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Show DAILY HERALD A10 Friday, July 1 2004 Sudan's frightened villages recount ordeal of rape and death Alexandra Zavis THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ELfASHIR, Sudan First come the airplanes. Then horsemen who burn, rape and kilL Over and over, terrified villagers told the same story Thursday as U.N. Secretary-GenerKofi Annan got a firsthand look at the crisis engulfing Sudan's Darfur region. Annan, accompanied by government ministers and senior U.N. staff, toured one of the 137 camps where some of the 1 million people chased from their homes over the past 16 months . al have sought shelter. ' Sitting on mats shaded by elhe chatted with trees, camp ders and women' who described the waves of attacks humanitarian workers have likened to ethnic cleansing. Human rights groups accuse the Sudanese government of backing militias of Arab herders, known as the in a campaign to forcibly remove African farming communities from the vast western region where they have coexisted, and in some ' cases intermarried, for centuries. Camp residents echoed Jan-jawee-d, their accounts Thursday. "First the planes were frying over us and bombing us. Then the Janjaweed came," said a woman, who gave her name only as Zahara. "They started to shoot and bum. They took all our belongings. They took men and slit their throats with swords. The women they took as concubines. Zahara, a mother of four, lost her parents in the panic and ha no idea what happened to themj She is now among the estimated 12,000 people living in ) , makeshift shelters of branches ' . . and plastic sheeting at Zam Zam camp, just south of the North Darfur town of Here, at least, there have been no attacks, residents said. But women say they don't dare venture out for fear of meeting the militias they say regularly abduct and rape African women and girls. who is on a three-wee- k Annan tour to the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe has raised the possibility of sending in international troops if Sudan's government can't safe-guaits people in Darfur. In a meeting with Sudanese Cabinet ministers Wednesday, he said L ' i A. ' x -- LT qUQOIU ment to the l&month uprising. The Justice and Equality Movement and the Sudan Liberation Army, two groups drawn ' from the region's African tribes, took up arms in February 2003 over what they call unjust treatment by the government in their struggle with their Arab couptrymen in Darfur. A cease-fir- e was signed April 8, but both sides accuse each other of vlolatidhs. The rebtl movements also are confronting Arab mflitias blamed bypimamtanan groups fof attacks that have razed hundreds of villages m the area. U.S. roops see enange O 3 I r rd 4JOUD SriOPTG&AVIO .... he wanted to see progress in the next 2448 hours in resolving . the conflict, which has killed up to 30,000 people and left some 2 million in desperate need of aid The United States called on the United Nations to impose an arms embargo and travel ban on the Arab militias in a draft resolution submitted Wednesday to coincide with a visit to Darfur by Secretary of State Colin PowelL Powell presented the Sudanese government with a timetable to implement its promises to disarm the militias, lift restrictions on humanitarian workers and negotiate a settle- - A I i . . in attitude of THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE SAVINGS STORE WIDE Iraqi forces Chris Tomlinson THE ASSOCIATED BAGHDAD, 1 J 7 9m Orig. $24-$6- 9 rz mm mm mm LADIES', PETITES' & DILLARD'S LADIES', PETITES' & w8 V ; J f WOMAN TEES From Westbound and America's Favorite Designer. 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In St George, at Red Cliffs s Credit Card, The American Express Card, Diners Club International, Mastercard Visa" ami The Discover Card Monday-Saturda- In Provp, at Prove, Town EASY SPIRIT noted. Sale prices are off of styles only. Selection vanes by store. ' & NATURALIZER y Mall. , '' Iraq PRESS Not much has changed for U.S. troops since the handover of power to an Iraqi government. The blowing dust, searing heat and guerrilla war still make life miserable, and the daily routine ' remains eat, patrol, raid, guard and sleep. ', The one improvement, however, is a new enthusiasm among the soldiers' Iraqi Couthe security forces nterparts intended to take over so the Americans can go home. The Iraqis are showing greater pride and initiative under a sovereign government than under the U.sT-Jeoccupation, even though the U.S. military remains in charge of security. Lt. Col. Mohammed Faiq Raoof , commander of the 303rd Battalion of the Iraqi national guard, is increasing the number of patrols his men conduct. "I want to show people that we are in power now," he told his U.S. commander during their weekly lunch, the first since Monday's transfer of power. ' CoL Michael Formica, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division's 2nd Brigade, nodded in agreement. "We want you to do that," he said. Formica also approved Raoof s request to set up checkpoints and conduct patrols unaccompanied by U.S. soldiers. Then he went a step further and gave Raoof sole responsibility for patrolling one Baghdad neighborhood. Raoof said Iraqi civilians seem to be taking pride in their security forces. "Today, while on patrol, I saw people on the street clapping for them and smiling," he said. "The people are happy to see the Iraqi national guard." When some Iraqi troops balked at carrying out combat operations in April against insurgents in Fallujah, questions arose about the reliability of Iraqi forces. Since then, however, Iraqi troops in the Baghdad area have repeatedly fought insurgents. Still, Iraqi security forces are not equipped to work independently. Raoof s men only recently received body armor and vehicles and are still waiting for radios. But working beside U.S. troops, they have taken a greater role in searching homes and mosques while the Americans wait outside, in an effort to show greater cultural sensitivity. On Thursday, Raoof s guardsmen began patrolling in their new Russian jeeps with large Iraqi flags fluttering above them. "They are definitely standing a little taller, paying a little more attention to detail," said Capt. Joe Pace, a trainer from the 1st Cavalry Division's 2nd Brigade. He said the Iraqi security forces are easing the burden on U.S. troops by taking greater responsibility. "There are physically fewer square kilometers America has to dedicate energy on a regular basis to," he said. Equally important to the National Guard, which is responsible for operations, is the Iraqi police. Police stations are frequent targets for guerrilla attacks and bombings, but soldiers working with the police say sovereignty has also inspired them. ' Capt. Kevin Hanrahan, commander of the 127th Military Police Company, said his soldiers' daily routine patrolling Baghdad's streets hasn't changed, but the Iraqi policemen he works with have had a new seriousness since sover- was returned. "There's a level of intensity with the Iraqi police that I hadnt seen before," he said "They are very vigilant on the streets. It's noticeable when you see them." -- ' |