Sudan denies link between docking of Iranian warships, alleged Israeli attack
October 30, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese minister of foreign affairs Ali Karti has refused to link the arrival of Iranian warships in the country to the airstrike that destroyed an arms factory in Khartoum last week.
He went on to say that the purpose of the visit is to share naval combat experiences between the two countries.
The arrival of Iran’s ‘Shahid Naqdi’ corvette and a freighter in Port Sudan on Monday acquired significance due to the fact that it came just one week after a Sudanese military factory rumored to be linked to Iran was bombed in an airstrike Khartoum accuses Israel of conducting.
The official spokesperson of the Sudanese army (SAF), Al-Sawarmi Khalid Saad, said that the warships that will stay until Thursday present an opportunity for Sudanese naval crops to acquaint themselves with the advanced level of weaponry in Iranian warships.
Karti insisted that Israel is standing behind the attack on Al-Yarmook military factory in the suburbs of Khartoum on Tuesday, 23 October, saying that the Jewish state is using the high technology it acquired from the US in committing “childish and terrorist” acts.
The minister also insisted that the targeted factory was producing normal ammunition and that Tel Aviv realizes that Iran does not need to import weapons from Sudan. According to Karti, the strike only signifies the weakness of the Likud Party of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and its attempts to score political points.
Karti said that Israel aimed through the strike to send a message to the Israelis saying that Netanyahu is the one that protects their security and interests.
Sudan top diplomat said that Israel is now completely isolated and trying to cover up its heinous deed. He said that Sudan already filed a complaint against Israel with the UN Security Council despite their awareness that Israel’s friends will not allow the UNSC to condemn it.
(ST)