaeda setting up a branch in Iraq. An insurgency grew, a sectarian conflict - all this directly or indirectly because the Americans disbanded the entire Iraqi armed forces in 2003. An American soldier crossing the border said "We've won, it's over." Well, no and no.

There isn't really an Iraqi government, there is a transitional Iraqi government. The armed forces are running themselves. General Zebari, the chief of staff of the Iraqi army said the other day that it was premature for the Americans to leave by the end of next year.

The country does not collapse because there is not a government, but it is a situation in which instability is more likely to grow. Al-Qaeda in Iraq have been pretty active, there was an appalling bomb in Baghdad just two days ago. Some analysts believe they are growing stronger again.

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Tony Blair to donate proceeds of his memoirs to help rehabilitate injured personnel
From The Royal British Legion's website - Monday, 16 August 2010:

The Royal British Legion is pleased to announce Tony Blair will be donating all of the proceeds from his forthcoming memoirs, A Journey, to the Battle Back Challenge Centre, a Legion funded project that will provide state-of-the-art rehabilitation services for seriously injured Service personnel.



The Legion has now committed £25m over 10 years to support the MoD’s Personnel Recovery Centre (PRC) programme which was announced earlier this year. The charity’s funding support covers the running of the 4 PRCs and all the capital and civilian running costs of the Battle Back Challenge Centre - a major part of the programme which aims to help seriously injured personnel using sport and outdoor activities to help physical rehabilitation and confidence building. The innovative project will help injured service personnel fulfil their potential and get back to active duty or civilian life.



The Royal British Legion’s Battle Back Challenge Centre is due to open in summer 2012. The Legion expects that most injured personnel who are able to return to active duty will go through the Battle Back Centre as part of their recovery. The Centre, which will be open to personnel across the Armed Forces, will provide accommodation and a state-of-the-art gym and training facility.

Chris Simpkins, Director General of the Royal British Legion, said:

"The Legion is delighted to accept this very generous donation which gives an excellent start to our fundraising target of £12m for the Battle Back Challenge Centre and a total of £25m as our contribution to the provision of the world class service for injured personnel for the next 10 years. The culture of the Centre will very much be about what users of the service can do rather than what they can't but some of the servicemen and women are likely to need the Legion's support for the rest of their lives. Mr. Blair's generosity is much appreciated and will help us to make a real and lasting difference to the lives of hundreds of injured personnel."

A spokesman for Tony Blair said:

"Tony Blair decided on leaving office that he would donate the proceeds of his memoirs to a charity for the Armed Forces as a way of marking the enormous sacrifice they make for the security of our people and the world. The Royal British Legion is just such a cause.

"In making this decision, Tony Blair recognises the courage and sacrifice the armed forces demonstrate day in, day out. As Prime Minister he witnessed that for himself in Iraq, Afghanistan, Northern Ireland, Sierra Leone and Kosovo. This is his way of honouring their courage and sacrifice.

"We have been consulting with a number of people and organisations to decide the best support he can give. There is one project consistently highlighted: The Royal British Legion’s Battle Back Challenge Centre.

"As Tony Blair said to the House of Commons on his last day in office:

"'I believe that they [the Armed Forces] are fighting for the security of this country and the wider world against people who would destroy our way of life. But whatever view people take of my decisions, I think that there is only one view to take of them: they are the bravest and the best.'”

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Give Tony Blair credit for a truly magnanimous gesture
From telegraph.co.uk blogs
By Con Coughlin*
Monday, 16 August 2010

Tony Blair answers questions at the Iraq Inquiry in January (Photo: Reuters)

His detractors will inevitably call it Tony Blair’s “blood money”. But personally I applaud the former prime minister’s magnanimous decision to donate all the proceeds from his forthcoming memoirs to a sports centre for badly injured soldiers.

Whatever you might think of Mr Blair, he always had the courage of his convictions when it came to defending our freedoms, whether it was confronting genocidal maniacs like Saddam Hussein and Slobodan Milosevic, or tackling the modern curse of Islamist terrorism. Mr Blair went to war not because he was trigger happy, but because he believed it was the right thing to do. As a result hundreds of British service personnel have been killed or suffered serious injury, a burden that weighs heavily on Mr Blair’s conscience.

