Flight Revisited

On July 9, I blogged about an editorial by Julie Flint that was published last week in the New
York Times. The editorial said that enforcing a no-fly zone over Darfur would endanger humanitarian operations in Darfur. Flint also wrote that the Sudanese government was not bombing the region often, although they had in the past. Since I posted that article, however, I have done some more research and found that yes, Khartoum is still bombing civilians, according to an article from Reuters. The article, published July 13, says that while bombing did cease from February to April this year, it has resumed, especially in West and North Darfur.

Further thoughts on flying

Until recently I have generally thought that establishing a no-fly zone over Darfur would help stop the violence. I was still under the impression that the government of Sudan was supporting the Janjaweed from the air. The New York Times published an op-ed by Julie Flint on July 6, a Darfur expert, entitled "In Sudan, Help Comes From Above." In the article she argues that enforcing a no-fly zone over Darfur is illogical and even inhumane considering that humanitarian aid is delivered to Darfur via airplane. She writes:

A no-fly zone would do little or nothing to address the reality that the greatest threat to civilians in Darfur today comes on the ground--not the air.

The article also serves to remind us that we must pay attention to presidential candidates' Darfur policies. Specifically, Flint cites Senator Clinton as an advocate for a no-fly zone over Darfur but I know I will be researching all candidates' Darfur policies before the coming election.