Ahem - Ground Control to Michael Kleinman

All's fair, and if I'm willing to call Nicholas Kristof delusional if not dishonest, I certainly can't complain when others take me to task.

As has my genocide co-blogger Michelle, who somewhat pointedly requests that I stop criticizing others (Mr. Kristof, the Enough Project) for their reaction to the crisis in Darfur, and explain what I think should be done.  As Michelle writes in her post Ground Control to Michael Kleinman:

"Ok, then, what would you have us do? Nothing? You either shoot down or disregard every option presented without coming up with an alternative of your own --- and you assume that no one is fleshing out the list of hypothetical consequences for any particular action, but that's all it is: An assumption. And speaking from the perspective of someone who works on the issues everyday, I can tell you, with authority, that it's a baseless one."

Or, put more simply, man-up.

Fair enough.  I think the US, the UK and France should work with the Arab League, the AU and China to broker a deal - the Security Council suspends the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Bashir, and Sudan allows the expelled aid agencies to resume work.

Now, as for the consequences:

1. But doesn't this mean Bashir wins?

If you want to see it that way, yes.

2. But doesn't this undermine - perhaps fatally undermine - the ICC, and make it that much harder to deter genocidaires in the future?

Perhaps.  Certainly a possibility.

3. Why do you think that Bashir would even honor such an agreement?  After all, he is a war criminal - not a group noted for keeping their word.

Tough one.  A risk I'm willing to take.

I don't deny that there are very real costs to suspending the arrest warrant.  That said, I still believe that the humanitarian consequences of continuing to threaten Bashir outweigh all the negative consequences above.

You can't have your cake and eat it, too.  Peace and justice don't always move hand-in-hand.  Sometimes you have to make a choice as to which is most important, at least in terms of deciding what to do next.

I don't pretend that I'm infallible.  (Well, not often.)   Perhaps, in the long run, continuing to press forward with the ICC proceedings would deter other would-be Bashirs.

That said, at least be honest that there are real consequences to holding this position.  Consequences that might mean people dying.  Perhaps a lot of people.  As I wrote about Kristof:

"At least be honest.  At least have the courage of your convictions.  At least say: 'We're willing to keep applying pressure until Bashir breaks, even if it means that things get worse - perhaps much worse - before they get better.'"

Oh, and by the way, I agree with Rob Crilly's anonymous UN official when he said: "[The ICC] is the ultimate in Western self-indulgence."

[AP photo of Sudanese protesting the ICC decision shamelessly stolen from Michelle at genocide.change.org]