Dear President Barack Obama, Since February 2003, the Sudanese government has orchestrated a campaign of genocide, slaughtering as many as 500,000 Darfurians. Sudanese military targets civilians from the air and state-sponsored Janjaweed militias murder, loot, and rape women and little girls. They have violently displaced over 2.5 million Darfurians who cling to life as homeless refugees. As you are well aware, the International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for the arrest of Sudan�s President Omar al-Bashir. He responded by kicking out 13 major humanitarian aid groups and threatens to kick out more,---thereby putting at risk of death for lack of food, water, medicine, and basic necessities---up to 4.7 million people in Darfur. Bashir has thus taken yet another action that constitutes a crime against humanity. He does so because the international community has not shown sustained attention, nor the will to act. We raise our voices to say that we support a vigorous effort to end this genocide and bring Bashir to justice before the ICC. You have already met one of our original asks by appointing Major General Scott Gration and we applaud you for taking that very important step. WHEREAS, July 2007, the United Nations voted in favor of Resolution 1769, authorizing a hybrid force in Darfur alongside the African Union; WHEREAS, March 2005, the UN referred the Darfur situation to the International Criminal Court; WHEREAS, on March 2, 2006, the Senate passed a resolution calling on NATO to enforce a No-Fly Zone over Darfur as assistance to the African Union peacekeeping mission as part of S. Res. 383; WHEREAS, July 2008, the ICC indicted Omar Bashir for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide; WHEREAS, March 2009, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Omar Bashir for crimes against humanity, and war crimes; WHEREAS, Omar Bashir responded by kicking out 13 foreign humanitarian aid group and shutting down 3 local aid groups and subsequently threatened to kick out other groups; WHEREAS, as people of conscience, we have a poignant responsibility to protect innocent civilians from certain destruction; THEREFORE, WE, the undersigned, call upon the United States Government to take leadership to prevent the removal of these organizations, uphold international law for the people of Darfur, and prevent the killing of any more of the people of Darfur. WE ASK THAT: -Take all measures to prevent the removal of humanitarian aid organizations from Sudan, - Ensure full funding for the UN/AU hybrid force and provide requested hardware such as helicopters, -Put intense diplomatic pressure on our allies to fulfill their commitments to the hybrid force, and pressure the AU, Arab nations, Russia, and China to all increase pressure on Sudan. -Provide logistical support, surveillance, intelligence, and enforce a 'No-Fly Zone' to establish safety and security for the people of Darfur.

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