It is a measure of the man that, despite the huge amount of money that he will receive from publication of A Journey next month, he is donating all of it to the Royal British Legion, the biggest single donation the organisation has received in its history.

Cynics will claim that Mr Blair is making the donate to assuage his feelings of guilt over leading the nation during so many conflicts. But I prefer to take at face value that he has taken this decision as his way of honouring the courage and sacrifice of all those who have fought in Blair’s wars.

*Con Coughlin, the Telegraph's executive foreign editor, is a world-renowned expert on the Middle East and Islamic terrorism. He is the author of several critically acclaimed books. His new book, Khomeini's Ghost, is published by Macmillan.

Further Reading

Tony Blair's memoirs A Journey will be released on September 1, 2010
Pre-order now. Dispatched from and sold by Amazon



http://www.tonyblairjourney.co.uk/

Tony Blair to donate proceeds of memoirs to Royal British Legion’s Battle Back Challenge Centre
From The Office of Tony Blair - Monday, 16 August 2010

Iraq Inquiry Rebuttal Service From the Independent's John Rentoul (scroll to end of each page and click on "Previous 10" and keep scrolling to reach the beginning)

Blair on China (Thomas P.M. Barnett) - China's New Cultural Revolution (Tony Blair)

Copy of blog post by Thomas P.M. Barnett Nov. 12, 2009:

Blair on China
OP-ED: China's New Cultural Revolution, By TONY BLAIR, Wall Street Journal, October 9, 2009

A truly magnificent piece by Blair (or his writers) that provides a lot of nice perspective of the sort I favor:

My fave section:

Prior to 1949, China was a deeply riven and unequal society. There was a reason for the civil war and the multiple invasions of foreign powers. There was a reason for the upheaval of 1949. In the first 30 years came the completion of the revolution and the establishment of the People's Republic. But then came the Cultural Revolution.
It is difficult for us to grasp the pain of that period, when China closed down and engaged in a bizarre and cruel experiment that left scars, even to this day, on those who experienced it--including many in the present leadership. Talk to those who lived during that time, when reason was turned on its head, when survival depended on the whim of officialdom, and when all independent thought was snuffed out, and you will understand how momentous the change has been since then.

The opening up of China has its ups and downs. But over the past 25 years, the number of people below the World Bank poverty line has fallen by over 80%, GDP per head has more than doubled, and Chinese entrepreneurs are among the most innovative in the world.

China is now the world's largest market for automobile sales, but it is also investing heavily in green vehicles. It is the world's second largest market for wind turbines and the third largest in solar power. Over the next decade, it will almost double its energy output from renewable sources, its cities will change much of their lighting to LEDs, and it will aim to peak its emissions in 2030.

China's universities are forging partnerships with the best of their counterparts in the West. And China is turning out more science and engineering graduates than the whole of Europe put together.

Worth reading.

(Thanks: Michael S. Smith II)

Posted by Thomas P.M. Barnett on November 12, 2009

Click here to read Dr Barnett's bio.
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Copy of op-ed from The Wall Street Journal
China's New Cultural Revolution
By TONY BLAIR
October 09, 2009, 4:22 A.M. ET

Yesterday, just a week after the 60th anniversary celebrations of the People's Republic, China kicked off its first World Media Summit. It shows how far China has come—and how far it has to go.

First, understand the problem. We all know China is a nation of 1.3 billion people, but that is just a statistic. Think of how we regard the United States—how different California is from Ohio, for example. Then quadruple it. Think of trying to meld China's 56 native ethnic groupings into one cohesive state. Think of the disaster, not just to the Chinese, but to ourselves, if it fractured.

Understand also how dramatic and daunting the challenge of China's development is. The U.S. has 4% of its population employed in agriculture. Almost 60% of Chinese make their livelihood farming, and more than 150 million live on $1 a day. They need to shift from farming to industry, and they need to do so desperately. The East Coast of China, especially around Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, may look, in parts, like the First World. But rural China, inland and to the West, is in the beginning stages of development. It will have to change at a pace the world has never seen before.



Photo: Old and new. (Associated Press)

Are China's leaders concerned about ensuring that this happens with minimum chaos and maximum stability? Of course, and so they should be. Disorder is their enemy and ours.

