CATCHING KONY-2012!... Humanitarian interventions in International Relations

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"You cant get to heaven with an AK 47!"- or a bazooka...

War...whats it good for? - absolutely nothing...! -

My great grandfather fought in the Boer war; my grandfather in the Great war- the First World War, my grandmother was killed the blitz by a V2 rocket (March 6th , 1945)... my father and uncles were all involved in various wars (Malaysia,Korea,Angola)... and if I go back further, probably all my ancestors were fighting in some or another war - and yet... we still find reasons to go to war... and are proud of the slaughter..I.- at least partly and by the " greatful" royalists.... whose power we protect... I am proud of their bravery and courage...but I do not believe in war. It is and should always be the only option left on the table and not one of them.

-and yet I; in all of this have been an active passivist. I have fought to abolish war and violent conflict...;and this will not change because of my feelings of my own circumstances; or to a few assholes who live in it... I love everyone...That is my legacy; and this will not change... not unless I do- God forbid!.

The hunt for Kony is not as easy as it looks on the surface... this is why we do not travel and hunt at night...but rest...This campaign to catch Joseph Kony and bring him to justice reminds me a little of the old Wild West... Dead or Alive posters... now... lets look at the whole story and see whats really going on...

We have to ask ourselves the question of is war justified for humantiarian reasons...?- is violence jusitified?- or , do we let the course of nature take its own road and hope for the best? ; I would like to approach this from various directions... at the same time look at what can or cant be achieved by catching one warlord in the jungle when a dozen more are waiting to be exposed...this I believe is the more important issue...HUMANITARIAN WARS- are they justified in the 21st century... this global society in which we live for the good of humanity- and by what gage do we demonise an individual...?- Do we kill an evil by killing an individual... or do we merely suppress it?Fascism did not die with Hitler and Mussolini... it continues... right up to this day.

Contents:

A.THE BACKROUND

B THE LRA- LORDS RESISTANCE ARMY

C.-THE WIZARD OF THE NILED.

D.CONCLUSION

E. SO-HOW DO WE CATCH KONY?

F. AND FINALLY, I HAVE A DREAM...

G.THE HUMANITARIAN QUESTION

H. PRECEDENTS

A.THE BACKROUND

1. The basis of this entire problem actually began in Uganda. Particularly it was set off by the slaughter by the Museveni governement of thousands of women and children of the acholi tribe - in 1996 over 1000 a week were dying. Then even before that... there were ANC CAMPS in and around GULU where some of the worst atrocities occurred in the war waged against the rebels... I know of one person who fought in those camps... he tells me of rape and bestiality( particularly pigs) by government soldiers on an industrial scale!- heres the official version:

"The ANC camp in Kawaweta, Uganda, was started as a result of Resolution 435 of the United Nations which paved the way for the independence of Namibia. This resolution required that UMkhonto weSizwe vacate camps in Angola, and consequently Uganda, under President Museveni, was more than willing to accept the cadres of the ANC, in 1989.During the period 1989-1994 the population of Kawaweta was to increase from about one hundred to over two thousand.

Your support in assisting their repatriation to South Africa at the defeat of apartheid is also most appreciated Your Excellency.President Museveni took a great risk in providing shelter and camps to ANC freedom fighters. He did this because he believed in freedom and justice, and believed that every corner of Africa should be free from oppression.

This guy I recruited for the ANC (in Botswana)-and he went to that part of Uganda(after checking in at the Zambia offices) to assist Museveni in his fight against Kony and other enemies... what he saw I those camps has never been disclosed...again... who do you believe?- I'm inclined to believe my friend who described the nightmare...

In fact "FRED" tried writing a book called " Successful Terrorism" - which was subsequently banned- and he had to leave the country...( He married a lovely Russian girl and he has Russian citizenship) he got Malaria over 10 times and dropped in weight to 46 kilos.- The Red Cross eventually saved him from that bloody hellcamp.

He told me then of the use of child soldiers - and this was in 1989.

