Janjaweed

Struck me as funny:

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Janjaweed militias have been concentrating forces to the north of el-Geneina, the capital of Sudan's West Darfur state, an African Union military source said on Tuesday, corroborating a U.N. report.

Janjaweed is the local name for militia forces drawn mainly from the nomadic Arab tribes of the area and blamed for much of the killing in Darfur over the past four years.

The AU source, who asked not to be named, said: "They are massing (north of el-Geneina). ... They have vehicles with machineguns on top and they're Janjaweed. We can't say what their intentions are."

No, not funny that they're swarming - funny that "we don't know what their intentions are." And sad that some will counsel a "wait and see," approach. Maybe they're all concentrating in one place because they're going to have a janjaweed reunion. Janjaweed Class of 2002, reception in the main ballroom. Buffet dinner and cash bar... Or, maybe they just all picked the same vacation spot. (and what does a Janjaweed do on vacation? Do they take their work with them? "you take the kids down to the beach, dear, I've just got to rape and behead a few things and I'll be right behind you.")

I know it's rightwingreactionarybrownshirt of me, but I'm going to guess, yes, even with my imperfect understanding of their culture, that this gathering of bad guys signals impending mayhem. Sure, I'm probably missing some nuance that John Kerry could have picked up on in his sleep. So ok, let's watch the situation. Let's send some gunships to vacation in the same area. ("you take the kids down to the beach dear, I've just got to incinerate a few drug-crazed cross-dressing murders and I'll be right behind you.")