(no subject)
At Sudan's insistence, the U.N. Security Council agreed the force would be predominantly African. But the Sudanese government has refused to approve non-African units from Thailand, Nepal and Nordic countries.
Ban said he would send a personal letter to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir with the envoys.
Sudan's U.N. ambassador, Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad, said the U.N. delegation will meet the Sudanese foreign minister and if time permits, the president. He insisted Sudan was committed to "dialogue and transparency" and would "deliver on our commitments."
In a letter to Ban obtained by The Associated Press, the Sudanese ambassador addressed some problems raised last week by U.N. peacekeeping chief Jean-Marie Guehenno, who warned that Sudan was putting up numerous obstacles that could destroy the force's effectiveness.
Mohamad did not address the dispute over the force's composition, but he said the issue of land for the force's operations has been resolved and the government had approved night flights for medical evacuations.
Guehenno had criticized Sudan for proposing a Status of Forces Agreement that "would make it impossible for the mission to operate."
The agreement includes a proposal to allow Sudan's government to "temporarily disable the communications network" during security operations to protect the country's sovereignty. Another proposal would require the peacekeeping force to provide "advance notification to the government for all staff, troop and asset movements," Guehenno said.
Mohamad said the agreement was under discussion.
It amazes me how often we take the same crap from these guys. This is about the fifth time that Bashir has said that he would allow peacekeepers into the country and about the fifth time he has come up with obstacles to that plan. He didn't want any attack helicopters. Then he wanted a primarily African force. Now he wants an exclusively African force.
Why? Does he really think we are this stupid? Read the last few lines - he's now proposed a communications blackout during security operations. The only reason a country would want this is to cover up something. Again, I ask, does he really think we're this stupid. You know, were I him, I'd be careful. While the dems are eager to see a pullout in Iraq, this is exactly the situation into which a military commitment would be warranted.
Who am I kidding? We don't care about Africa. We only really cared about Africa in the 1950s, primarily Liberia, and that was to protect a CIA communications center and the huge Firestone Plant there. Ironically, it was mostly run with slave labor, which we condoned at the time.
There's a little bit of irony in the knowledge that we assisted in the removal of Charles Taylor from power there.
Ban said he would send a personal letter to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir with the envoys.
Sudan's U.N. ambassador, Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad, said the U.N. delegation will meet the Sudanese foreign minister and if time permits, the president. He insisted Sudan was committed to "dialogue and transparency" and would "deliver on our commitments."
In a letter to Ban obtained by The Associated Press, the Sudanese ambassador addressed some problems raised last week by U.N. peacekeeping chief Jean-Marie Guehenno, who warned that Sudan was putting up numerous obstacles that could destroy the force's effectiveness.
Mohamad did not address the dispute over the force's composition, but he said the issue of land for the force's operations has been resolved and the government had approved night flights for medical evacuations.
Guehenno had criticized Sudan for proposing a Status of Forces Agreement that "would make it impossible for the mission to operate."
The agreement includes a proposal to allow Sudan's government to "temporarily disable the communications network" during security operations to protect the country's sovereignty. Another proposal would require the peacekeeping force to provide "advance notification to the government for all staff, troop and asset movements," Guehenno said.
Mohamad said the agreement was under discussion.
It amazes me how often we take the same crap from these guys. This is about the fifth time that Bashir has said that he would allow peacekeepers into the country and about the fifth time he has come up with obstacles to that plan. He didn't want any attack helicopters. Then he wanted a primarily African force. Now he wants an exclusively African force.
Why? Does he really think we are this stupid? Read the last few lines - he's now proposed a communications blackout during security operations. The only reason a country would want this is to cover up something. Again, I ask, does he really think we're this stupid. You know, were I him, I'd be careful. While the dems are eager to see a pullout in Iraq, this is exactly the situation into which a military commitment would be warranted.
Who am I kidding? We don't care about Africa. We only really cared about Africa in the 1950s, primarily Liberia, and that was to protect a CIA communications center and the huge Firestone Plant there. Ironically, it was mostly run with slave labor, which we condoned at the time.
There's a little bit of irony in the knowledge that we assisted in the removal of Charles Taylor from power there.