Joseph Kony was created as a response to the terrorism of Museveni towards the Acholi. It was war he was fighting and in the bush...war is hell and atrocities occur on both sides... there are no rules of engagement in Africa- never was. Who is the most ruthless is the one who wins..

2. I've visited Uganda and Sudan in 1982 -3 before any of this happened. I lived with the AZande. I was taught how to hunt and track . I lived in a grass hut eating pineapples if I was lucky - (they were giant ones)... and generally catching guinea fowl with string traps-bows and arrows.. people still walk around half naked ... like progress never happened...but it may have changed in 30 years... I doubt it...nt much...maybe a few things...the basics are probably still much the same.... The Zande use forest burning to flush out the animals and clear an area fo planting. Now the Zande extend into Congo as the borders were drawn up in Berlin in 1884- the tribe speak the same language and they have the same appearance and cultural heritage. The Zande would have to support Kony for him to operate in that region. However, with peace coming to Sudan...I'm sure he would have gone deeper into the congolese jungle. I'm giving a basic round up...but there is a lot of detail... I will add to it when I can.

3. After Kony became a bush leader he eventually got driven out to south Sudan where he got support from Omar Bashir-( another war criminal)... ( and by the way... despite Mr. Museveni being lauded by the west..in my eyes... he's no better than Idi Amin- Hes ceratianly been responsible for more deaths... and refuses to give up power...just like every other african dictator before him... Nelson Mandela at least did his job and moved on..... to do what he did to the Acholi peoplewas equally as bad as Kony...(if not worse)...as he was in a position of greater responsiblity.).. and it was out of this context that the myth of Kony was created... so what happened next?..

4. OIL got discovered... and suddenly Sudan was the big issue... after 50 years fighting fruitlessly for independence - I recall the civil war starting agin in Wau... We were stuck in this bloody place for 2 weeks listening to hotel california... anyway; we got out on a UN rice truck... you see oil creates a new and differnet dimension on the whole problem... but it also brings order and progress and the potential of vast profits to the texan oil barons... so sure ... chuck them a few bones... so whilst kony was being supplied by Omar Bashir to destabilise the SPLA under John Garang- he still didnt see any changes happening in Acholiland... the site of the biggest refugee camp until recently - with the somalian camps... but then agin whose counting? - that is musevenis fault... as a born again chrisitian he should know better. Oh- and by the way... hes still clinging on to power like all these bloody dictators.The NRA subsequently earned a reputation for respecting the rights of civilians, – although Museveni later received criticism for using child soldiers. Undisciplined elements within the NRA's soon tarnished a hard-won reputation for fairness. "When Museveni's men first came they acted very well – we welcomed them," said one villager, "but then they started to arrest people and kill them."[20][21]In March 1989, Amnesty International published a human rights report on Uganda, entitled Uganda, the Human Rights Record 1986–1989. It documented gross human rights violations committed by NRA troops. In one of the most intense phases of the war, between October and December 1988, the NRA forcibly cleared approximately 100,000 people from their homes in and around Gulu town. Soldiers committed hundreds of extrajudicial executions as they forcibly moved people, burning down homes and granaries.[22] However, there were few reports of the systematic torture, equivalent to those committed during Amin and Obote's regimes.In September 1996 the government of Uganda put in place a policy of forced displacement of the Acholi in the Gulu district into displacement camps. Since 1996 this policy has expanded to encompass the entire rural Acholi population of four districts, one million people. These camps have some of the highest mortality rates in the world with an estimated 1,000 people dying per week.[7] As of September 2009, large numbers of Acholi people remain in camps as internally displaced persons. The majority of elected parliamentarians in the Acholi sub-region are members of the opposition.[8]

(ref. wikipedia)- so Museveni has a case to answer!

5. We now move on... Kony has lost his sponsor- Bashir- and to some degree the SPLA- they want nothing to do with him either... so why is he fighting and for what? - I believe hes gone what they call " bossies"- or " bush"... hes into it... hes been fighting so long its become his life... hes sees no other life... or is it a personal vendetta with museveni- ? savimbi fell into this trap in 1992 and went back to the bush...instead of joining in the political process.

