TYRANTS APLENTY - Saddam has lots of bad company across the globe and in the U.N

Houston Chronicle ^ | April 16, 2003 | staff

[Cincinatus' Wife]

It's been hinted, speculated, even suggested that the war winding down in Iraq is but the first chapter of a new Bush administration policy to more forcefully project U.S. muscle around the world in defense of democracy and in defiance of tyranny. Rhetoric concerning Syria has been steadily ratcheted up in recent days.

The idea of a broader, more aggressive U.S. policy comes with its own set of potential risks and rewards. But leaving the political debate aside, there would be no shortage of candidates. Evil as it was, Saddam Hussein's regime was only one of a fraternity of tyrannical tramplers of freedoms.

The Freedom House organization released a report last week entitled "The World's Most Repressive Regimes, 2003" (www.freedomhouse.org).

Dubbed the "worst of the worst" are Burma, Cuba, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria and Turkmenistan.

Ironically, Freedom House points out, five of the 16 most repressive countries -- China, Cuba, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Syria -- are all members of the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

It's a sad, unfunny joke.

"The influence of these states on the [53-member] Commission's proceedings underscores the urgent need for the democratic member states of this U.N. body to work together as an effective counter-bloc," the report states.

There's a diplomatic project the Bush administration could take on within the world body.

Syria, which occupies Lebanon and harbors terrorists, is in play at the moment.

But as if to underscore its badge of shame, Cuba has, since the Iraq war started, begun cracking down on independent journalists and other dissidents and handing out swift and harsh punishments for speaking out against Fidel Castro's regime. And Castro has expressed solidarity with Saddam.

As columnist Robert Novak reported, Castro "kept the Cuban embassy in Baghdad open long after other foreign embassies closed as the war began.

"Castro and a guest visiting Cuba, former Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, last month expressed support for Hussein's regime," Novak wrote.

"Ortega wrote Hussein (`Dear beloved president') from Havana vowing `the firmest solidarity' from the people of Nicaragua. Defeated in Nicaragua's last two presidential elections, Ortega added that `the whole of humanity is threatened by a neo-fascist policy that tries to place itself as a center of Yankee imperialist hegemonic domination.' "

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Fidel Castro - Cuba

Hugo Chavez - Venezuela

December 29, 2000 - Fidel, Saddam and Hugo --An improbable but growing friendship of three military revolutionaries ***Mr. Chávez is the most intriguing new leader to emerge in Latin America since Mr. Castro - and he is the lynchpin between Mr. Castro and Mr. Saddam. Although Cuba had been sending doctors and health workers to Iraq for years, there had not been any major contacts between the two countries until Mr. Chávez appeared on the scene. This fall, Mr. Chávez became the first democratically elected foreign head of state to visit Iraq since the Gulf War, ostensibly to invite Mr. Saddam to a summit of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. But it also was an in-your face gesture toward the United States.

………………..The Iraqi link is one aspect of Mr. Chávez's international involvements that the United States must not underestimate, with Cuba playing a central role. Since he took office in February 1999, Mr. Chávez has proclaimed his "identification" with the Cuban revolution. He visited Havana and entertained Mr. Castro in Caracas for five days last October. Mr. Castro treated Mr. Chávez as a son, an attitude seldom displayed by the Cuban leader toward any young people. During that same visit, Mr. Chávez granted Cuba large crude-oil price discounts, as he has done selectively elsewhere in the Caribbean, and agreed to help complete building a Cuban oil refinery.***

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[Hugin]

Ironically, Freedom House points out, five of the 16 most repressive countries -- China, Cuba, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Syria -- are all members of the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

Umm, that's six countries, isn't it?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Ha!

Bump!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Root out seeds of terrorism in sub-Saharan countries *** It wasn't long ago that a meeting of former heads of African nations could be held only in the hereafter. Most of these men -- who came to power after colonialism gave way to self-rule in the 1960s -- hung onto the reins of government until they succumbed to natural death or a bloody coup.

Next week, six former African leaders who left office standing up will meet at Boston University to talk about ways to strengthen Africa's emerging democracies. Billed as a summit to consider ''the short-term impact of the Iraq war on African economies,'' the meeting also will focus on the terrorism threat in sub-Saharan Africa.

''I think it has become increasingly clear that the folks who would do the United States harm view Africa as a staging area for terrorism and that this nation's national security is directly related to the economic security of African countries,'' Charles Stith, director of Boston University's African Presidential Archives and Research Center, said in an interview.

…………….

Stith hopes the summit, which also will be attended by U.S. business leaders, academics and midlevel administration officials, can focus attention on the problems that have made Africa a fertile breeding ground for terrorists. Let's hope so. If the awful events of Sept. 11, 2001 have taught us anything, it is that helping other nations attack the root causes of terrorism is far less costly than trying to weed out terrorist organizations once they're in full***

[NetValue]

" The idea of a broader, more aggressive U.S. policy comes with its own set of potential risks and rewards. "

Here they go again; too risky, too soon, too costly, too inflamatory......if you listen to them, Democrats and their media outlets will lead America to failure.

America - If not us, who? If not now, when? If not here, where?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The Left doesn't like us going after their souless-mates. Your questions are spot-on.

[pragmatic_asian]

Castro isn't an idiot. His crack down comes at a time when even Cuban exiles favored increased engagement. Castro saw what that did to the commies in Europe. The crackdown was also time for when most of the world was paying attention to the Iraq war. Castro just wants to maintain Cuba as his personal fiefdom.

[YaYa123]

Actors, Celebrities, Tyrants = Soul Mates.

[headsonpikes]

The UN is merely a Protective Association for states, no matter how depraved, all the noble rhetoric about 'Human Rights' notwithstanding.

It is a forum for tinpot dictators and a trough for sleek predatory bureaucrats.

It is perhaps the worst of many enemies of mankind and liberty, perverting as it does the genuine human desire for peace, liberty, and prosperity.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The UN lives to obstruct us and to preen - a Bill Clinton kinda place. They are counter everything U.S. and pro everything that never resolves only prolongs. Sickening.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Castro saw what that did to the commies in Europe.

And he's still watching today as so many of our allies are turning left.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bump!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

U.S. considers punishing Cuba for dissident crackdown*** WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration is considering a series of steps to punish the Cuban government for its recent crackdown on dissidents, officials said Wednesday. Among the more drastic are the possibility of cutting off cash payments to relatives in Cuba -- a mainstay for millions of Cubans -- or halting direct flights to the island, the officials said.

President Bush is likely to make a public statement soon about the crackdown, which has stirred grave concern among Cuba policy experts here and dampened the hopes of lawmakers and others seeking to ease the current trade sanctions. At the same time, the president is expected to issue a stern warning to the Havana government that the United States will not tolerate another exodus of rafters, the officials said. Several times during Castro's 44-year tenure, most notably in 1980 and 1994, he has relieved internal tensions by allowing mass migrations to Florida. ***

[optik_b]

"And he's still watching today as so many of our allies are turning left."

You are misreading things in that part of the world. Just because they oppose the USA don't think that means they are going ultra left. The United States has a higher corporate income tax rate than you many of these so called "allies turning left," some of which have cut corporate tax rates in recent years. Some of the companies in these places have been buying American companies.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

But their populations are taxed to death and unemployment is up. "Cradle to grave" is not my idea of a thriving, vibrant economy or one that will sustain freedom.