by David Nuttle

Created on: March 13, 2009   Last Updated: September 17, 2009

In order to help end the genocide in Darfur, the U.S. must gain the "respect" of Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir, who took control of Sudan in a bloodless coup, on 30 June 1989, as the leader of the National Islamic Front. Sudan has had near constant ethnic and rebel militia fighting, and two major civil wars, since gaining independence from the United Kingdom (on 01 January 1956). President al-Bashir has shown that his desire and policies support the elimination of the non-Arab, black farmers who represent 52 percent of Sudan's population, of some 40 million. Human Rights Watch (HRW) determined, after careful evaluation of the situation in Sudan, determined that President al-Bashir and the Government of Sudan (GOS) were unwilling to stop the Arab (Janjaweed) militias from attacking the black, non-Arab farmers in Darfur. In fact, HRW determined that the GOS had acted to support and sustain these attacks.

Sudan has been listed as a state sponsor of terrorism since 1993, and GOS leaders are known to have provided support for the al-Qaeda terrorist organization. The U.S. Dept. of State lists Sudan, the world's tenth largest state, as the second most unstable nation in the world. By exporting petroleum to PetroChina, at a rate of nearly 300,000 bbl/day (12,600,000 gal/day), Sudan has sufficient income to make substantial weapons purchases from China and Russia. Sudan's military has been used to support the Arab militias in their efforts to eliminate, or remove, black, non-Arabs from Sudan. In Darfur alone, Arab militias have killed over 400,000 blacks, and forced the removal of nearly three million. Recent peacekeeoing efforts by African Union and United Nations forces have been ineffective due to a near total lack of support from the GOS. Moreover, peacekeeping forces were too few in number while lacking adequate force, mobility, and support. In brief, the peacekeepers in Darfur have not stopped the killing.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) recently charged Sudan's President al-Bashir with crimes against humanity. However, the ICC has no means of arresting al-Bashir and bringing him to trial. Members of the National Islamic Front, inside and outside of Sudan, look upon al-Bashir as their hero, and they are making every effort to make certain he is protected. In 1998, the U.S. hit the al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory (in Sudan), with a cruise missle, to stop possible production of bioterrorism materials. Thus, the GOS is on the alert for all possible types of attacks

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