NATO TV Channel: AU to develop co-operation with NATO

A GROUP of high level officials from the African Union (AU) visited NATO’s Headquarters and the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Belgium on Thursday and Friday.

NATO and the AU have developed an increasingly fruitful practical cooperation since 2005. NATO supported the AU Mission in Sudan and is currently assisting the AU mission in Somalia in terms of air- and sea-lift, but also planning support.

NATO is also providing training opportunities and capacity building support to the AU’s long term peacekeeping capabilities, in particular the African Standby Force. This reflects the shared objective of bringing security and stability to Africa, added the statement.

Full report here below.

AFRICAN UNION TO DEVELOP COOPERATION WITH NATO
(NNN-KUNA) via NAM News Network, Saturday, 20 February 2010:

BRUSSELS, Feb 20 (NNN-KUNA) — A group of high level officials from the African Union (AU) led by Sivuyile Thandikhaya Bam, head of the Peace Support Operations Division of the AU, visited NATO’s Headquarters and the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Belgium on Thursday and Friday.

“Our visit here is to take forward some discussions that we had with NATO on how to improve the African Unions ability to provide better management support to peace missions,” Bam told the NATO TV channel.

On its part, the 28-member Alliance said in a statement Friday night that the visit provided a good opportunity for an open and constructive dialogue on a variety of issues, particularly NATO’s role in the new security environment and the further development of practical cooperation between NATO and the AU.

NATO and the AU have developed an increasingly fruitful practical cooperation since 2005. NATO supported the AU Mission in Sudan and is currently assisting the AU mission in Somalia in terms of air- and sea-lift, but also planning support.

NATO is also providing training opportunities and capacity building support to the AU’s long term peacekeeping capabilities, in particular the African Standby Force.

This reflects the shared objective of bringing security and stability to Africa, added the statement. — NNN-KUNA

S. Kordofan, Sudan - On Mon Feb 15: Kiir, Haroun Discuss Census, Elections, Border Demarcation

THE Governor of South Kordofan, Ahmed Haroun announced that the Conference of the Bordering Northern and Southern States will be held during February 27 - 28, with participation of ministers of the federal and south Sudan governments. Full report here below.

Kiir, Haroun Discuss Census, Elections, Border Demarcation,
From Sudan Vision Daily.com, Wednesday, 17 February 2010:

Neighbouring States Conference

(SUNA ) - The First Vice-President of the Republic and President of the Government of South Sudan (GoSS), Gen. Salva Kiir, Monday discussed with a high-level delegation headed by the Governor of South Kordofan, Ahmed Haroun, a number of issues pertinent to the census and its relation with the elections, work of the election commission, the post-referendum situation, demarcation of the border and the specialty of South Kordofan State in the coming elections.

Haroun announced that the Conference of the Bordering Northern and Southern States will be held during February 27 - 28, with participation of ministers of the federal and south Sudan governments.

The Minister of Information and Broadcasting in the Government of South Sudan, Paul Akej, said that the delegation's visit aims to discussing a number of issues that will be reviewed at the coming visit of the Presidency.

CPA Partners in South Kurdofan Affirm Peace, Elections Sustainability
From Sudan Vision Daily, Wednesday, 17 February 2010:

(Khartoum – Al-Sammani Awadallah) - South Kordofan Governor, Ahmed Haroun and his deputy Abdul Aziz Al-Hilu affirmed that the NCP and the SPLM are working jointly and seriously to develop constructive options over the disputes in the State to enable the Presidency issue the convenient decisions to resolve the disputes in its meeting of next Saturday.

Haroun and Al-Hilu said in a joint statement that the partnership spirit and the constructive coordination dominated the work in the state in the last six months represents a supply for resolving the existing problem over the elections in the state.

The governor and his deputy affirmed that they will concentrate in dealing with the problem in peace issue as it is the essential issue and that the elections are a fruit of peace process and one of the important stations for peace sustainability.

Red Crescent Monitors HIV Rates in Eastern Sudan

SPEAKING to SRS at Wad Sharifay refugee camp on the outskirts of Kassala town on Wednesday, the Health Coordinator of the Sudanese Red Crescent Society, Dr. Badaradeen Badawi Mohammed, says that out of 600 tested people only 3 cases of HIV infection were reported. Full report here below.

