Chad rebels stage coup attempt, refugee aid may be stalled; Obama, McCain gain momentum in CA...

3 February :: Surge in violence in Chad appears to be coup attempt against Déby gov't in N'Djamena; France has begun evacuating foreigners from Chad, in face of what could be severe violence between rebels, gov't; rebel offensive comes just days before EU "humanitarian protection force" set to arrive in Chad... CSM reports "If President Idriss Déby's government falls by military coup, humanitarian aid operations feeding nearly 400,000 Sudanese refugees and displaced Chadians will be thrown into disarray, and half a dozen Darfur rebel movements taking refuge in Chad may be forced to move their bases back into the troubled Sudanese region"... New poll in CA shows Obama, McCain dramatically increasing support in recent weeks; Obama now runs even with Clinton, whom he trailed by 12 percentage points just two weeks ago, while McCain surging to an 8 percentage point lead over closest rival Romney; Obama also has edge over Clinton against McCain in general election, according to poll, with respondents saying they would vote Obama over McCain 47% to 40%, or Clinton over McCain 45% to 43%...

Doctors without Borders reports 10 most underreported humanitarian crises of 2007

The top ten most underreported humanitarian crises worldwide are, according to Doctors without Borders (MSF), "Displaced Fleeing War in Somalia Face Humanitarian Crisis; Political and Economic Turmoil Sparks Health-Care Crisis in Zimbabwe; Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Spreads As New Drugs Go Untested; Expanded Use of Nutrient Dense Ready-to-Use Foods Crucial for Reducing Childhood Malnutrition; Civilians Increasingly Under Fire in Sri Lankan Conflict; Conditions Worsen in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo; Living Precariously in Colombia’s Conflict Zones; Humanitarian Aid Restricted in Myanmar; Civilians Caught Between Armed Groups in Central African Republic; As Chechen Conflict Ebbs, Critical Humanitarian Needs Still Remain".

The official press release goes on to explain that "The DRC and Colombia, both wracked by ongoing civil conflict and massive internal displacement of civilians, have dominated the list over the past decade, each appearing a total of nine times. The humanitarian consequence of war in Chechnya has appeared eight times. Somalia has appeared seven times, most recently because renewed fighting centered in Mogadishu in 2007 has killed thousands of people and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, only to endure disease and extremely precarious living conditions.

According to Andrew Tyndall, publisher of the online media-tracking journal, “The Tyndall Report,” the countries and contexts highlighted by MSF on this year’s list accounted for just 18 minutes of coverage on the three major U.S. television networks’ nightly newscasts from January through November 2007. This figure does not include coverage of Myanmar or tuberculosis; both generated significant media attention, but very little of it focused on the medical humanitarian aspects of either context. Chechnya, Sri Lanka, and CAR—where many villages were burned to the ground in fighting between government forces and rebels and tens of thousands of people fled into inhospitable forests seeking safety—were never mentioned."

HRW says killing of peacekeepers in Darfur is war crime; Democrats plan to stall funding for Bush war budget...

2 October :: HRW says killing of 10 African Union peacekeepers, civilian police in Darfur is war crime, calls on Khartoum, gov't forces in region to aid investigation, punish those responsible... WSJ reports "Frustrated by the stalemate over Iraq, House Democrats spelled out a strategy that would stall action on President Bush's 2008 war budget and rely on incremental funding to sustain troop operations in until next spring"... Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Seymour Hersh has reported "intensification" of White House planning for war with Iran; according to Hersh "What had been presented primarily as a counter-proliferation mission has been reconceived as counterterrorism", with focus now shifted toward attacks on Revolutionary Guard facilities, supplies and infrastructure... Cuban doctors have reportedly provided eye surgery to the man responsible for killing Ernesto "Che" Guevara, through a program by which Cuban physicians provide eye treatment across Latin America... 'The Caucus', a NY Times blog reports "Senator Barack Obama today will propose setting a goal of eliminating all nuclear weapons in the world, saying the United States should transform its nuclear posture and dramatically reduce nuclear stockpiles to reduce the threat of nuclear terrorism"... US pending home sales index fell to record low in August, amid spreading mortgage crisis, index now 21.5% lower than just 12 months ago, 16% lower than two months ago...

Sudan drone aircraft, Khartoum says it is militarily 'self-sufficient'; UN calls for progress in Darfur conflict...

5 September :: Sudan gov't announces it has successfully produced military-use drone aircraft and is seeking ballistic missile capabilities; the Khartoum-based gov't of Pres. al-Bashir has said Sudan can now manufacture enough conventional weapons to be "self-sufficient" in defense-related production; observers say the announcement is disconcerting primarily because it is not clear against what perceived threat Sudan is arming itself; the top UN official in Sudan has called for progress on a negotiated political settlement to the conflict in Darfur, where some worry that a heavily armed Khartoum regime might use its military to support the ongoing slaughter with impunity...