Kony I believe has burned all those bridges back to the negotiating table...why ?-because of how the world perceives him...so he's backed into a corner and realises all he can do is to keep fighting Museveni -and anyone else out to get him...his options are pretty limited right now...- unless they just shake hands and call it a day...but lets face it... that aint gonna happen... theres an old saying in Africa... two lions cant feed off the same carcass...

6. The idea that the ten commandments and that God is protecting his soldiers frm bullets...is not novel... its been done... but its all about self confidence... the idea of using children also is not novel- its been done in many countries such as Angola , ( Jonas savimbi) and Sierra Leone-Even in Nazi Germany...)...

so WHY then has Kony suddenly got the Americans goat?... could it be oil? could it be gold?- Coltan( A MINERAL USED IN MOBILE PHONES)... OR any other strategic minerals... we know for a fact that the West is notoriously stupid for supporting dictators who end up being worse than the supposed enemy they are fighting...

-case in point... Saddam Hussein... Gaddafi... so in this case... we know Museveni is just as guilty of atrocities as Kony is... but Kony is the rogue agent... the person without recognition... and because of his stedfast belief in his cause... ie the liberation of Acholiland from Museveni... he hasnt got many friends...

7.Yes; he has committed war crimes against humanity- no question... but the fact is in this case... you will then need to indite ALL those dictators who have committed war crimes... including George Bush and Tony Blair... in other words... who decides?

-we have a case of a soldier killing innocent women and children in Afghanistan... he will be tried in America. He probably will end up getting a reprieve because of temporary insanity or post traumatic stress disorder...... and then after a few years ... he'll be released.

Once the Afghan people and the world have forgotten the incident. And this is where I have a problem with this "Kony witch-hunt". I dont see it as healthy to world peace... either we have to go for all the war criminals.- ALL of them.. or we end up having the world police decide who is a criminal and who isn't...and with the mass media its easy to manipulate the minds of the masses...

-And lets not forget Churchill and Eisenhower/Roosevelt... in todays terms they could be classified as war criminals... why because they killed inncoent women and children... ( Dresden-Gallipoli-Nagasaki-Hiroshima)- you see we do have a choice... how far we wish to go to achieve our goals... and Kony is at war... and he has made decisions based on what resources he has at hand... to achieve his goals... and that is his only defense... the case of its war... and there aint no rules except to win. If " civilised" people... " educated" people can tap a cigar to indicate the firestorming ...the incineration of an entire city... well all I can say is this... who can judge?

- the wider problem here is in northern uganda. Until thats sorted out... the issue of kony is only gonna put a plaster on the affiars of this region. Northern Uganda has and still is a problem for national unity in Uganda... and it cant be respved by force as it was in the past... this was Museveni biggest mistake... he sought to be a Churchill and win the war and created a precedent for Kony to follow...to this day!

B.Lord's Resistance Army

Further information: Lord's Resistance Army

<table class="vertical-navbox nowraplinks plainlist" style="font-size: 11px; float: right; clear: right; background-color: #f9f9f9; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0.4em; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; text-align: center; line-height: 1.4em; width: auto; border-width: 1px; border-color: #aaaaaa; border-style: solid; padding: 0.2em;" cellspacing="5" cellpadding="0"> Events1987–1994Lord's Resistance ArmyHoly Spirit MovementAlice AumaJoseph KonyICC investigation

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Kony's group was originally called the United Holy Salvation Army (UHSA), and was not perceived as a threat by the NRA. By 1988 it had become a major player in Ugandan affairs: an agreement between the NRA and the Uganda People's Democratic Army (UPDA) left members of the UPDA unsatisfied, and many joined the UHSA as a form of rebellion. One such person was Commander Odong Latek, who convinced Kony to use standard military tactics instead of attacking in cross-shaped formations and sprinkling holy water. The new tactics proved successful, and the UHSA completed several small victories against the NRA.[30]

