PATHETIC – AT 11:01 A.M. ET:  As we celebrate Independence Day, we're reminded that one of the "great" stories of independence in our time was that of African nations becoming independent as the colonial era came to an end.

Sadly, much of that independence has been squandered.  Politically, a number of African countries seem more interested in appeasing and allying with dictators than with democrats.  Of course, not much of this is reported or analyzed by the trendies of the media.  From Fox:

MALABO, Equatorial Guinea – The body representing nations in Africa called on its members to disregard the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Muammar al-Qaddafi, an official confirmed Saturday, in a move that seriously weakens the tribunal's ability to bring the embattled Libyan leader to justice.

The decision passed by the 53-member African Union late Friday states that the warrant against Qaddafi "seriously complicates" efforts by the organization to find a solution to the Libyan crisis.

AU executive Jean Ping also told reporters that the ICC is "discriminatory" and only goes after crimes committed in Africa, while ignoring those he says were committed by Western powers in places like Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Meaning the United States.  We're the punching bag for a number of African "leaders."  And Ping is wrong on the facts.  In fact, the ICC has relentlessly pursued Europeans like Slobodan Miloševic.

"With this in mind, we recommend that the member states do not cooperate with the execution of this arrest warrant," said the motion, which was shown to The Associated Press and whose passage was confirmed by Daniel Adugna, a spokesman in the AU commissioner's office.

If countries in Africa abide by the recommendation, it opens the possibility that Qaddafi could avoid prosecution by seeking refuge on the soil of his neighbors.

That has been the case for President Hissene Habre, who is accused of thousands of political killings and the systematic torture of his opponents when he ruled Chad, from 1982 to 1990, before fleeing to Senegal. He has yet to face a trial even though Senegal agreed in 2006 to create a special court to try him.

COMMENT:  Qaddafi is a big favorite in some African countries, especially South Africa.  Hey, what's a couple thousand murders and the downing of PanAm 103?  Can't let details get in the way of "anti-colonialism."

July 3, 2011