Coons Wants U.S. To Continue Aiding Post-Gaddafi Libya

By Adrianna McGinley

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) told reporters Thursday that it would be a good idea for the United States to continue assisting Libyan rebels as they look forward to a world without Moammar Gaddafi.

Numerous outlets are reporting today that Gaddafi was captured and killed in a remote area near his hometown of Sirte this morning. U.S. officials have yet to confirm anything, but Libyan National Transitional Council officials are saying that Gaddafi was killed after NATO warplanes reigned fire on his convoy, which then reportedly enabled rebel forces to attack him on the ground.

Coons shared his assessment of what America’s policy should look like regarding Libya during a press conference in the Capitol on Thursday.

“Our engagement in Libya, which takes a different turn today, can and should remain one that is scaled appropriate to the needs of the Libyan people to now quickly transition to a stable democracy,” Coons said.

“How things move forward in Libya will send critical signals to the rest of the region and to the world, so I do think the United States has a real and strong interest in continuing to be engaged.”

Coons spoke following a closed-door meeting held by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which focused on President Obama’s decision last week to order American forces to Central Africa to combat the Lord’s Resistance Army.

Coons said he backs administrative action to deploy roughly 100 troops there with the purpose of providing training to African forces battling the LRA, a reigning terrorist militant group led by Joseph Kony.

“I support and think this modest, reasonable action was an important next step in what has been a multiyear effort,” Coons stated.

‘Anti-Homosexuality’ Bill Threatening LGBT Ugandans

By Sofia Sanchez - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

The United States is being called upon to help terminate an ‘Anti-Homosexuality' bill’ that is being proposed in Uganda.

Darlene Nipper, Deputy Executive Director of The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF), told Talk Radio News Service on Friday that the legislation "would essentially make homosexuality punishable by life imprisonment or death."

Accoring to Nipper, passage of the bill would also affect the already limited distribution of information on HIV in Uganda through a provision criminalizing the “promotion of homosexuality.” In addition, the bill would establish a new crime, “aggravated homosexuality,” also punishable by death for anyone in Uganda. Citizens who are HIV positive and have consensual “same-sex relations” would face the same harsh penalties as well.

According to a statement released by the NGLTF, “it is imperative that the Obama administration and Congress push Uganda to withdraw this bill in its entirety. Simply removing the death penalty doesn’t somehow make this a humane bill. Weather it be the state-sponsored murder of LGTB Ugandans or their life imprisonment for simply being who they are is barbaric and unacceptable.”

American officials have taken initial steps toward terminating the bill, said Nipper. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has contacted President Yoweri Museveni to express concerns about the proposed law. In addition, a congressional hearing will be held next week which will be chaired by U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) under the support of Human Rights Commission President Tom Lantos.

The NGLTF is also calling upon all Americans to help halt the passage of this bill. “All Americans should be concerned about basic human rights violations wherever they occur in the world,” said Nipper. “It’s in many ways who we are as a people, we care about all people and we care about the dignity of all people regardless of race, sexual orientation or identity, it is important for us to stand by the values we established in the world.”

Sudan-One Country-Two Systems

As the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) by President Bill Clinton nears, Commissioner for the rights of non-Muslims in Sudan, Joshua Dae Diu, spoke at the Hudson Institute about the progress Sudan has made.

“Religion is still a major problem in Sudan. South Sudan has become a secular system where freedom of religion is allowed, while the north is still not allowing non-Muslims to practice their religion,” Diu said.

The CPA says that there are other citizens practicing different religions and traditions that police, judges, and other law enforcement need to remember and to allow. Diu says because of this agreement, the south has moved to allow non-Muslims to practice their religion freely throughout. The north is still an Islamic State and until the elections occur in 2009, the north has refused to change course to allow religious freedom.

“The CPA has tried to address the basic issues that plague Sudan, that is why we have one country with two systems. After six years of having these two systems, what do we do then? We must leave it up to the people in the north and south,” Diu said.

Along with the elections that will take place in 2009, a Census is being held throughout Sudan. Diu said that the Census does not cover who is non-Muslim in the Nation’s Capitol and in Sudan. Diu went on to say that the south should have argued this but they were intimidated by the northern officials. “Because of the south being intimidated by the north we are now stuck, we will have to wait another 10 years for another Census to occur. We can not wait another 10 years to get safety for non-Muslims in Sudan.,” Diu stated.