Red Crescent Monitors HIV Rates in Eastern Sudan
From Sudan Radio Service (SRS) on Thursday, 18 February 2010:

(Wad Sharifay) - The Sudanese Red Crescent Society says that the rate of HIV infection in the refugees’ camps in Eastern Sudan is lower than the rates of towns like Kassala.

Speaking to SRS at Wad Sharifay refugee camp on the outskirts of Kassala town on Wednesday, the Health Coordinator of the Sudanese Red Crescent Society, Dr. Badaradeen Badawi Mohammed, says that out of 600 tested people only 3 cases of HIV infection were reported.

[Dr. Badaradeen Badawi Mohamed]: “At the VCT centre here more than 600 people have come to us and there are only three cases that were positive. There is cooperation between us and the Ministry of Health. If there are cases that need solutions, for example, a person may need antiretroviral drugs, we would refer them to the teaching hospital in Kassala where they receive treatment regularly. In fact now we need to carry out a survey in order to know the magnitude of the problem. Also we have a surveillance program where pregnant women come to the clinic and we take their blood samples and send it to the Federal Ministry of Health in order to test and record the rate of infection and truly we found out also that the rate was much lower than one percent in our camps. The rate of infection in camps is lower than in the city.”

Dr. Badawi denied accusations that the presence of refugees in Eastern Sudan is the cause of high rates of HIV prevalence in Kassala state.

[Dr. Badaradeen Badawi Mohamed]: “It is not true because refugees have been in camps years before HIV and AIDS were discovered. These refugees have been here in this area for more than thirty years. So they have been here before the disease was discovered but there are indicators among recent refuges and there was a need to carry out a survey amongst them in order to find out the prevalence rate. Of course the prevalence rate of HIV in Eritrea is higher than Sudan. Perhaps the new arrivals may have an impact but there is supposed to be an additional program for the new arrivals of refugees and they are now at the Shagarab area. There is an awareness programs and condoms are available at Shagarab."

He said the World Bank supports the HIV and AIDS awareness campaign amongst refugees in camps in Eastern Sudan through the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, IGAD.

Trainers from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) are training Hamas activists in Sudan?

Report: IRGC Training Hamas Operatives In Sudan
From The MEMRI Blog, Thursday, 18 February 2010 - copy in full:

The Al-Qanat website reports, citing Western intelligence sources, that trainers from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) are training Hamas activists in firing surface-to-surface missiles in Sudan, and that 14 activists from Gaza were part of the first group of trainees, two months ago.

To View The Full Report, Click Here.

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Posted at: 2010-02-18

Note, JTTM Consulting is a Division of MEMRI (The Middle East Media Research Institute). Click here for more about MEMRI.

UPDATE Sat 20 Feb 2010 - Note this snippet from Taiwan News.com NEW THIS DIGEST by Associated Press, 20 Feb 2010:

RUSSIA-IRAN
MOSCOW - Russia's foreign minister says he is "very alarmed" over Iran's failure to prove its nuclear program is peaceful, suggesting Moscow may be closer to acceding to Western demands for new U.N. sanctions against Tehran. By David Nowak and Edith M. Lederer.

Eritrean President Afwerki holds special US interest groups responsible for imposing UNSC sanctions against Eritrea

Quote of the Day

"If Sudan is peaceful and prosperous, I benefit. If Ethiopia is peaceful and prosperous, I benefit. If Somalia is peaceful I benefit." - Eritrean President Afwerki, February 2010.

Source: News report from Sudan Vision Daily by Massawa, Editor-in-Chief - SV, Saturday, 20 February 2010 @ 00:20:00 GMT. Full copy:

Eritrean President Refutes Claims of Supporting Somali Islamic groups - Describes Sanctions as Unjustifiable. Afwerki Criticizes ICC Move towards Sudanese President as baseless Legally, Politically

Eritrean President rejected categorically claims that his country supports Somali Islamic groups, describing UNSC sanctions against Eritrea as of no legal or political justification.

