Designate Sudan as sponsor of terrorism is a mistake – Bashir
Jan 12, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese president Omer al-Bashir has said that classifying Sudan, as a state sponsor of terrorism, is a big mistake as there is no accurate agreed upon definition for terrorism.
Interviewed by German Frankfurter newspaper Thursday 12 January, al-Bashir said that the US Congress’ groups, which represent the Christian right and the Zionist lobby, have a primarily hostile stance against [Islamist regime in the] Sudan and always try to incite this issue.
Sudan has been on the United States list of state sponsors of terrorism since August 1993. Following a thorough intelligence review, Sudan’s Islamist government was found to be providing sanctuary, safe passage, military training, financial support and office space in Khartoum to officials of international terrorist and radical Islamic groups at that time.
On the first November 2005, US President George W. Bush has extended for one year sanctions against Sudan, a country the United States considers a sponsor of terrorism, the White House announced in a statement.
He added that the American Administration is positively looking at the existing situation in Sudan as it has affirmed that there is no terrorism or sponsoring of terrorism in Sudan.
Sudanese president, further, said that the US Administration takes what has been achieved of peace, stability and security in Sudan as evidences in this respect.
He said that the expression ‘conflict of civilizations’ is the biggest mistake made by the intellectuals in the west, adding that the normal situation is that there must be interrelation, dialogue and understanding among civilizations.
President Al-Bashir emphasized that Sudan is an Islamic country of multi religions and mutli-norms according what the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) has stipulated, and that the Islamic Sharia is the source of legislation in the north.
As for the claims of ethnic cleansing and genocide, President Al-Bashir told the German newspaper that the former US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, after visiting Darfur, had told him that there are no any indications for that matter, and then he declared otherwise after leaving the country.
(ST)