The NRA responded by significantly weakening Kony's group through political actions and a military campaign named Operation North. The operation was devastating to the UHSA and, with their numbers reduced from thousands to hundreds, they engaged in retaliatory attacks on civilians and NRA collaborators. The LRA say that spirits were sent to communicate this mission directly to Kony.[30]

The bulk of Kony's foot soldiers were children.[27] While estimates of the number of children conscripted since 1986 vary, some put the figure as high as 104,000.[27] When abducting the children, Kony and his army often killed their family and neighbors, thus leaving the children with little choice but to fight for him.[27] In 1992 Kony renamed the group the United Democratic Christian Army, and it was at this time that they kidnapped 139 girls from the Sacred Heart Secondary and St. Mary's girls schools.[31]

For a decade, starting in the mid-1990s, the LRA was strengthened by military support from the government of Sudan, which was retaliating against Ugandan government support for rebels in what would becomeSouth Sudan.[1] Sudan withdrew its support for the LRA shortly after the ICC issued a warrant for Kony's arrest, however.

C.-The Wizard of the Nile

The hulking figure of Amin dominates recent Ugandan history so completely that the general perception of the country is that it has been at peace since his ousting in 1979. Green lays that myth to rest, concisely making sense of the overlapping insurgencies and rebellions that have plagued Uganda since 1980.

It is here we first meet Kony, originally a religious medium and member of the Acholi tribe who live in northern Uganda close to Sudan. For many southern Ugandans, the Acholi are bogeymen, blamed for numerous massacres. When the current Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni, came to power in 1986, he sent his forces to deal with the Acholi. Twenty years later, the conflict continues.

Kony was one of several Acholi leaders to take up the fight against Museveni. While others were neutralised, Kony has proved the most obdurate, hiding in the bush of northern Uganda, occasionally seeking sanctuary across the border in neighbouring Sudan.

Green is particularly good on the conflict's moral ambiguity and the role played by the international community. He shows how Museveni - an African leader routinely hailed in the West as a champion of human rights - is happy for the Acholiland insurgency to rumble on.

Hundreds of thousands of Acholi civilians continue to flee their homes and live for decades in what the British Army during the Boer War called "concentration camps" - disease-infested population centres that the UN has made official, only making the national situation worse.

Kony is not a lone freak running wild in northern Uganda. Green traces the connection between Kony and the Islamic regime in Khartoum that wanted to foment trouble in Uganda in retaliation for Museveni's backing of southern Sudan's anti-Khartoum Christian rebels.

Green's journey takes him to some of the baddest of African badlands, visiting the birthplace of Kony and the sites of some of the worst atrocities committed in his name.

The stand-out character is a young man called Moses, one of countless Ugandan teenagers grabbed by Kony's people and dragged deep into the bush for a life of jungle warfare but who managed, after eight years, to slip away and return to "see my mum".

In 2006 a modest media scrum developed around the Kony story as international journalists sought their first interview with the bogeyman of northern Uganda. Green is wonderfully candid about his "own incompetence" at being scooped by a German documentary maker.

But it was not this that left me a little disappointed with The Wizard of the Nile. While I learned a lot about the context in which the Kony phenomenon grew, I finished the book feeling I had learned little about the individual.

D.CONCLUSION:

1.Kony has lost the plot...similar to what happened to Jonas Savimbi. Jonas was eventually killed by his own man ... some say paid for by the CIA or the MPLA. It happened to Kabila too. - one of his own men... from what Ive gathered from my research... Kony has lost his poluar support amongst much of the Acholi people because of his ruthless tactis..nvertheless ...he will go down in local folklore legends... he has stood up against the oppression of the South and of Musevenis genocide- of that there is no doubt...so from this perspective... he does have a defense under the rules of war. But crimes against humanity... there is no defense. - if Kony is to pay for those crimes... so too should Museveni. THERE SHOULD BE NO DISTINCTION. They are equally guilty.