Today, we analyze feverishly whether China will be able to help rebalance the world economy; whether it will play its full part in the Copenhagen negotiations on climate change; and what its position may be on Iran. Imagine we were analyzing the consequences of a threat to China's stability and cohesion. And then be glad we are not.

None of this means that we should stop posing tough questions to China's leaders. It simply means that we should appreciate how their country looks to them from the inside. We may criticize the speed of political reform, and raise concerns about human rights and the rule of law. But we should at least understand that their political and economic endeavor is unique in human history. Its magnitude is beyond the comprehension of most Western leaders, and its complexity should be recognized.

Prior to 1949, China was a deeply riven and unequal society. There was a reason for the civil war and the multiple invasions of foreign powers. There was a reason for the upheaval of 1949. In the first 30 years came the completion of the revolution and the establishment of the People's Republic. But then came the Cultural Revolution.

It is difficult for us to grasp the pain of that period, when China closed down and engaged in a bizarre and cruel experiment that left scars, even to this day, on those who experienced it—including many in the present leadership. Talk to those who lived during that time, when reason was turned on its head, when survival depended on the whim of officialdom, and when all independent thought was snuffed out, and you will understand how momentous the change has been since then.

The opening up of China has its ups and downs. But over the past 25 years, the number of people below the World Bank poverty line has fallen by over 80%, GDP per head has more than doubled, and Chinese entrepreneurs are among the most innovative in the world.

China is now the world's largest market for automobile sales, but it is also investing heavily in green vehicles. It is the world's second largest market for wind turbines and the third largest in solar power. Over the next decade, it will almost double its energy output from renewable sources, its cities will change much of their lighting to LEDs, and it will aim to peak its emissions in 2030.

China's universities are forging partnerships with the best of their counterparts in the West. And China is turning out more science and engineering graduates than the whole of Europe put together.

There is a new cadre of people coming to the fore within government. Conversations with Chinese leaders today—at the provincial, as well as the central government level—are a world away from the stilted, pro forma exchanges I remember on my first visit 20 years ago.

However, one of the most interesting aspects of modern China is how the narrative of China, its history and its future, is being reframed. Listen to people in China today—and not only in government—and you can see that even amid the celebrations of the 60 years of the People's Republic, China is rediscovering its history and reorienting its future as a result.

Naturally, the 60 years of the Republic and what it has done are extolled. But increasingly, there is an interest in and reverence for China's ancient civilization as well as its post-1949 transformation.

Confucius, the marvels of the Tang dynasty, calligraphy, the beauty of traditional Chinese painting and literature—all of this infuses the speeches, commentary and discourse of contemporary Chinese life. Chinese films, art, fashion and pop music are thriving. There is a new Cultural Revolution taking place in 21st century China, and it is a lot healthier than the old.

This provides those of us outside China with an opportunity. How China changes will impact profoundly how we change. Our obligation is to treat China as a partner as we determine together the way the world will work in the future. If we treat China as our equal, China can be our economic, political and cultural ally. That is an opportunity that is worth effort.

A few weeks ago, when I was in Guizhou province outside Guiyang city, standing in a small village to see a pilot project in solar lighting, I reflected on what I had seen. I had seen the city center, with its fashion shops like Christian Dior and its bustling nightlife, but also housing tenements urgently in need of renovation. I had witnessed a stunning music and dance show celebrating the region's indigenous heritage. I met the Muslim governor. And in the village, I saw newer homes, but also many that were as poor as some in Africa.

As I walked around, the local people at first hung back. But then as I reached out, they reached back. Within minutes, we were taking photos and speaking freely. OK, it wasn't like my old constituency in Sedgefield in the northeast of England. But it wasn't North Korea either. The relationship between government and governed in China is changing, and for the better.

So when we reflect on China's last 60 years, reflect by all means on how far they have to go. But spare a thought for how far they have come. And then figure out how we can help.

Mr. Blair was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1997-2007.

Cross-posted to my blogs China Tibet Watch and Blair Foundation Watch

URGENT MESSAGE TO EVERYONE ON THIS PLANET: LET'S ALL DECLARE WORLD PEACE ON 7 JULY 2007

Things are hotting up. A big warm hello to all peace lovers and anti-poverty campaigners. I've waited 35 years for this. Our time has come. This one's for John Lennon.



