Sam Brownback: “Today with several bipartisan colleagues, Senator Corzine and I introduced the Darfur Accountability Act of 2005. For…”

“Today with several bipartisan colleagues, Senator Corzine and I introduced the Darfur Accountability Act of 2005. For nearly a year, this body has been aware of the ongoing genocide in Sudan. Last July we declared genocide in Darfur, followed shortly thereafter by the same declaration by former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Yet no punitive measure has been taken by the international community against the Government of Sudan for these egregious human rights violations. Some sources estimate that as many as 400,000 people have died as a result, and nearly 2 million have been displaced from their homes. Yesterday I spoke on the Senate floor in an attempt to display the face of genocide. Photographs of scorched bodies, castrated men, dead children, and burned villages were provided to me by Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times. These photos do nothing less than display the cruel impunity of those committing genocide. The haunting reality is that the international community has failed on their promise of 'never again.' The United Nations should take immediate steps to end this genocide and Kofi Annan should lead the Security Council to pass a strong, meaningful resolution that will immediately change the situation on the ground. There is no longer an excuse; we must call this what this is, and we must immediately act to prevent further pillaging and death. I have called on Annan several times to lead or leave.”