The United States appears divided over a policy toward
Sudan amid an escalation of its 19-year civil war in the south.
The division has led to a stalemate in Congress, where legislation that
would force American companies and individuals to disclose investment in
Sudan is stuck. The House has passed the bill, but the legislation has not
advanced
in the Senate.
Officials said the division stems from a State Department drive to
remove Sudan from its list of terrorist sponsors. They said the department
fears that any new U.S. sanctions on Khartoum would end any hope of its
cooperation in the Washington-led war against terrorism.
The legislation is meant to stop Sudan from using its oil revenues to
wage war against rebels in the south. With help from China and Russia,
Khartoum has bought new military planes and escalated helicopter attacks on
the Sudanese People's Liberation Army. The new platforms as well as
intensive air attacks are said to have dislodged the SPLA from long-held
military positions.
Members of Congress said the administration has blocked House-Senate
efforts to reconcile differences over legislation on Sudan. They said the
White House has ordered its allies to prevent a conference committee to
advance the bill.
"There was a message from the White House that said that because of
Sept. 11 [Islamic suicide attacks on New York and Washington], the view of
Sudan has changed," Rep. Donald Payne, a New Jersey Republican, said. "Now,
if we're going to be a government that stands for something, and after 40
years of death and starvation, that all of a sudden
an evil wicked government becomes our ally Ñ the government that harbored
Osama Bin Laden as they planted bombs in our embassies Ñ all of a sudden
becomes a government that has not changed."
The congressional legislation would ban Sudan from entering U.S. capital
markets for investment loans. U.S. companies that do business in Sudan would
have to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding the
nature and extent of their investment and whether this aids Khartoum's war
in the south.
Assistant Secretary of State Walter Kansteiner for African Affairs at
first declined to state the administration's position on the anti-Sudanese
legislation. After sharp questioning from members of the House International
Relations Committee on Wednesday, Kansteiner acknowledged that the
administration opposes capital markets sanctions on Khartoum.
"We feel that it is a precedent for political intervention in U.S.
capital markets, and
it's a detrimental precedent, and we would like to see it not become the law
of this country," Kansteiner said.
In a sharp exchange, the assistant secretary refused to confirm a State
Department report that Sudan continues to harbor organizations deemed as
terrorist. The assertion was included in the latest State Department report
on global terrorism released last month.
"They seem to be willing to let certain organizations operate that we
are still concerned about, and we'd be happy to go into detail on that in
another setting," Kansteiner said. "On the other hand, there has been
significant cooperation on the counter-terrorism effort since Sept. 11th
with the government in Khartoum."
Committee members disputed Kansteiner's position that the Sudanese civil
war is unwinnable. They said Sudan feels confident that it can buy the
weapons and mercernaries to beat the SPLA.
"It seems the government of Sudan believes it can win the war because of
their windfall oil profits, and they seem to have no incentive to negotiate
in good faith,"
Rep Joseph Pitts, a Pennsylvania Republican, said.