The Darfur-Sudan quagmire gets some action at the UN and on campus

The NY Times reports that the UN is imposing travel sanctiosn on four people responsible for the genocide that has killed 200,000 people in Darfur. Wow. That will show them and bin Laden that the UN is not afraid to take bold action by inserting itself in the middle of a civil war that has killed many more people than the war in Iraq.

Meanwhile college students are demonstrating to get the US to march into this quagmire. Lawrence Kaplan writes:

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But the marchers will have to contend with an unwelcome guest: the specter of Iraq.

Just as the shadow of Somalia loomed over policy-makers a decade ago, generating excuses for inaction in Bosnia and Rwanda, the trauma of Iraq may now doom the rescue of Darfur. Even the most committed progressive activists seem confused about what should be done. "A Call to Your Conscience: Save Darfur!" "Take Action Now" are the slogans that the Save Darfur Coalition suggests marchers affix to their placards at rally. But it's purposefully unclear what the march organizers mean by "action" and on whose "conscience" they intend to call.

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Actually the Darfur quagmire is much worse than the situation in Iraq. However awful the Sudan goverment is, it has been smart enough not to threaten the US and its allies, something you could not say for Saddam. Another problem with taking actions there is that even those marching for war there really do not mean it. They think you can show the flag and make the problem go away. In reality it would require a large force in the mniddle of Africa to impose regime change on a Taliban like goverment. Perhaps Osama's endorsement of that goverment might prompt some attention, but action is compromised by the Chinese and French resistance to taking effective action through the UN so it will be time to march for unilateralism. I guess the World Court can't handle a real criminal regime.