Sudan accuses US of involvement in a foiled sabotage plot

Sudan Tribune ^ | July 16, 2007 | Wasil Ali

[HAL9000]

July 16, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese government accused the US for the first time of involvement in a sabotage plot foiled yesterday.

Sudanese security services on Saturday arrested the leaders of the Umma Reform and Renewal opposition party over allegations of planning sabotage actions in the country.

The former presidential assistant was arrested along with a number of retired army generals, including retired general Mohamed Ali Hamid, who worked as deputy director of security in the late eighties, as well as former minister of tourism, Abdeljalil al-Basha.

Sudan’s preisdential adviser Nafi Ali Nafi told Al Jazeera news channel based in Qatar that Washington was behind the sabotage plot.

Nafi said that Al-Fadil and others were also planning to assasinate members of the Sudanese government.

Osman Mirghani of the daily Al-Sudani newspaper who spoke by phone to Sudan Tribune, dismissed the accusations by the Sudanese government against the US.

The prominent columnist noted that Khartoum consistently uses Washington as a "scapegoat for any problem that happens in the country".

Sudanese security and intelligence services reversed their earlier version of the plot in which they alleged that Al-Fadil sought Libyan support.

On Saturday the Sudanese government said that Libya notified them of Al-Fadil’s plans.

The contradictory statements by Sudanese officials regarding the plot cast doubt over whether the accusations are politically motivated.

Analysts speaking to Sudan Tribune say that Al-Fadil’s contacts with the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) embarrassed the ruling National Congress Party and the decided to take this measure to block any rapprochement with the Umma party in the context of the forthcoming elections.

[piasa]

JANUARY 2004 + : (SYRIA HAS BEEN SMUGGLING MISSILE & WMD COMPONENTS INTO SUDAN) LONDON [MENL] -- Syria's Defense Ministry has been smuggling missile and weapons of mass destruction components to Sudan in an apparent effort to conceal them from Western inspection. Western intelligence sources said the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad has been flying shipments of Scud C and Scud D extended-range missiles as well as WMD components to warehouses in Khartoum since at least January 2004. The sources said the Syrian shipments to Khartoum were placed on civilian airliners but authorized and directed by the Defense Ministry. "There is widespread concern in the Syrian regime that Damascus will be the next to face heavy U.S. and international pressure to open its WMD facilities in the wake of the Libyan example," a senior intelligence source said. "The Syrians have decided that they want to take some of their assets out of the country." The intelligence sources said the Sudanese regime of President Omar Bashir was not informed of the Syrian missile and WMD shipments. They said the Syrian material was sent to Khartoum as part of the increased trade relations between the two countries and processed and stored by Sudanese companies.--- "Syria Smuggles Missiles, WMD to Sudan," IMRA, April 9, 2004 , MENL

[endthematrix]

Janjaweedgate: The Janjaweed leader meets US envoy in Khartoum (facilitated by Mubarak al-Fadil)

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article3878

[TexasRepublic]

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