How the West fell for the ‘big lie’ about South Sudan  The
international community has failed to grasp the awful reality of
the world's newest state  by Daniel Howden  The Observer  When
violence erupted two weeks ago in the world’s youngest country,
one of the first voices to speak out, before the U.S. president
or the head of the United Nations, was that of the Hollywood
actor George Clooney. There was nothing particularly
objectionable about his counsel, which in any case was more
likely authored by the American activist John Prendergast, with
whom he shared a byline. It spoke of the need for a robust U.N.
response and, even as tens of thousands of civilians fled
ethnically motivated death squads, of the “opportunities”
present in South Sudan.  This is a country, not yet 2½ years
old, whose birth has been soaked in celebrity like no other. As
well as Clooney, Matt Dillon and Don Cheadle have been
occasional visitors who have tried to use their star power to
place the international public firmly in the corn