China's thirst for oil siphons hope from Darfur

[kurth]

Austin American-Statesman
Friday, June 01, 2007
EDITORIAL
China's thirst for oil siphons hope from Darfur

We certainly welcome President Bush's initiative this week to tighten sanctions against the Sudanese government that continues a murderous campaign against its Darfur citizens. It is doubtful, however, that the increased sanctions will work to curb the violence without the full support of the international community, especially China.

The New York Times reported that Sudan pumps about 500,000 barrels of oil a day. Oil profits have triggered an economic boom in the capital, Khartoum. But many world officials believe that the government of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir is using those profits to finance Arab militias that attack, rape and kill Darfur citizens.

That is where China comes in. Sudan's biggest oil producer, the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Co., is a joint venture of the Sudanese government and state oil companies from China, India and Malaysia and is operated by the China National Petroleum Corp...

China has been resistant to using its considerable influence. But the world community might persuade the Chinese to be more aggressive by leveraging the 2008 Olympics that will be held in Beijing. China would not want to see a a succession of reports contrasting the fun of the games in Beijing with the misery and death in Darfur...

http://www.statesman.com/opinion/content/editorial/stories/06/01/1darfur_edit.html

[cliss]

1. Well, why just China? What about a certain country

which burns through 19 million barrels of oil per day? And that's not gallons that's barrels.

Message to Pot
Thou Shalt not Call the Kettle Black.
Because you're black.