Is the United States in the process of changing its long-term foreign policy towards certain nations which are on its list of terror sponsors? After securing a deal with Iran over its nuclear programme and restoring ties with arch-rival Cuba, Washington is now turning towards Sudan.
The US special envoy to Sudan and South Sudan Donald Booth is making a rare visit to Khartoum for talks on building bilateral ties. The visit is Booth’s first to Khartoum since September 2013, shortly after he was appointed to the post. Sudan had been blocking his visit since then. Sudan is in the US list of state sponsors of terror and a trade embargo has been in force since 1997.
The US added Cuba to the list in 1982, citing Havana’s ‘role in supporting leftist insurgents in Latin America’, but officially removed from the list in May, clearing a hurdle to re-establishing diplomatic ties. This month the US flag was raised over the American mission in Havana for the first time in 54 years. John Kerry was the first US Secretary of State to visit Cuba in 70 years.
Syria under Hafez Al Assad, the father of current ruler Bashar, was the first nation to be included in the US terror list followed by Cuba in 1982, Iran in 1984 and Sudan in 1993. Subsequently Iraq, Libya, North Korea and the former South Yemen were also included in the list, but all were removed one by one. Only three Middle Eastern countries remain in the list — Iran, Sudan and Syria.
Omar Hassan Bashir’s regime complains that the US had repeatedly broken promises to normalise bilateral relations including the removal of his nation from the terror list, despite Sudan’s cooperation in allowing a smooth and peaceful referendum in South Sudan that led to the independence of a new nation in 2011. Khartoum also claimed that the US has not rewarded it for its collaboration on counter-terrorism efforts.
Bashir’s former senior aide and current Foreign Minister Dr Ibrahim Ghandour had visited Washington in February and met with senior US officials. This was followed by a visit by a top US official for democracy, human rights and labour to Khartoum. Recent move by Obama administration has evoked some positive signs that indicated a change in US policy towards Sudan. Recognising as a valuable partner in counter-terrorism efforts, condemning military activities by Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in South Kordofan state, relaxing sanctions to allow Sudan to export smartphones and laptops and import agricultural equipment and the resumption of immigration visa processing in Sudan for the first time in nearly 20 years are seen by Bashir regime as encouraging.
Washington’s foreign policies are always centered on one agenda — global dominance. It is not a secret that countries who challenge the hegemony of the US are targeted and included in the list of terror sponsoring nations. But in the changing scenario Washington has realised that dialogue is an important method of international and diplomatic relations and it is a welcome step.
Is the United States in the process of changing its long-term foreign policy towards certain nations which are on its list of terror sponsors? After securing a deal with Iran over its nuclear programme and restoring ties with arch-rival Cuba, Washington is now turning towards Sudan.
The US special envoy to Sudan and South Sudan Donald Booth is making a rare visit to Khartoum for talks on building bilateral ties. The visit is Booth’s first to Khartoum since September 2013, shortly after he was appointed to the post. Sudan had been blocking his visit since then. Sudan is in the US list of state sponsors of terror and a trade embargo has been in force since 1997.
The US added Cuba to the list in 1982, citing Havana’s ‘role in supporting leftist insurgents in Latin America’, but officially removed from the list in May, clearing a hurdle to re-establishing diplomatic ties. This month the US flag was raised over the American mission in Havana for the first time in 54 years. John Kerry was the first US Secretary of State to visit Cuba in 70 years.
Syria under Hafez Al Assad, the father of current ruler Bashar, was the first nation to be included in the US terror list followed by Cuba in 1982, Iran in 1984 and Sudan in 1993. Subsequently Iraq, Libya, North Korea and the former South Yemen were also included in the list, but all were removed one by one. Only three Middle Eastern countries remain in the list — Iran, Sudan and Syria.
Omar Hassan Bashir’s regime complains that the US had repeatedly broken promises to normalise bilateral relations including the removal of his nation from the terror list, despite Sudan’s cooperation in allowing a smooth and peaceful referendum in South Sudan that led to the independence of a new nation in 2011. Khartoum also claimed that the US has not rewarded it for its collaboration on counter-terrorism efforts.
Bashir’s former senior aide and current Foreign Minister Dr Ibrahim Ghandour had visited Washington in February and met with senior US officials. This was followed by a visit by a top US official for democracy, human rights and labour to Khartoum. Recent move by Obama administration has evoked some positive signs that indicated a change in US policy towards Sudan. Recognising as a valuable partner in counter-terrorism efforts, condemning military activities by Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in South Kordofan state, relaxing sanctions to allow Sudan to export smartphones and laptops and import agricultural equipment and the resumption of immigration visa processing in Sudan for the first time in nearly 20 years are seen by Bashir regime as encouraging.
Washington’s foreign policies are always centered on one agenda — global dominance. It is not a secret that countries who challenge the hegemony of the US are targeted and included in the list of terror sponsoring nations. But in the changing scenario Washington has realised that dialogue is an important method of international and diplomatic relations and it is a welcome step.