"Our position has always been that we cannot support one (group) against the other", says Afwerki.

While he declined to directly accuse US administration, Afwerki holds special US interest groups responsible of imposing the resolution on the UNSC members. "It was (the sanctions) a result of the frustrations of United States special interest groups who have for the last twenty years failed to achieve their goals in Somalia and horn of Africa," he added.

In an interview with Sudan Vision last Saturday in Massawa, Afwerki regretted the move of IGAD, AU to recommend sanction against his nation. "How can Africa recommend sanctions against one member-nation without any evidences or even justification for that action?" he said affirming the necessity of regional peace. "If Sudan is peaceful and prosperous, I benefit. If Ethiopia is peaceful and prosperous, I benefit. If Somalia is peaceful I benefit."

Asked about the Sudanese Eritrean relation, Afwerki said that it's at its best. On Saturday the Eritrean people celebrated the 20th anniversary of Fenkil Operation which is considered as one of the historic victories in the 30 year-long Eritrean struggle for independence. A Sudanese official delegation headed by Red Sea State governor, Dr. Mohammed Tahir Ella represented Sudan in Massawa celebrations. Last Thursday both Red Sea state governor, and Sudan Airways general manager inaugurated a new flight connecting Port Sudan with Asmara.

The Eritrean President reaffirmed his position in rejecting the ICC move against the Sudanese President. "This is not justified legally and politically. Now, even the United States is not a signatory to the Rome Convention or what they call it. What are the concrete evidences?" he asked pointing out to the conflicting reports about deaths in Darfur. "How can you rely on those who provided these evidences in the names of NGOs, in the names of humanitarian organizations and in different organizations and witnesses to have come with evidences to indict the President to the ICC," said Afwerki.

President Afwerki indicated that the border conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia is the main issue behind the current developments. "Even when we went to arbitration and a verdict was given on the border conflict eight years ago they bogged every possibility of solving this problem because they want to keep Eritrea and Ethiopia hostage with a border dispute pending without any solution and they can easily manipulate the whole situation here."

Eastern Sudan: Kassala State Poorest in Sudan - UNHCR

Kassala is a state in Eastern Sudan. Comparing life in Kassala state with life in the refugee camps, the Head of UNHCR’s Kassala office, Dr. Mohamed Dualeh claims that refugees in camps in Eastern Sudan receive better services than the host communities. Click here for a WHO Briefing Map showing Sudan States & States Capitals February 2006.

Kassala State Poorest in Sudan - UNHCR
From Sudan Radio Service (SRS), Thursday, 18 February 2010:

(Kassala) - The United Nations Refugee Agency, the UNHCR, says Kassala state is one the poorest states in Sudan because it has been neglected by both the government and the international community.

In an interview with SRS in Kassala town on Wednesday, the Head of UNHCR’s Kassala office, Dr. Mohamed Dualeh explains why he thinks Kassala is the poorest state in Sudan.

[Dr. Mohamed Dualeh]: “Kassala state is one of the poorest in Sudan. It is poorer than some parts of Darfur and a lot of the south. But, if you look at all the indicators, it is a neglected part of the country. Neglected by the international community, neglected by the UN, neglected by UN agencies, there was little aid coming in as a peace dividend after the signing of the Eastern Peace Agreement. Therefore, I think there is no justification now not to provide the assistance the east needs. We are waiting to see it happen. Not just words, but action. Action from the UN, action from the donors, and action from the government.”

Dr. Dualeh describes the indicators that he says suggest that Kassala the poorest state in Sudan.

[Dr. Mohamed Dualeh]: “Maternal mortality is very high, child mortality is very high and illiteracy is also very high. I think 57% of people who live in Kassala state do not read and write. Unemployment is very high but at the same time, this is a border state. In the last few years the rains were very erratic, there were less rains. Therefore, there is a drought looming. If there is a failure in terms of agricultural production as well as unemployment, with all other indicators, I think we may run into emergencies in the long term unless we can prevent it now.”

Comparing life in Kassala state with life in the refugee camps, Dr. Dualeh claims that refugees in camps in Eastern Sudan receive better services than the host communities.

