Next In March

I am looking forward to two important dates next month: The first is on 4 March and is related to Sudanese president, Omar Al Basheer, which despite all international debate on whether its legality, a decision will be made by The International Criminal Court on whether to trace and issue an arrest warrant against him - unless some magic word would be spilled, such as “Chinese should back off”! In the past few days, news agencies and sources voiced louder concerns on the horrible situation in Darfur, and how Al Basheer is the sole responsible for the genocide committed there, and that some super effort to be put to bring peace to that region. That was also echoed, by American super star, George Clooney during his meeting with US president, Barak Obama. The meeting followed a visit the American actor managed to do to the 250000 refugees living in hardship in camps on the Sudanese-Chadian border. George Clooney was denied entry visa to Sudan to visit Darfur (why would the Sudanese government deny that visa request in the first place?). However, Clooney might call for a “juridical process” to topple the Sudanese president, yet, I don’t know if he supports the more aggressive and louder voices coming from the rebels who expressed their readiness to topple the whole Sudanese regime once and for all.



The second important date is 11 March: it is the date which the fate of Tariq Aziz will be determined. As many know, Aziz is one of Saddam’s right hands in the past, he is now in custody and just finished standing trial among others from the former regime (including two of Saddam’s half-brothers) for the execution of Iraqi business men in early 1990s. I can’t imagine that this man would be let free. For many, Tariq Aziz is a treasure of information. He would be a millionaire if he was given freedom and safe-haven from writing books on the Saddam’s bloody era and the role he played in Iraq’s foreign and local policies: knowing about the secrets Saddam’s inner circle is thrilling. In addition, imagine if this man begins speaking on the secret communication channels with the old Soviet Union, and more dangerous on how his office was the main contact-center for the secret communications in early and mid 1990s between Iraq and Israel.

I can’t imagine Traiq Aziz will ever make it alive and live the day to stand trial again, this time for his role in the invasion of Kuwait.