Friday’s joint statement normalizing Sudanese ties with Israel is not sitting well with many people and political blocs within Sudan, who see this transitional government as having gone behind their backs to make an unpopular deal.
Dozens of Sundanese protested against the move in the capital. The Popular Congress Party, an influential bloc member, said the public is being isolated and marginalized by the “secret deals” and that they are not bound by that.
Former PM Sadiq al-Mahdi condemned the deal, saying it contradicts national laws and is hurting the peace process. Concern about where this puts Sudan with the Palestinians seems to be a significant issue.
A number of parties reportedly threatened to withdraw support from the transitional government if this deal was agreed to, and intend to do so now that it has happened. The leader of one of those parties, the Sudanese Ba’ath Party, said he believes the deal was a “big mistake.”
Genuine political opposition or just opposition theatrics?
The Sudanese people won’t be fooled by theatrics for long.
Sanity and honesty will eventually prevail.
Our upgraded bribe will be forthcoming. Accept or expect some kneecaps to be broken.
Such threats must be backed up by someone who can break those kneecaps.
Black Hawk Down.
Lesson learned. Drones don’t have pilots or crews.
Yes, that is the motive. But wandering anonymous assassination from the sky of unknown targets usually in error just makes more enemies and makes our problems worse.
This bluster is not and can not be backed with real ability to act. It is empty. I don’t think we’d be better off if we could back it up, but bluster without any backing is even worse.
The drone campaign makes me think of those whose conversational gambit is to drop incendiary comments and stoke hatreds. Then they “deplore” the outcome that must have.
I wasn’t trying to imply that our breaking of knees was effective or justified. When has that ever even been a consideration or a necessity? At least to us?
The US Israel Lobby has long feared democracy breaking out in the Arab world. It denigrates voter opinion as “the street” and seeks to keep it from influence.
The fall back has been unsustainable absolute monarchs and autocrats who ignore domestic political opinion. This must come to a bad end.
It almost ended in the Arab Spring, which was crushed with US help specifically to protect Israel from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf oil nations. It was sidetracked and manipulated in Syria, with equal success, as the US supported it only just enough to keep a civil war going without allowing the Arab Spring to win.
These deals with Israel defy local politics, defy the Arab Street. That can easily incite renewal of the democratic revolution that was until now prevented.