He has lost my enthusiastic support
I volunteered in his campaign last year in New Hampshire, Rhode Island and New Jersey
That won't happen again
This excerpt is taken from the Washington Post, which link is the first one below....
In what is intended as a show of unity for the new policy, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Susan E. Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, will announce it at the State Department with President Obama's special envoy to Sudan, retired Air Force Maj. Gen. J. Scott Gration. Rice and Gration had battled fiercely over the direction of the new policy, with Rice pressing for a tougher line and Gration calling for easing U.S. sanctions.
Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/16/AR2009101603309.html
"The new U.S. policy, which will be formally unveiled Monday, calls for a campaign of "pressure and incentives" to cajole the government in Khartoum into pursuing peace in the troubled Darfur region, settling disputes with the autonomous government in southern Sudan and providing the United States greater cooperation in stemming international terrorism, according to administration officials briefed on the plan. It also provides Khartoum with a path to improved relations with the United States if it begins to address long-standing U.S. concerns."
"From now on, the United States will maintain that genocide "is taking place" in Darfur, officials said."
“John Prendergast, co-chairman of the Enough Project, a human rights group advocating tougher, multilateral sanctions, said the new policy appeared to be "a fine one." "The wild card is whether the intentions on paper will be translated into practice by the diplomats carrying out the strategy," Prendergast said. Until now, he said, "the president's special envoy has indicated a very clear public preference for incentives only."
New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/17/world/africa/17sudan.html
"“To advance peace and security in Sudan, we must engage with allies and with those with whom we disagree,” said a statement of the policy that was obtained by The New York Times."
AP: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ji-ZygT4brAqlpMNTYiqQGTWQOpQD9BCOAB00
"The announcement is planned to show unity within the Obama administration."
"the new policy is designed to bring Khartoum into the fold by offering incentives for improved relations for improvements in the situation in Darfur as well as in southern Sudan, which will hold a referendum on succession scheduled to take place in 2011"
Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed1/idUSN17379613
"The U.S. official said he did not expect direct talks with Bashir, but that "my understanding is that the administration is not planning any immediate lifting of sanctions." The intent was to test Khartoum's willingness to take steps to end the conflict in Darfur and implement a 2005 North-South peace agreement on a specific timeline before there is any move toward dropping sanctions, the official said."
"The issue is not engagement or non-engagement, it is the terms of engagement," said Jerry Fowler, President of the Save Darfur Coalition. "The burden of proof is on the government of Sudan. There must be concrete and lasting progress before relations can improve."
Save Darfur Coaltion be monitoring the release and advocacy opportunities and posting regularly on theri blog. To see past posts on this, including a "what we're looking for" series from over the summer, please visit http://blogfordarfur.org/archives/tag/sudan-policy-review
Save Darfur Coaltion will also be comparing the policy review to their checklist for an effective Sudan strategy, which you can find at http://savedarfur.org/pages/checklist
Photo: U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Maj. General Scott Gration (AP)
The first news articles about the new U.S. policy on Sudan trickled out online last night and landed on the front pages of the Washington Post and the New York Times this morning.
“Obama Drops Plan to Isolate Sudan Leaders,” the NYT proclaimed.
Reporters note that the new policy includes a mixture of “incentives and pressures,” a phrase often used by President Obama’s special envoy to Sudan, Maj. General Scott Gration. But in the seven months since he was appointed, and absent a clear policy line from the administration, General Gration has routinely articulated the need for an approach that relies almost exclusively on positive reinforcement of the Sudanese regime. (He even described his strategy as one in which he would hand out “cookies and gold stars” to encourage Khartoum to abide by its commitments.)
Secretary Clinton, U.N. Ambassador Rice, and General Gration will unveil the policy at a press conference on Monday, deliberately showing a united front after months of internal bickering about whether to ease up on Khartoum. It seems Gration got his way. The policy will lay out a plan to engage with the Sudanese regime and “[provide] Khartoum with a path to improved relations with the United States if it begins to address long-standing U.S. concerns,” according to the Post.
Administration officials stress that the plan will not make concessions to Khartoum without seeing proof that the ruling party is resolving the conflict in Darfur, where nearly 3 million people are displaced by state-sponsored violence, and implementing its side of the 2005 peace deal with the South. To emphasize that the U.S. will be firm with Khartoum, Gration frequently touts the U.S. plan to hold Khartoum to a strict timeline for implementing the 2005 deal. But what Gration fails to acknowledge is that the original peace deal had a timeline – which the government of Sudan has continuously disregarded.
The evidence from the first seven months of Gration’s tenure – and even more importantly, the 20-year reign of the NCP – is unambiguous: Khartoum is not partner that can be cajoled into behaving in the interests of its people. The administration’s only accomplishment thus far was to negotiate a partial return of humanitarian groups that had been expelled by the regime. This is hardly a “victory,” but rather a return to a miserable status quo for millions of Sudanese who have been driven from their homes and are now warehoused in miserable camps.
The regime has shown time and again that it will do whatever it takes to maintain its grip on power. Easing up on Khartoum simply gives President Bashir and his close-knit circle of advisors (many of whom rose to power alongside Bashir in the 1989 coup) the chance to stall and make excuses, while fomenting violence and undermining peace efforts behind-the-scenes. With continued, devastating effect for the people of Sudan.
Photo: U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Maj. General Scott Gration (AP)
Latest from Enough Said
Source: http://www.enoughproject.org/blogNYT: 'Obama Drops Plan to Isolate Sudan Leaders'
Oct 17, 2009
The first news articles about the new U.S. policy on Sudan trickled out online last night and landed on the front pages of the Washington Post and the New York Times this morning.
I repeat, I am disappointed in President Obama. He has lost my enthusiastic support.
I volunteered in his campaign last year in New Hampshire, Rhode Island and New Jersey.
That won't happen again
- Darfur Groups Demand US Special Envoy’s Ouster
10/15/2009
Expatriate groups representing more than 1,000 Darfuris living in the United States have sent a letter asking President Barack Obama to relieve Major General (Retired) Scott Gration of his post as Sudan Special Envoy.
- Read entire entire article.
Rafa in Shanghai for the Final
Rafa tossing for serve in semi final - Shanghai, SaturdayPhoto credit: AP
Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a ball against compatriot Feliciano Lopez during their semi final match of the Shanghai ATP Masters 1000 tennis tournamenSemi Final results
6-1, 3-0
Feliciano Lopez retired
Shanghai Masters 1000
Final
Rafa versus Nikolay Davydenko
October 18, Sunday, 2009 at 4:30 p.m. Shanghai time
Which is 4:30 a.m. USA Eastern Time
Stadium Court
..................
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Website Shanghai Masters 1000
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