As Sudan Policy Review Continues, Senators Press U.S. Envoy for Details

The reverberations from Special Envoy Gration’s testimony on Capitol Hill last week continued to play out in the news media a week after the hearing -- unsurprisingly, given the contentious nature of the some of the assertions and proposals Gration made. A number of senators were visibly alarmed by what they heard and pushed back against the special envoy, questioning the direction U.S. policy toward Sudan seems to be heading in light of his public statements. Many members of Congress have a long history of engaging in and observing U.S. negotiations with Khartoum, so they understand well the potential of being manipulated by Khartoum to the point of paralysis. Here are some of the newsiest moments:

Senator Russ Feinfold (D-WI) pressed for evidence – enough to warrant a change in strategy from the U.S. – that Khartoum is indeed following through on its commitments:

Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) was one of a number of senators who expressed concern that the administration is sending mixed messages about the severity of the situation in the country’s beleaguered western region:

Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) sounded rather exasperated when he asked Gration to pinpoint what is holding up the resolution of the Darfur crisis:

• Sudan and South Sudan