2. What then is going on? Heres one version and I quote:(source MPI)

"The Ugandan army is accused of torture and other human rights violations

Apart from not fully living up to its obligation to protect civilians from LRA attack, the Ugandan army has in fact been implicated in a multitude of human rights violations and violence against the very civilians it is charged with protecting. For example, the UPDF has been accused of torturing suspected rebel collaborators. While there are undoubtedly some collaborators among the camp residents, and investigations should indeed be launched to find and arrest such individuals, under both international and Ugandan law, torture is never an appropriate means of dealing with any suspect, enemy collaborator or not. The practice is of even more concern, however, since it takes very little for the UPDF to accuse someone of being a collaborator. According to Gulu-based human rights organizations, accusations of "collaboration" may come about as a result of doing nothing more than leaving the camp to look for water or firewood or returning to nearby property to assess one’s own farmland. Any movement outside the camp confines is suspicious in the eyes of the army.

The UPDF has also been accused by the same human rights organizations based in the North of subjecting displaced civilians in Northern Uganda to forced labor, including digging sewage ditches along roadsides and being forced to build their own huts in the camps – huts into which they are forced to live against their will, abandoning their own homes in the process. Many whole camps in Acholiland have allegedly been built in this manner, sometimes on land confiscated from residents who then have little choice but to join the displaced people in the camps

The Ugandan army has also been implicated in countless instances of sexual violence and exploitation of displaced women and girls, including rape by soldiers outside of the immediate camp confines (when women and girls are collecting water or firewood, for example – a time in which, as discussed earlier, they are also at risk of attack and abduction by the LRA) and being forced to trade sex for food or other necessities.

Victims of assault by soldiers have little, if any, recourse. Rape is not always viewed as a judicially punishable offence in Ugandan society in general, and victims are generally reluctant to come forward. This reluctance is increased exponentially when the alleged perpetrators are members of the army and therefore in a position of power, with victims in a position of dependence. According to Gulu-based human rights organizations, only after an individual soldier has been implicated in many sexually-based offenses will he be punished in any manner by his commanders. The most severe punishment for a soldier who has raped or otherwise sexually assaulted or exploited camp residents would be transfer to a different camp.

Conclusion

According to the UN’s Guiding Principles, displacement of civilians may only come as a last resort, and then only when it is an absolute imperative for ultimate security and military victory. Once a government has, in such a situation, compelled civilians to leave their homes and livelihoods for camps and a state of total dependence, it has an obligation to ensure that such civilians are protected and are able to return home as soon as possible.

The Ugandan government has a lot on its plate – hosting tens of thousands of refugees from wars in three neighboring states and fighting a decades-long battle with a brutal and constantly evolving insurgency. The violent tactics of the LRA, however, do not give the Ugandan government or its army the right to act with similar impunity. Rather, the tactics of the LRA make the need for a true protector of civilians in Northern Uganda that much more apparent.

But the African Union is not that effective either... however, I believe that International Intervention IS required in that region because it needs stabilisation... I would even go as far as to say... it should have a NATO presence. It is that strategic. Kony is just one of the many potential scenarios... eg Sudan- Somalia- Congo- Rwanda- Eritrea... and Egypt... it is a key point.

The International community however...do have a positve duty of care to establish good governance and stability in the region. The problem in Africa is often its strong personalities... they keep going until all the good they have done is destroyed and they leave a legacy of bad... and that is why I believe Museveni should step down from political office as Nelson Mandela himself did so. He has now become part of an interwoven problem... a liability..just as bad as Kony if not worse. (I havnt mentioned the whole Congo war thing....thats another story)

E. So ;... How do we catch Kony?

1. Theres one thing that will catch Kony. Money. Put up a reward of 10 million dollars... and guess what... every man and his dick will be down there so fast before you could say ...EUREKA!... Ive struck gold... and that alone would should or could solve the problem...hell Ill do it for a million dollars- special discount...

