Sudan Vows No Retreat From Supporting Hamas in Aftermath of Israeli
'Aggression'
26 October 2012
Khartoum - The speaker of the Sudanese parliament, Ahmad Ibrahim Al-Tahir,
declared on Thursday that the Israeli attack on Al-Yarmook arms factory will
not deter his country from continuing its support to the Palestinian
Islamist movement Hamas.
During an emergency meeting of the parliament's affairs committee in the
capital Khartoum, Al-Tahir stressed that the "Israeli aggression" will not
prevent Sudan from fulfilling its duties towards the causes of the Arab and
African people.
"If Israel is targeting Sudan because of its stand on the side of the
Palestinian resistance, then Sudan will continue down that road as dictated
by the religion, history and fate it shares with the Palestinian people" he
added.
Israel neither denied nor confirmed responsibility for the airstrike that
Sudan says it caused the destruction of AL-Yarmook military factory in the
capital Khartoum at the midnight of Tuesday, 23 October. But it is known
that the Jewish state sees the Muslim east African country as an ally of its
arch enemy Iran as well as a conduit for arms smuggling activities toward
the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
Al-Tahir warned that by this attack Israel has rendered itself in "a state
of war" with Sudan and that the latter will respond in kind. The parliament
later issued a statement condemning Israel for "using high-tech to execute a
criminal deed that violated all laws"
For its part, Hamas issued a statement on Thursday condemning the alleged
Israeli attack saying it proves that Tel Aviv "continues to violate
international laws and international norms, and to exercise state terrorism
not only against Palestinian people." The statement reiterated Hamas's
support to the people and government of Sudan, and praised their backing of
Palestinian people and their rights.
In a related development, Sudanese authorities alleged on Thursday that the
attack, which Khartoum says was executed by four fighter jets that used
high-technology to jam the country's radars and violates its airspace, could
have had worse effects if it was not for their quick response.
The commissioner of Khartoum State, Omer Nimir, said that the competent
authorities managed to contain the damage inflicted on the factory and
defuse many bombs before they explode.
Meanwhile, Sudanese officials continue to fulminate against the attack which
Khartoum also alleges it killed two people.
Sudan President Omer Al-Bashir, in a speech before the emergency meeting of
the cabinet on Wednesday, accused Israel of targeting Sudan because of its
position against the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
He also said that the attack's aim was to weaken Sudan's defense
capabilities and stop its progress in the field of military production.
Sudan claims the factory was only used for the production of light weapons.
The country's media minister Ahmad Bilal Osman said on Wednesday that Israel
attacked the factory based upon false intelligence that it was being used
for the production of nuclear arms.
A Sudanese opposition daily was shut down in 2010 after it published a
report alleging that a military factory in Khartoum was being used to
manufacture and supply arms to Hamas, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and
Al-Shabab in Somalia. Sudan and Iran signed a military cooperation agreement
in 2008.
Al-Yarmook is affiliated to Sudan's Military Industry Corporation whose
website says it also runs two other military factories, both located in
Khartoum. MIC claims its products conform to the international civil and
military standards.
The Sudanese president acknowledged that Sudan will not be able to import
defense systems to prevent jamming of its radars or counter the high
technology with which the attack was carried out. He however said that the
only hope is to continue their reliance on "local minds" and support of
scientific research in order to reach high military technology.
Al-Bashir promised that the authorities will compensate the citizens who
lost properties as a result of the attack, and lauded the joint stand of
Sudanese people against the attack that targeted their gains and those of
the country as a whole.
Vice-President Ali Osman Mohammed Taha told a gathering of supporters in
front of the cabinet building in Khartoum following Wednesday's meeting that
"it's time for this state [Israel] be put in her place"
The leadership bureau of Sudan's ruling National Congress Party (NCP) also
held an emergency meeting that lasted until the early hours of Thursday
under the chairmanship of President Omer Al-Bashir.
Following the meeting, the NCP issued a statement urging world powers and
friendly states to condemn the attack in the strongest terms and apply
international law against the perpetrators.
The statement maintained that Sudan reserves the right to respond to the
attack and called on the government to wage an international outreach
campaign to condemn it.
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Received on Fri Oct 26 2012 - 17:37:32 EDT