[Dr. Mohamed Dualeh]: “Refugees receive better services than the neighboring Sudanese villages. They receive better water systems, they receive better education, they receive better health care than the neighboring villages and I think if we want to do justice, we should be doing justice for those Sudanese living in the surrounding villages. I wish you had gone to Umgargora Refugee camp and the next village, Karkora they are identical villages. Umugargora receives everything, the other one does not receive anything. Therefore, if you want to do justice, I think we should be doing justice for the local population in the area.”

Dr. Mohamed Dualeh was talking to SRS in Kassala.

More News from SRS - Sudan Radio Service:

19-Feb-2010

• US Special Envoy Calls on Darfur Armed Groups to End Conflict and Emphasizes Civilian Security
• Bitter Start to Election Campaign in Khartoum
• Clamp Down on Human Trafficking at Sudan-Eritrean Border
• GONU Passes Anti-Mine Legislation
• Two Arrested after UNAMID Shootings in Nyala
• GOSS and WHO Launch Polio Vaccination Campaign
• Sudan Sports Latest

18-Feb-2010

• US Envoy Says Succesful Elections Depend on Democratic Transformation
• SPLM to Suspend Membership of Independent Candidates
• SAF Refuses To Confirm Ukrainian Tank Deal
• SSDF Announces Manifesto in Juba
• Red Crescent Monitors HIV Rates in Eastern Sudan
• Kassala State Poorest in Sudan - UNHCR
• Serbian Analyst Argues for Delay in Sudan Elections
• US Youth Group Campaigns for Attractive Unity
• Sudan Sports Latest

Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) refuses to confirm Ukrainian tank deal

A Russian newspaper, Vremya Novostei, reports that Ukraine is selling the Sudanese government 100 T-72M tanks via the Ukrainian company, Ukrspetsexport.

SPLA are not allowed to buy weapons from abroad, according to the CPA.

UN Security Council resolutions 1556 and 1591 prohibit the sale of arms to warring parties in the Darfur region where SAF is combating armed anti-government groups.

Source: SRS report here below.

SAF Refuses To Confirm Ukrainian Tank Deal
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Thursday, 18 February 2010:

(Khartoum) - A Russian newspaper, Vremya Novostei, reports that Ukraine is selling the Sudanese government 100 T-72M tanks via the Ukrainian company, Ukrspetsexport.

Afrik website reports that the weapons company is shipping the tanks to Port Sudan as part of a 70 million USD contract.

The Sudan Armed Forces said that they deal openly with Russia in purchasing different types of weapons and ammunitions, but they weren’t prepared to confirm the Ukrainian tank contract.

SAF office spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Al-Sawarmi Khalid, spoke to SRS from Khartoum on Thursday.

[Lieutenant-Colonel Al-Sawarmi Khalid]: “We will not talk about the type of weapons that come to Sudan or the type of weapons we are arming SAF with, but trade and co-operation between us and Russia is open, whether it is in the field of airplanes, tanks or other equipment. There is no problem with that, but what the report says about the tanks particularly, we can’t confirm that.”

Khalid says that neither the international treaties nor the CPA bans SAF from buying weapons.

[Lieutenant-Colonel Al-Sawarmi Khalid]: “According to international treaties, or the agreement between us and the SPLM, there is nothing indicating that SAF is banned from buying or dealing in weapons. But the SPLA are not allowed to buy weapons from abroad, according to the CPA.”

UN Security Council resolutions 1556 and 1591 prohibit the sale of arms to warring parties in the Darfur region where SAF is combating armed anti-government groups.

Click on blue FAINA label here below for related reports.

ICC WAR CRIME ALERT: On Tue Feb 16 - Gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles opened fire on peacekeepers close to El-Sherif camp, nr Nyala, S. Darfur, Sudan

THIS is a war crime alert to the ICC. Gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles opened fire on a police patrol from the joint U.N./African Union UNAMID peacekeeping force near the South Darfur capital Nyala in western Sudan on Tuesday afternoon (16 Feb 2010), the latest in a series of attacks on the mission.