2. Try to get the issues sorted with Northern Uganda- particulary the complaints of the Acholi against Museveni. There should be some kind of truth and reconciliation commission. That worked for us in South Africa... its where people get AMNESTY if they tell the truth and the whole truth and bring closure to their victims... It worked for us in South Africa- theres no reason why it cant work itself out in Uganda. Get Archbishop Tutu to ovrsee it..or Judge Richard Goldstone- hes a good judge who also sat in the Kosovo/Bosnia hearings... So that could resolve the dilemma. Of course Musevni wants Kony dead... so hes not going to want to work on a national unity government... why should he... hes got the world and power on his side.

3. Get 32 Recces out there/ 44 battalion with some good trackers from Namibia- from the San peoples...

( Bushmen) - The American advisors are ok ...but - they dont know Africa... I would get to know the Azande people agin... and then let them lead me across the border to Congo...

This whole thing has been truly amazing- but I think it is important to know ALL the facts...it is only then that we can make an informed decison that doesnt hurt more than it helps. But to get Kony- to kill him is not the solution... this should be a proper trial..but with all the other players who were jointly responsible for the chaos that has enslaved 3-4 nations for too long... and to get this moving ... we need to find Kony... ie . if theres enough in the pot... we can get every man and his dog to come for a bitta sport what what... no bloody lions to shoot... -no not exciting!... we gots to hunt us a man... a real life size man... ( not a cardboard replica of queen elizabeth on her jubilee...)-

F. and finally:

In October 2007 I travelled to Uganda. I tried to help Pastor Abel Musasevi to those some war children and aids orphans 9 some of whom were cruelly abused) - in fact about 80 of them. I've explained it in a previous blog. The church I worked with have already built a centre for helping those affected by the tragic abuse of children in Northern Uganda ( Gulu)- that work was cut short by the ignorance of a few individuals which I shall not name now. They have to live with what they have done....they know who they are and may God have mercy on them... However, I will be posting a link for anyone who is interested in supporting that work in due time. It is with great regret that I saw those same children made homeless by the selfishness of those individuals. I have done my best to support a cause I feel very strongly about; and, I will in time provide evidence of this... but in the mean time... lets see some justice...some equilibrium in this part of the world...lets catch Kony... and bring him to justice...Kony and his cronies...





THIS MAY BE A JOB FOR ELI SHABAK?... lets see what he has to say:

I have a dream

That one day people will be as One; that their children shall play together as One without fear; and that Society and nations will overcome their differences…and their fragments will melt into forgiveness And Love one for another and become as One in Unity and Equilibrium.

Yes, I have a dream for this age of Healing through Compassion, Mercy and Empathy;

that true Spirituality shall come through the Way of the Heart and not the head…that fathers and mothers shall Unite with courage and take the hands of the youth; the future generations into the Promised Land…A land of Promise and of Hope…

I have a Dream whose time has come whereby Freedom and Democracy is the ultimate responsibility

Of the Individual – Not the State; and that the pursuit of Self-Determination and Happiness shall be

An Inalienable Universal Right consensed by all. I have a Dream of Solidarity that will not go away, a dream of Fraternity…of Peace ; of Reconciliation between Black and White, Jew and Arab, Man and Woman, Rich and Poor; Strong and Weak; a Dream ; YES …just a dream-

an Impossible Dream made more possible by those who truly believe in it- whereby Inequality, Injustice and Wrong is not just an insult to all but an Injury to all…to be fearlessly opposed and Corrected; and made whole by every warrior of the Rainbow Nation of peoples, the Indigo …whose Hope is in The Glory of the Golden Dawn; illuminating ignorance and Shining with Splendour and Radiance Towards our common Source; Our Creator, Our God…

And this being the self-evident Truth… that the Human Spirit shall ALWAYS prevail over Oppression And the Darkness of Insanity and loss of Reason and Rationality.

I have a dream of a time that is upon us now of the destruction of prison mentalities and egotistical power trips…

And the construction of revival mind-sets that birth True Justice and Infinite Joy! This glorious great

Vision for this Millennium and those to come must Herald the Liberation of the Collective Soul of a broken Humanity Baptised in adversity, pettiness and fire…desensitised by Apathy and Materialism…Waste and Greed

And yet still: Reborn into a Brighter Global Organism working symbiotically for the good of all.

