Jon S. Corzine: “Tragically, since that speech by Mr. Wiesel, we have seen precious little actionable courage in preventing the genocide…”

“Tragically, since that speech by Mr. Wiesel, we have seen precious little actionable courage in preventing the genocide that rages in Darfur. Last July, the Congress recognized that genocide is taking place and voted on it here on the floor of the Senate. In September, the Bush administration did the same. Yet, since then, the situation has only deteriorated. Estimates of the death toll in Darfur now range from between 250,000 to over 300,000 human beings. Killings, torture, destruction of villages, rape and other forms of sexual violence all continue. More than 1.8 million persons have been forced from their homes, and unless the attacks subside and access by humanitarian organizations improves, as many as 3 million Sudanese people could be displaced by the end of the year. Let me say that these displaced individuals are going into camps strategically. We need to understand that this is not breeding a community of good will to the rest of the world. These are people who are disenfranchised, dislocated, and will pose a strategic threat, potentially, as a breeding ground of terrorism for the future. This tragedy is that the Government of Sudan remains deeply complicit in this genocide, supporting jingaweit militias and participating in attacks on civilians. Helicopter gunships strafe villages, spraying nail-like flachettes unsuitable for anything other than killing.…”