The attackers waited for the patrol close to El-Sherif refugee camp, 17km (10 miles) south of Nyala, and the peacekeepers were wounded as they returned fire, said UNAMID.

UNAMID initially said two of the police were in a critical condition but on Thursday said that had risen to four.

The spokesman, Noureddine Mezni, said Thursday government troops captured the two suspects outside the south Darfur capital of Nyala a day earlier. Authorities also recovered one of two U.N.-AU vehicles stolen in the attack.

The gunmen escaped in two UNAMID vehicles, one of which was recovered by the Sudanese authorities who made Wednesday's arrests, Mezni said. U.N. officials said it was unclear whether they had set out to shoot peacekeepers or to steal vehicles.

"Any attack on peacekeepers is tantamount to a war crime," said UNAMID mission head Ibrahim Gambari in a statement late on Wednesday after he visited the police in hospital.

AS NOTED here many times before, the targeting of peacekeepers is a war crime under article 82C1 of the Rome Statute.

Here is a copy of some recent news reports, starting with latest.

Two Arrested after UNAMID Shootings in Nyala
From Sudan Radio Service (SRS), Friday, 19 February 2010:

(El Fashir) - Sudanese authorities have arrested two men in connection with the shooting of the seven Pakistani peacekeepers in Darfur on Tuesday.

Unknown gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles opened fire on a UNAMID police patrol near Nyala, in South Darfur. Seven peacekeepers were injured.

UNAMID spokesperson Nouraddine Mezni spoke to SRS on Friday from Darfur.

[Nouraddine Mezni]: “Two suspects were arrested outside Nyala, in an area called Kass. Sudanese military also found one of the two vehicles which were hijacked and we are working with the Sudanese authorities on the investigation and we want a rapid trial for these responsible so that they will serve as an example for the future to those who even think of attacking UNAMID personnel. There is an improvement in the condition of the seven UNAMID police injured during the ambush. Four of them are still in a critical condition. Three are stable but in a serious condition. We are strengthening the security measures everywhere in Darfur. We also have 5 tactical helicopters which will help us in similar cases in the future.”

Twenty-two UNAMID police and soldiers have been killed in carjacking, attacks and ambushes since the force was deployed in 2008.

Sudan condemns attack on Darfur peacekeepers
From Sudan Tribune, Friday 19 February 2010:

February 19, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese government has strongly condemned the attack on UNAMID police patrol on Tuesday in South Darfur, wounding seven Pakistani soldiers.

[Photo] An Indonesian police officer talks to children as he patrols Zamzam refugee camp in North Darfur Feb 8, 2010. (Reuters)

The Sudanese government arrested two people suspected of taking part in the attack. Noureddine Mezni, the UNAMID spokesperson said today the Sudanese authorities captured one of the two vehicles carjacked by the gunmen.

In a statement released Thursday the foreign ministry denounced the attack saying it would spear no effort to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The government further pledged to intensify cooperation with the hybrid operation to prevent such attack on the future against the UNAMID and its personnel.

Ibrahim Gambari the new head of UNAMID met today with Mutrif Siddig, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss the attack.

Qmbari stressed the continued consultation and cooperation between the government and UNAMID in order to enable the hybrid operation to carry out its duties in the best conditions. For his part, Mutrif Siddig, stressed the Government’s commitment to support and facilitate the task of UNAMID in Sudan. (ST)

Sudan arrests two assailants of Darfur peacekeepers
From Sudan Tribune, Thursday, 18 February 2010:

February 18, 2009 (KHARTOUM) —Sudanese army arrested today two persons suspected of attacking Pakistani peacekeepers in near Nyala, South Darfur state, two days ago.

Nourredine Mezni, UNAMID official spokesperson told Sudan Tribune by telephone today from El-Fasher that two men suspected to be involved in an attack on Pakistani peacekeepers in Sudan’s Darfur region.

The assailant wounded seven soldiers one of them in critical condition transported to Khartoum.

