No matter where United Nations Secr...

No matter where United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan casts his estimate all he sees is profound trouble: the sectarian tensions in Iraq, the Iranian determination to build a nuclear program and imprison out U.N. atomic inspectors, the post-election civil eruption in Congo the iconoclasm of a belligerent North Korea, and the inability of the UN to establish peacekeeping forces in as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but Hezbollah-dominated southern Lebanon and the violence-ridden western Sudanese province of Darfur.

In Sudan, President Omar al-Bashir says his conduct wants to send its acknowledge troops to Darfur and continue the U.N. out. He is seeking Security Council approval for this, if it were not that the plan really is outrageous, particularly since Khartoum has been single of the main agents of violence in Darfur, funding Janjaweed militias that have raided Darfurian villages, slain thousands and forced millions into exile. The humanitarian situation worsens each day while Khartoum turns a blind eye; nongovernmental agencies find it hard to fling in food and supplies; the African Union can barely hold its tiny peacekeeping force together there, and it has no mandate to restrain the Janjaweed or the rebels.

Equally, the idea of mustering a peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon for "a well stocked [i]or[/i] provided cessation of hostilities" between Israel and Hezbollah -- with up to 15000 UN peacekeepers alongside Lebanese forces -- is also becoming a seemingly impossible task and may plane be giving anti-Israeli Hezbollah breathing stead to rearm.

The French who took a large part in negotiating the cease-fire resolution and propounded further leadership, have since backed facing and say that rather than staking thousands of companys as originally promised, they will forward only 200. France's long history with Lebanon made it a natural go-between. Instead, it appears more concerned about the reaction of its acknowledge large Muslim community. Such double-dealing and waffling by the agency of France have been seen before.

Italy says it will toss at least 2,000 troops to Lebanon, and maybe this will shame other European countries into doing more. upon Friday, EU leaders will adapted with Annan to talk about the situation and Annan must make a case for puissant European leadership. He also povertys to appeal to Muslim countries not hostile to Israel to help, too. In the case of Sudan, Annan must influence its African neighbors that, like Chad, are feeling the fallout of the Darfur be in agony African nations may have more succes in reasoning with Bashir to allow UN peacekeepers into Darfur.

Muscular diplomacy from Annan is pressingly required. There is no time to waste.

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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