…a dream of a place for all on this planet with the abundance and magnificence that surrounds us Freely. Freely received – freely given…I have a dream of Harmony, Life , Light and Welcome; and it is this legacy, this dream that is in my Eyes and in my Smile…And written across my heart of hearts …that demands my all and declares to all: …………. “ FREE AT LAST!, …………………..





FREE AT LAST ! THANK GOD ALMIGHTY … I’M FREE AT LAST!- Hallelujah!- Amen.





The Future is Ours!

IF YOU WANT TO HELP THE ORPHANS IN UGANDA CALL :

ayu adedoyin +44 773 706 1366. he is a man of impecable ethics who Ive known for some years. The Ugandan ministry is helping those children affected by Kony and others. So is Pastor Abel Musasizi ( who can be found on facebook)- it is with deep regret I was not able to support him more with finaces as I was indisposed due some God - haters.... BUT - I'M BACK AND NOW is the time to dig deep and help these ministries. I check out all ministries before I get involved. More help is goig to be required for the trauma victims and my personal vision is to build a trauma centre for these children and for the rape victims- in fact all those affected by what was in effect 50 years of bloodshed and mayhem... getting KONY and getting rid of the dinosaurs that cling onto power is a priority... but all in good time... we need to deal with the problem at hand. And that will require money. To purchase land/pay salariues establish clinics and schools we are looking at around 500 000 dollars. Its not a lot. In fact its peanuts... and it will make a big difference in many lives. So thats my parting shot. GIVE!

links : Redeemed church of God. C/O JESUS HOUSE BRENT CROSS LONDON.

1.pastor musasizi abel

2.link wray ace of spades

3.http://kabiza.com/Childsoldiers.htm

4. http://www.frontline.org.za/articles/Serving_South_Sudan.htm

-this is the link for one of the first active evangelical fellowships to go into the Sudan. Again, most of these people believe in justified violence...which can easily turn into another humantiarian war...

G.THE HUMANITARIAN QUESTION

Kony is only one individual who went bush crazy. He believes hes right to do what hes doing as does other political leaders who were once themselves rebel guerilla leaders. All of them committed atrocities. Not one has clean hands. But should we intervene militarily and kill or bomb or destroy in the name of peace?...

There is always a reason to fight...always a reason to kill... but its all vanity... human beings are BIGGER than that. YES, you actually have people in this world who have truly embraced evil in all its forms... and they are Born Again Christians( hypocrites); muslims, buddhists, jews... atheists... anyone...pagans...animists... anyone. And sadly, theres not much you can do in the way of negotiation...they will remain what they are and will not change.

So in these difficult dillemmas I enquire with many teachers and I look then to the master...my master. Jesus.

The tibetans believe there are around 2-3% totally evil people in the world who should leave this earth plane to be reborn and you will do the world a favor by getting rid of them...

The muslims and the jews are still very much into their old testament - an eye for an eye... and many catholics...and even God forbid... born agains... they havnt realised the radical gospel of Jesus.

So what does Jesus say? - and what would Jesus do?

" LOVE your enemies ( dont kill them ), PRAY for those who persecute you without cause....( even though they dont deserve it)- FORGIVE those who do you wrong ( even though everything inside you says NO!); ... and TURN the other cheek... "( not give them a right when they give you a left)... but its hard...

JESUS also speaks about a transcendental, invisible yet visible Kingdom...not of this world... of which TRUE believers belong..

therefore, we are not nationalists or gloablists... or humanitarians... we are in effect citizens of a foreign land...that exists within us... another place...

we are not sudanese or american...or south african...not really... we are pilgerims in a strange land... BUT we are IN this world...

The arab spring happened without major intervention. It was people who suddenly woke up and said...ENOUGH!

Most if not all wars are fought over land or resources or power or ideology... but ... if you believe in the doctrines set out in the bible...jesus COMMANDS us to LOVE our enemies...

can you imagine JESUS wearing a bazooka? or toting an AK 47? - its hard... remember, he dealt with fascism which was equally as bad as it is today... and still overcame a greater power... not through military might... but through...TRUTH...