The head of the Mission, Ibrahim Gambari travelled yesterday to Nyala to visit the wounded police officers at the UNAMID’s hospital. He was accompanied by the Mission Force Commander Lt Gen Patrick Nyambvumba.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon urged the Sudanese government to immediately probe the incident and to ensure that the perpetrators are swiftly identified and brought to justice. (ST)

2 arrested for ambush on UN-AU Darfur peacekeepers
(AP) – Thursday, 18 February 2010:

KHARTOUM, Sudan — A spokesman for the international peacekeeping mission in Darfur says Sudanese authorities have arrested two people in connection with an ambush earlier this week on joint U.N.-African Union forces.

Noureddine Mezni said Thursday government troops captured the two suspects outside the south Darfur capital of Nyala a day earlier. Authorities also recovered one of two U.N.-AU vehicles stolen in the attack.

The arrests come after gunmen attacked a police convoy outside Nyala on Tuesday, wounding seven Pakistani police officers serving with the U.N.-AU force. Four of them are in critical condition. [...]

Sudan arrests two over Darfur peacekeeper shooting
From Reuters, Thursday, 18 February 2010; 2:54 AM
(Reporting by Andrew Heavens; Editing by Louise Ireland):

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese authorities arrested two men in connection with the shooting of seven Pakistani peacekeepers in Darfur, officials said on Thursday.

Gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles opened fire on a police patrol from the joint U.N./African Union UNAMID peacekeeping force near the South Darfur capital Nyala on Tuesday afternoon, the latest in a series of attacks on the mission.

UNAMID initially said two of the police were in a critical condition but on Thursday said that had risen to four.

"The Sudanese authorities have arrested two people in connection with the attack," UNAMID spokesman Noureddine Mezni told Reuters. "This will serve as a lesson to anyone who even thinks of attacking us in the future."

A total of 22 UNAMID police and soldiers have been killed in carjackings, attacks and ambushes as law and order has collapsed in the remote western region, where mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms against the government in 2003.

The gunmen escaped in two UNAMID vehicles, one of which was recovered by the Sudanese authorities who made Wednesday's arrests, Mezni said. U.N. officials said it was unclear whether they had set out to shoot peacekeepers or to steal vehicles.

"Any attack on peacekeepers is tantamount to a war crime," said UNAMID mission head Ibrahim Gambari in a statement late on Wednesday after he visited the police in hospital.

The attackers waited for the patrol close to El-Sherif refugee camp, 17km (10 miles) south of Nyala, and the peacekeepers were wounded as they returned fire, said UNAMID.

Seven years of fighting in Darfur has forced an estimated 2.7 million to flee their homes and killed up to 300,000, according to the United Nations. Khartoum, which accuses Western media of exaggerating the conflict, puts the toll at 10,000.

UNAMID says it is still short of vital equipment, including military helicopters, needed in its efforts to keep the peace in a region the size of Spain.

More than two years after UNAMID arrived, the mostly African force only has about 80 percent of its full deployment of 26,000 police and soldiers on the ground.

Seven UNAMID Peacekeepers Wounded Near Nyala
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Wednesday, 17 February 2010:

(Nairobi) - Seven UNAU peacekeepers in Darfur were injured and two vehicles were looted by an unknown armed group in southern Darfur.

In an interview with SRS on Wednesday, UNAMID spokesman Noureddine Mezni said that the attackers shot at an armed UNAMID police patrol near Nyala.

[Noureddine Mezni]: “The attack was against UNAMID police while they were returning from a routine patrol around Nyala town in South Darfur. They were ambushed and fired at by an unknown group. Because of this, seven UNAMID personnel were injured. Two of them are in a serious condition and the other five are in a stable state. One of the injured was airlifted to Khartoum.”

The head of UNAMID, Dr. Ibrahim Gambari, is expected to visit the wounded police officers in Nyala town on Wednesday.

About 22 peacekeepers have been killed in separate incidents in Darfur since the mission took over from the African Union force in 2008.

U.N. calls on Sudan to probe attack on peacekeepers
From Reuters, Wednesday, 17 February 2010 2:13pm EST:

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Wednesday for the Sudanese government to investigate an attack on peacekeepers in Darfur, a U.N. spokeswoman said.