Photo: British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie Blair cross the tarmac to board a plane in London as he begins his African tour. (AFP/Leon Neal/Yahoo May 29, 2007)



"The cause of poverty and disease are poor education and bad governance. Fight poverty and climate change to stop conflict." - PM Tony Blair.

(Source: BBC video of Blair speech May 31, 2007)


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THE WORLD CAN'T WAIT

Bob Geldof and Bono's ongoing global campaign to MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY
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MELTING ICE: A HOT TOPIC, NEW YORK: JUNE 5, 2007

Events to mark World Environment Day, which is held annually on 5 June, will kick off on Friday in New York. This year's theme is "Melting Ice: A Hot Topic". For events being scheduled, see UN Pulse.
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CONCERT FOR DIANA, LONDON: JULY 1, 2007



Status Quo will be playing at the Concert for Diana, Wembley Stadium, London, Sunday July 1, 2007, organised by Princes William and Harry for their late mother (who would have been 46), broadcast by the BBC.
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SOS CAMPAIGN AND LIVE EARTH CONCERTS: JULY 7, 2007

The mission of the SOS campaign is to trigger a mass movement to combat the climate crisis. The SOS campaign will engage people in every corner of the planet through solutions-based short films, celebrity PSAs, books, an interactive web experience, and most importantly, through Live Earth, a 24-hour concert on 7/7/07 spanning all 7 continents that will bring together more than 100 of the world’s top music acts.



Photo: Madonna has written a new song called "Hey You" for the Live Earth concert, Saturday July 7, 2007, Wembley Stadium, London.

Live Earth alone is expected to reach an audience of more than 2 billion people through concert attendance and worldwide broadcasts.

The Live Earth audience, and the proceeds from the concerts, will form the foundation for a new, multi-year global effort to combat the climate crisis led by The Alliance for Climate Protection and its Chair, Vice President Al Gore.

The SOS campaign was founded by Kevin Wall, who won an Emmy as Worldwide Executive Producer of Live 8.
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"INSTANT KARMA - MAKE SOME NOISE"



Photo: "Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur", the new global “Make Some Noise” project from Amnesty International, aims to raise awareness and mobilise millions around the urgent catastrophe in Darfur, Sudan.

Amnesty's album, a collection of John Lennon songs, will be released on CD and as digital downloads on June 12, 2007. It features songs by The Flaming Lips, Regina Spektor, U2 and Snow Patrol. All the songs are available on iTunes right now.

The single from Green Day will be released on Warners Records on June 25 and will be the second single to be unveiled from the Amnesty International's CD of John Lennon covers ‘The Campaign To Save Darfur' (the first was R.E.M.’s version of ‘#9 Dream’).

The track, 'Working Class Hero' which appears on Lennon's 1970 album ‘John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band’ is considered one of his most overtly political songs, and the Green Day version – for which the band are expected to make a new video - features a clip of Lennon’s original vocal.
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ANOTHER 300,000 DEAD. DEFEND THE WHALES!



Photo: Greenpeace activists display dead whales and dolphins and a banner reading "Another 300,000 dead. Defend the whales!", in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate on 21 May 2007. The fate of the great whales hung in the balance Monday as officials from 75 nations gathered for talks amid pressure, notably from Japan, to reverse a 20-year ban on commercial hunting of the mammals. (AFP/John MacDougall/Yahoo 28 May 2007)



Photo: Greenpeace activists dressed as whales parade 27 May 2007 around the Captain Cook Hotel, site of the 59th annual International Whaling Commission meetings, in Anchorage, Alaska. (AFP/Michael Conti/Yahoo News 28 May 2007)
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Email Chancellor Merkel and MP

Recently, via the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY website, I emailed Chancellor Merkel and my MP. It took just a few seconds. Here are the replies:

Thank you for emailing Chancellor Angela Merkel and Tony Blair. Your name has been added to an international petition that will be handed over to the Chancellor before the G8 Summit at Heiligendamm on 6-8 June. We will contact you after the G8 and EU summits in June to update you on the outcome. Your details will not under any circumstances be shared with any third parties.

