ADDIS ABABA (AFP) — United Nations and African Union officials met Monday in Addis Ababa to explore ways of speeding up the sluggish deployment of their joint peacekeeping force in Sudan’s Darfur region.

Here are some troubling numbers…

“We have had to revise our objectives downwards. Only 60 percent of the force is deployed on the ground in Darfur,” said spokesman Noureddine Mezni from the UN African Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).

“Our new target is to reach an 80 percent deployment in March,” he told AFP, adding that logistical problems had delayed the arrival of new equipment and contingents.

KHARTOUM (AFP) — Sudanese warplanes bombed Darfur rebels hunkered down in the war-torn region as President Omar al-Beshir on Wednesday compared the six-year conflict to wars in Iraq, Gaza and Afghanistan.

Don’t try to justify your action by comparing it to Iraq.

As Sudan awaits the International Criminal Court’s decision on whether to issue an arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir, the government has resumed bombing attacks against rebel groups in the western region of Darfur.

Hmm, I wonder if they’ll arrest me. Let’s make the case for doing so until then!

JERUSALEM, Jan. 14 — A war that began almost three weeks ago as an effort by Israel to stop Hamas rocket fire from killing Israeli civilians has been consumed by a bitter debate over who is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.

Anyone reading can debate in the comments.