The rights group invited people around the world to log on to www.eyesondarfur.org, which will be updated regularly with new photographs, and help it monitor 12 vulnerable villages and put Khartoum on notice that these areas are being watched closely for signs of any further violence.

It also includes archived images that include some from the village of Donkey Dereis, which is shown in 2004 with hundreds of huts, but two years later had 1,171 homes gone and the landscape overgrown with vegetation.

More than 200,000 people have died and 2 million been driven from home since the conflict in western Sudan between ethnic African rebels and the government, backed by the Arab Janjaweed militia, began in 2003. Khartoum says 9,000 have died and rejects accusations of genocide.

The U.N. Security Council last year adopted a resolution to deploy a 23,000-strong "hybrid" U.N.-African Union force. But Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir called that figure too high. He has agreed to the deployment of 3,000 U.N. police and military personnel to aid the A.U. force of about 7,000.

However, the final plan for the hybrid force has not yet reached Khartoum because of differences between the African Union and United Nations about control of the operation.

Amnesty said the satellite images could show objects as small as 2 feet across, which would allow the display of destroyed huts, massing soldiers or fleeing refugees.

"We expect the Sudanese government to protect these and all villages throughout Darfur," said Ariela Blatter, director of Amnesty USA's Crisis Prevention and Response Center, who led the development of the Eyes on Darfur project. "We expect these villages to be intact today, tomorrow and well, well into the future."

Save Darfur… from BuSh & Co.

Exposing the Darfur Deception

Who is behind the conflict in Darfur and elsewhere in Africa? That should be the central question for those truly concerned about human rights violations in the region. There has been much in the press of atrocities in the region, yet the details of the situation and the groups involved are not clearly explained.

Exactly what is going on is unclear for a number of reasons: first the region is dangerous so the number of independent journalists there is very small. There are no large news organizations with the kind of resources there to cover the story comprehensively.

Secondly, the corporate media outlets that are issuing news about Darfur are doing so not by reporting from the region but by broadcasting pre-prepared material provided to them from government agencies and special interest advocacy groups.

Without reliable sources of information the question of who is behind the conflict in Darfur can not be answered. In the absence of such information one is forced to try and read though the lines of the information being distributed via the corporate media and statements from the government. Not an easy task. However recent events and a statement by Bush may help to reveal something about the source of the conflict in Darfur.

A group of organizations have formed the Save Darfur Coalition. Most of these groups are religious organizations, many of which are recipients of Bush’s faith based initiative program of funding church groups with taxpayer dollars.

Notably absent from this group are those peace organizations that typically hold rallies against the horrors of war. One would think that the issue of atrocities in Darfur would be of concern to those against the war in Iraq for example. Yet these groups are not part of the Save Darfur Coalition.

But what is even more unusual is Bush’s endorsement of Save Darfur protests. Last year President Bush actually met with the groups planning these protests and made this statement: "There will be rallies all across the country," Bush said at the White House. "And for those of you who are going out to march for justice, you represent the best of our country. We believe every life is precious, every human being is important. And the signal you send to the world is a strong signal, and I welcome your participation."

This from a man who has been the subject of historic nationwide peace protests for the last four years. Peace protests that he has ignored and ridiculed. The statement is truly Orwellian.

Also telling is the current campaign of the Save Darfur Coalition, in this from their website: “…demand a stronger and more effective U.S. response to the violence and atrocities plaguing the region. The Save Darfur Coalition and its partners will collect one million signed postcards urging President Bush to take action.”

Q: What kind of action are they urging Bush take?

A: Military action.

True anti-war activists, and those faith based groups with a long standing history of working for peace and justice should be wary of groups operating with Bush’s support. People concerned about Darfur should consider the following:

1. Bush has ordered the unprovoked invasion and occupation of a number of countries since taking office, Afghanistan, Iraq, Liberia and Haiti. He now seems posed to start a war with a fifth country, Iran. Given this, how can he be of any help to the people of Darfur?

2. What is the neo-con agenda for Africa? And how would an excuse to send troops into Sudan further that agenda?

How has the crisis creation tactic been used in the past to advance their agenda?

3. Is the Save Darfur Coalition is a government agency front group?

Many of the groups in this coalition are funded in part by Bush’s faith based political action program. Bush has publicly endorsed save Darfur protests, which have been slated as a protest against him. (Bush endorses a peace rally against himself?!)

The reader should consider this: the media coverage of Darfur in the US could be another manufacturing consent campaign in the run up to war with Sudan. It’s different from the WMDs in Iraq war lie, in that instead of using people’s fears it exploits people’s sense of charity. This is not to assert that there are not atrocities occurring in the region. That has been documented. The issue of this article is how the news of those events in being used by Neo-Cons to co-opt support from unsuspecting peace and justice groups.

The peace movement should not fall for this. Those concerned about the situation in Darfur should not join any groups endorsed by Bush and instead form their own independent groups.