Make sure you come to London on 2nd June to deliver your voice against poverty in person.

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Thank you for emailing your MP about urgent action needed on global poverty. We will contact you after the G8 and EU summits in June to update you on the outcome of the meetings and to let you know how many MPs have signed the EDM.

Please now spread the word and get your family, friends and colleagues to visit the website www.yourvoiceagainstpoverty.org.uk and to add their voice against poverty.

Come to London on Saturday 2nd June to make your voice heard and tell political leaders that the world can’t wait.

Your details will not under any circumstances be shared with any third parties.

THE WORLD CAN'T WAIT: END THIS! NOW!

Bob Geldof guest-edited today's (June 1, 2007) issue of Germany's biggest-selling daily newspaper, Bild. Geldof wrote a front-page commentary stating that Germany's leaders could "end the misery" in Africa and that they had the power to "change things and people if you want to".

The paper also published an interview with Chancellor Merkel by Geldof.



Photo: Bild - the cover carried a picture of an emaciated child with the headline 'End this! Now!'

Other contributors to the paper included US president George Bush reiterating his commitment to fighting Aids in Africa, U2 singer Bono echoing Geldof's aims and George Clooney highlighting the violence in Sudan's Darfur region.

(Source: MediaGuardian.co.uk, Mark Sweney, June 1, 2007)
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SOS films at Tribeca Film Festival

Excerpt from SOS liveearth.org:

Seven SOS short films will premiere at Tribeca Film Festival's opening evening of April 25, 2007.

SOS campaign’s identity is based on the international Morse code signal for distress: three dots, followed by three dashes, followed by three dots. SOS is the world’s most urgent, universal message, and the campaign will use that signal as a continuous “call to action” to prompt individuals, corporations and governments around the world to respond to our climate crisis with sustained action.

For more information on the SOS campaign and Live Earth concerts, visit:

www.SaveOurSelves.com or www.liveearth.msn.com
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If everyone on this planet declared World peace on 7 July 2007 there would be World peace, no?

See this blog's listing, cached by Google, May 28, 2007:

Sudan Watch
Sudan Watch. "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. ...
sudanwatch.blogspot.com/ - 27 May 2007 - Similar pages

This call to action for WORLD PEACE is dedicated to the late great Mahatma Gandhi and John Lennon.
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Further reading

June 23, 2005 - Sudan Watch: The Greatest Show on Earth: Geldof's Live 8 concerts July 2, 2005 to promote G8 Summit and Make Poverty History campaign.

Note, a box in the top left hand corner of this page enables a search of Sudan Watch archives, i.e. Geldof



Wikipedia on Peace and World peace - an ideal of freedom, peace, and happiness among and within all nations: It is the professed ambition of many past and present world leaders.

Snippets from blogosphere (more here, later)

June 1, 2007: 40 years ago today - the wonderful world of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper - see BBC report and Harry's Place, a British blog, discusses 40 Years ago Today, and asks, Who's right? The surviving Beatles or the rest of the world?

June 1, 2007: Word from Germany About the G8 - via The ONE Blog - posted by Michelle Dixon, ONE's Deputy Director of Outreach.

June 1, 2007: Oxfam's BLOG8 will be live blogging the G8.

June 2, 2007: Lenin's Tomb insightful blog entry How Not To Save Darfur.

June 2, 2007: The Angry Arab News Service blog links to NY Times and other news reports on the shake up at Save Darfur Coalition.
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Tags: Technorati Live Aid Africa Commission Blair Gordon Brown G8 Gleneagles Bob Geldof Make Poverty History Live 8 John Lennon George W Bush Kyoto Merkel Mandela Live Earth Madonna Peace World Peace Green Day ONE Darfur BBC Princess Diana Amnesty International Status Quo Instant Karma Bild Al Gore Sudan AIDS Greenpeace Whales Prince William Prince Harry Africa Climate Change European Union Bono Music Global Warming SOS Nelson MandelaHarry's Place

UK Blair to propose new initiative on Darfur crisis

Reuters via Gulf Times 16 Sep 2006:

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said yesterday he will propose an incentive package for Sudan as part of a new initiative to end the crisis in Darfur and get UN peacekeeping troops on the ground.