We can follow the example of the ascended masters... like JESUS..like Buddha... and by understanding that their truths are RADICAL- CHALLENGING- REVOLUTIONARY... we are challenged in our hearts to crucify or lay down our ego... and trust in the universe , in God... to deliver His promises... if the life after this life is eternal... then our best efforts to be led like lambs to the slaughter... by getting on the cross... and getting crucified... this is a better victory.

Jesus made it quite clear to his disciple Peter when he fixed the ear that Peter had cut off in the Garden of Gethsemane...

IF YOU LIVE BY THE SWORD, YOU DIE BY THE SWORD...!

A lasting...enduring truth that has stood for this long must have value... war has only one conclusion... bloodshed and misery...and the only ones that profit are the profiteers and warmongers...

You have to decide for yourself if Humanitarian wars are justified... then we can by the selfsame argument... justify all perceived vengeance.

If there is a God... and that is IF... and these days not many people believe there is... not in the west...

the battle is not ours... its Gods... " VENGEANCE IS MINE SAYS THE LORD, I SHALL REPAY!"...

and if theres not... lets take out every last son of bitch out there...and let God sort them out!

ref.( Catholic cardinal in Beziers in 1409)

Humanitarian wars can only be justified when there is no other diplomatic option...but for chritians it isnt even on the table...not if we believe in the gospel of Christ. God is greater... and many Chritians were willing to sacrifice themselves for the fire to show themselves worthy of being called " a follower of the way"

finally, many missionaries in that area ( such as the WHITE FATHERS)- have never used violence... and yes, some have been killed... ( Rwanda)... but sometimes... thats the price of your faith... you get killed, you go to prison, you get raped, you get shamed, you get falsely accused... you suffer... and you do it because you know a truth so radical that it transcends this life , this world...and everything it has to offer... I thank you.

H. PRECEDENTS

So , I've cited the biblical argument for the use of violence to promote world peace... and according to Jesus... there aint any... we just got to LOVE our enemies...not KILL them... even if they have abducted our children... food for thought... who said the gospel wasnt radical ? it is...

so what about the human argument... ? - Simon Childers ..( machine gun preacher says this: " If it was your child that had been abducted and someone brings that child back from the dead... would you ask how it was done? - or would you just thank God you had the child back? - the answer in my flesh is YES!- I wouldnt give a monkeys how that child had been rescued... I would just Thank GOD...In fact I would in my flesh kill every last son of a bitch that contributed to the abduction of my children... willingly... and without the slightest bit of guilt...

But in this world... we cant do that. An idea is far more powerful than an entity. It is for ideas that humanity lives or persishes... and if the sacrifice has to be made... then so be it...

if we believe in a hereafter and a judgement day... then the wicked will be punished by God...

But, if we dont... or w think God helps those who help themselves... well... we have a dillema.

Again, the spiritual precedent is that we live in the Kingdom of God and not the world... we dwell in it but are in the world. Yes, if we love our children we try to defend their integrity with every non- violent means at our disposal...

But, do we take up arms?

What if Hitler had invaded England and won the war... what if he had succeeded and we were all speaking German?

Would that change the fact of the truth of the gospel?

NO. It wouldnt. Perhaps there would be more persecution... but eventually even the evil empire would be converted.. and this is I belive the answer... not to look short term in international relations; but long term...

If Libya still had Gaddafi in power... do you not think that eventually his idea would not be overthrown by a better one... ? therefore , it is a war of ideas whose time has come... it is not - as much as I would like it to be ... a simple solution that the use of arms solves problems...

And what about Israel?- if an enemy invades your country with the sole intention of killing you... you must defend yourself... but this is not a justified or a humanitarian war... it is a righteous war. You do have a right to defend yourself from harm... its like putting on sunscreen... if you dont do it... youll burn...

as for Kony... he'll go away one day... but the problem wont... if its to be solved in an international court... then perhaps the scope of the indictment should be widened to include a few more criminals.

END.

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