List of groups in the Bush backed Save Darfur Coalition

Source: http://www.millionvoicesfordarfur.org/?page=about

Alliance of Baptists

American Humanist Association

American Jewish Committee

American Jewish World Service

Amnesty International USA

Anti-Defamation League

Archdiocesan Office for Social Justice, Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Armenian National Committee of America

B’nai B’rith International

Buddhist Peace Fellowship

Central Conference of American Rabbis

Church Alliance for a New Sudan

Church World Service

Church World Service Minn-Kota

Dallas Peace Center

Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy

Darfur Rehabilitation Project

Dear Sudan

Democrats for Life of New York

DevArts: Development and Art

Echo Foundation

Edah

The Episcopal Church, USA

Facing History and Ourselves

Friends Committee on National Legislation

Feminist Majority

Foundation for Ethnic Understanding

Genocide Intervention Network

Greater Washington Jewish Task Force on Darfur

Global Youth Partnership for Africa

Hadassah

Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society

Hillel

Help Darfur Now

Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington

Interfaith Council

International Crises Group

Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Dallas

Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington

Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas

Jewish Federation of the Berkshires

Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey

Jewish Federation of St. Joseph Valley

Jewish Labor Committee

Jewish World Watch

Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

Jubilee Campaign USA

Maryknoll office for Global Concern

MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger

Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society

mtvU

Metropolitan Community of Churches

Minnesota Council of Churches

My Sister's Keeper

National Association of Evangelicals

National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA and Faithful America

NetAid

Omidyar Foundation

Open Doors USA

Pax Christi USA

Physicians for Human Rights

Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition

Progressive Democrats of America

Red Carpet Media Partners

Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

Riverdale Jewish Community Council

Union for Reform Judaism

Religions for Peace

Save Darfur, Silicon Valley

Save Darfur Coalition of South Palm Beach

Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Los Angeles

Sojourners

STAND (Students Taking Action Now: Darfur)

Stop Genocide Now

Students Against Silence

The ETHIC

Union of Reform Judaism

Unitarian Universalist Association and Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)

The United Jewish Community of Broward County

United Methodist Church

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, Rabbinical Assembly and Cantors Assembly

Washington Office of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Women’s Commission on Refugee Women and Children and NetAid

Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring

World Evangelical Alliance

Western Massachusetts Save Darfur Coalition

Youth Against Poverty



Text of the LA times article:

5 Lawmakers Arrested Protesting Darfur Violence

By Matthew O'Rourke, Times Staff Writer

April 29, 2006

WASHINGTON — Five members of Congress were among 11 people arrested during a protest Friday outside the Sudanese Embassy, staged at a critical moment to call attention to genocidal violence in the Darfur region.

Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Burlingame), a Holocaust survivor and human rights advocate, was one of the lawmakers who were willingly arrested. Lantos was taken into custody by the U.S. Secret Service along with Democratic Reps. Jim McGovern and John W. Olver of Massachusetts, James P. Moran of Virginia and Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas. Also arrested were six members of religious and humanitarian aid organizations.

The 11 protesters, who face fines on charges of misdemeanor disorderly conduct and unlawful assembly, were trying to focus attention on the Sudanese government, which they said had not cooperated with international efforts to stop the killing, attacks and rapes in Darfur.

The protest came two days before a crucial deadline in negotiations to halt the violence, in which an estimated 180,000 have died and 2 million have been displaced in the conflict between rebels and government-backed militias.

"Two generations ago, the civilized world stood in silence and looked away," said Lantos, who was imprisoned with his family in Nazi camps during World War II. "Congress stands united in our determination to put an end to this."

Friday's protest foreshadowed rallies across the United States on Sunday that are to feature celebrities, politicians and performing artists in a call for action in Darfur. In advance of those rallies, President Bush met Friday with activists and urged greater involvement by international peacekeeping troops to stop the bloodshed.

"There will be rallies all across the country," Bush said at the White House. "And for those of you who are going out to march for justice, you represent the best of our country. We believe every life is precious, every human being is important. And the signal you send to the world is a strong signal, and I welcome your participation."

About 7,000 African Union peacekeepers have been unable to prevent continuing violence. United Nations officials want to send a force of 20,000 to augment the peacekeepers, but the Sudanese government has not agreed to allow them in. U.S. officials want NATO troops involved in the effort as well.

At Friday's protest at the Embassy, the lawmakers read a list of four demands of the Sudanese government: to issue a cease-fire, to allow United Nations peacekeeping forces to enter the country, to grant full access to humanitarian organizations and to continue peace talks.

The Sudanese government has not taken proper actions to stop the genocide, McGovern said, and nations around the world "must take immediate concrete steps" to prevent more violence.

"We are here today because words are no longer enough," he said. "The world has said, 'Never again.' It is time for action."

Other protesters clapped and shouted as the lawmakers were put in plastic handcuffs and loaded by Secret Service officers into the back of a white police van. Some demonstrators carried pictures portraying the conflict; others held a painted banner with an image of a crying woman and the words "Stop the killing now."

Among the protesters were refugees from Darfur. Samia Eshag, who had arrived from the region 24 hours before the protest, said it was important for her to give voice to the thousands of women who had been raped.

"The civilians in Darfur are suffering day by day, night by night from all of the attacks," she said.

The Save Darfur Coalition, a group of about 100 humanitarian organizations that seeks to raise public awareness of the genocide, organized the event and plans rallies nationally Sunday. The largest rally, to be held on the National Mall, is expected to draw thousands of protesters.