"In the coming weeks I will talk to other leaders to agree an initiative that sets out the help Sudan can expect if the government lives up to its obligations and what will happen if they don't," Blair said in a statement.

Reuters David Clarke 16 Sep 2006:

A British official said Blair's aim was to get the AU, EU, the UN and the US to back the incentive initiative at the highest level. Incentives could include ending suspension of development and recovery aid, resolving Sudan's debt situation, establishing higher level political contacts and moving towards the lifting of sanctions, he said.

Text of Blair statement:

"The tragic situation in Darfur represents one of the greatest challenges that the international community faces.

The situation is completely unacceptable. Renewed violence in North Darfur between the rebel groups and the Sudanese Armed Forces has driven another 50,000 people to leave their homes, bringing the total number of displaced persons to 1.9 million. Violence against women continues unabated, as NGOs report 200 cases of rape in one camp alone. Nearly three million people in Darfur depend on international aid for food and basic needs. Because of the fighting nearly half a million people are cut off from this aid.

On 11 September Kofi Annan asked in the Security Council whether the international community, having not done enough for the people of Rwanda in their time of need, could just watch as this tragedy deepens. The answer is "No", particularly after agreeing last year on the responsibility to protect.

Last May, we hoped the signature of the Darfur Peace Agreement by the Government of Sudan and one rebel group would set Darfur on the road to peace. The Peace Agreement sets out the path. The non-signatory rebel groups must now accept it. And the Government of Sudan must stop its military campaign - which contravenes the DPA - and implement the Agreement.

But the immediate and desperate need is for better security. The African Union force in Sudan deserves our thanks for the way they have carried out a dangerous task. But the challenge they face is immense and the AU itself has called for reinforcements. UN Security Council Resolution 1706 provides for a UN peacekeeping force to take over and to protect the people of Darfur.

I do not understand the Government of Sudan's rejection of the UN force, or its threat to withdraw its welcome from the AU. This does not match the commitment to peace the Government showed in May by signing the DPA.

The Government of Sudan must agree to the continuation of the AU force and transition to the UN.

The coming weeks will be crucial. I am committed to stepping up international efforts to bring a change of mind and action from the Government of Sudan. I have already talked to Premier Wen and President Bush about Darfur in the last few days. In the coming weeks I will talk to other leaders to agree an initiative that sets out the help Sudan can expect if the Government lives up to its obligations and what will happen if they don't.

As the Global Day for Darfur demonstrates, urgent action is needed by all parties to the conflict and by the international community if we are to find a lasting solution. Sudan will stay at the top of my agenda." [AP-Sudan Tribune 16 Sep 2006]

Religious leaders in Darfur plea:

Senior members of the Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths in the UK will gather outside Downing Street on Sunday to call for an end to the suffering in Darfur. Prayers written by Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra will be read out at 12.30pm. A message has also been sent from the Catholic Bishop of El Obeid, whose diocese includes Darfur. [PA-Guardian 16 Sep 2006]

Tutu calls for sanctions against Sudan:

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has called for sanctions to be imposed on Sudan unless it agrees to UN peacekeepers in Darfur, reports the BBC. The call from the Nobel Peace Prize winner comes ahead of Sunday's 'Global Day for Darfur' which will see demonstrations around the world to put pressure on their governments to do more to end the suffering in Darfur. "The world can't keep saying 'Never again'," he told the BBC. "We have a horrendous tragedy unfolding in Darfur," the South African archbishop told BBC Five Live radio. He said the UN should give Sudan a deadline and say to the government: "If you do not agree to a peacekeeping force, you will have to face sanctions."

He also suggested that a UN force could be sent to into Sudan, even without the government's permission, under the guise of seeking to arrest the officials accused of war crimes. Archbishop Tutu also accused the international community of taking crises in Africa less seriously than in other parts of the world.

"The harsh truth is that some lives are slightly more important than others... If you are swarthy, of a darker hue, almost always you are going to end up at the bottom of the pile." [ekklesia.co.uk]

Muslim Aid leads call for peace in Darfur:

"We urge all parties to engage in dialogue to give peace a chance," said Saif Ahmad, CEO of Muslim Aid. "We in Muslim Aid would like to offer our services to invite dialogue between the government and the rebels to defuse the tension." Muslim Aid works in Darfur providing mobile clinics to those in urgent need. [ReliefWeb Sep 16 2006]

Sudan VP Kiir backs UN troops in Darfur:

The head of the SPLM, First VP Salva Kiir Mayardit, told the independent Al-Sudani daily that the Sudanese government was incapable of protecting civilians in Darfur, and called on the UN to intervene. "The aggravation of the humanitarian and security situation in Darfur necessitates intervention of international forces to protect civilians from the atrocities of the Janjaweed militias so long as the government is not capable of protecting them," Kiir was quoted as saying at the close of an SPLM politburo meeting held in the southern city of Juba late Friday. [AP-CNN 16 Sep 2006]

Minnawi would accept UN in Darfur:

Minnawi said if there was no alternative he did not object to a U.N. force, putting him at odds with his partners in peace, the dominant National Congress Party (NCP), who compare a UN transition to a Western invasion intent on regime change. "This was our idea before it was the idea of the UN," he said. [Reuters Opheera McDoom 14 Sep 2006]

EU threat of Sudan sanctions over Darfur:

European Union has threatened to impose sanctions against the Sudanese Government if it does not stop attacks in Darfur and allow UN peacekeepers in. The Irish, Danes and Swedes, in particular, pledged to use next week's UN General Assembly in New York to ensure there is major international pressure on Sudan. The EU reiterated the warning given by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan that those involved in the killings will be held accountable. [Irish Examiner, Ann Cahill, 16 Sep 2006]

Darfur 'regional security threat':

Head of UN refugee agency, Antonio Guterres, in a BBC interview described Darfur as the "epicentre of a major earthquake". [BBC 16 Sep 2006]

Bush calls for robust UN action in Darfur:

Speaking to reporters at a press conference in the White House Rose Garden, Bush said the UN should send a message to the Sudanese government that "we're coming in with a UN force in order to save lives." [PDO/Xinhua 16 Sep 2006]

Bush hints at use of force in Darfur:

Writing in today's Independent on Sunday, the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, calls for "concerted international action to bring a change of mind and actions from the government of Sudan" - although he stopped short of suggesting a UN force should go in without Sudan's approval. [UK Independent 17 Sep 2006]

Clooney warns of 'Darfur genocide':

On Thursday, Oscar-winning actor George Clooney and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Elie Wiesel urged members of the UN's Security Council to help end atrocities in Darfur. [IC Scotland 16 Sep 2006]

The Daily Telegraph's David Blair has a nice photo for the girls and commentary on Clooney's plea to stop the killing 15 Sep 2006.

Briton stars urge govt to press for end to fighting in Darfur:

Leading British film and music stars urged the government on Saturday to help end fighting in Darfur. Musicians Elton John and Annie Lennox, musician-campaigner Bob Geldof, actress Emma Thompson and bodyshop founder Anita Roddick were among those who signed an open letter accusing the international community of failing to act. "We call on our government to move Darfur to the top of its priority list until a UN force is deployed and the people of Darfur are protected." [Zee News 16 Sep 2006]

Blair must honour Darfur pledge:

But we also need a Plan B. If the UN isn't admitted, the existing AU force should be strengthened and its mandate extended. Nato should offer logistical support and air cover to enforce the UN no-fly-zone. [UK Shadow FM, Sunday Times Sep 17 2006]

Blair backs mass protest urging UN force for Darfur:

Tony Blair takes the unusual step today of endorsing a mass protest on foreign policy, which will include an interfaith service at the gates of Downing Street.

The Global Day for Darfur, which is expected to include demonstrations and vigils in 32 countries tomorrow, is designed to press the government of Sudan to accept a UN peacekeeping force in its troubled western region. [Guardian Jonathan Steele 16 Sep 2006]

See Global Day for Darfur and savedarfur.org for details of rallies.

Further news reports at Passion of the Present and Coalition for Darfur. Commentary at The Sudanese Thinker.

PS I've interrupted blogging break to mark Global Day for Darfur and record who said what when. Light blogging continues. Thanks for kind messages. A special hi to Daniel D, Soenke F, Andreas K and Jay M. God bless all the peace seekers.