"The secretary-general calls on the government of Sudan to launch an immediate investigation into this incident and to ensure that the perpetrators are swiftly identified and brought to justice," spokeswoman Marie Okabe told reporters.

Unidentified gunmen opened fire on Pakistani peacekeepers in Sudan's Darfur region Tuesday, wounding seven, two of them seriously, in the latest in a string of attacks on the U.N./African Union force, or UNAMID, officials said.

The ambush of the unarmed police patrol near Nyala, capital of South Darfur, followed reports of a resurgence of fighting in Sudan's violent west that has forced thousands to flee, according to UNAMID.

Twenty-two UNAMID soldiers and police have been killed in ambushes, carjackings and other violent incidents since they took over from a beleaguered African Union force at the beginning of 2008.

The conflict in Darfur flared in 2003, when mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms against Sudan's government, accusing it of neglecting the region. Estimates of the total death count range from 10,000 according to Khartoum, to 300,000 according to the United Nations.

Gunmen injure seven peacekeepers in Sudan's Darfur
From Reuters by Andrew Heavens in Khartoum (Editing by Michael Roddy)
Tuesday, 16 February 2010 3:41pm EST - excerpt:

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Unidentified gunmen opened fire on Pakistani peacekeepers in Sudan's Darfur region on Tuesday, injuring seven, two of them seriously, in the latest in a string of attacks on the force, officials said.

The ambush came just hours after the joint U.N./African Union UNAMID mission took delivery of its first five military helicopters, ending a wait of more than two years for air support in Sudan's rebellious west.

The attackers shot at an armed UNAMID police patrol near Nyala, capital of South Darfur, escaping with two police vehicles, UNAMID spokesman Noureddine Mezni told Reuters.

"It was an ambush this afternoon. Two of the seven were critically wounded ... This is very serious. We are a peacekeeping mission but we do not have a comprehensive peace to keep," he said.

A total of 22 UNAMID soldiers and police have died in ambushes, carjackings and other violent incidents since they took over from a beleaguered African Union force at the beginning of 2008.

Mezni said one of the critically injured men was evacuated to Khartoum, while the other was too seriously injured to move from hospital in Nyala, where the five others were being treated.

A U.N. official said the injured men came from Pakistan. [...]

More News from Sudan Radio Service:

19-Feb-2010

• US Special Envoy Calls on Darfur Armed Groups to End Conflict and Emphasizes Civilian Security
• Bitter Start to Election Campaign in Khartoum
• Clamp Down on Human Trafficking at Sudan-Eritrean Border
• GONU Passes Anti-Mine Legislation
• GOSS and WHO Launch Polio Vaccination Campaign
• Sudan Sports Latest

On Mon Feb 15: Jebel Marra, W. Darfur, W. Sudan: SLM-AWNur clashes with gov't forces in Kidinir and Laba or internal wrangling?

ON MONDAY, 15 February 2010, the advisor to the secretary of information in the SLM faction, Musa Ahmed Mohammed, told Sudan Radio Service (SRS) that there have been clashes between the movement and government forces in Kidinir and Laba.

However, another SLM field commander in the Western Jebel Marra section of the Abdelwahid-controlled area, Mohammed Sharaf, denied that clashes with the government occurred, saying that there was internal wrangling within the movement.

The UNAMID spokesperson, Noureddine Mezni, appealed to those involved to end the fighting.

[Noureddine Mezni]: “We received some reports from Jebel Marra about the tension there and also the fights and clashes between some groups together with reports about the government and Abdelwahid’s group but because we don’t have an office there we can’t give proper details or confirm the reports that we are getting. However, we do appeal to the groups to stop fighting so that the UNAMID can be able to go to that area.”

The attacks come while other anti-government groups who have been meeting in Doha since 24 January are seeking to reach common ground ahead of direct talks with the government delegation.

Read full story:
Unrest in Jebel Marra - SLM Clashes with SAF or Internal Wrangling?
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Tuesday, 16 February 2010:

(Nairobi) - The anti-government group, the Sudan Liberation Movement-Abdelwahid al-Nur faction says its troops clashed with government forces on Monday in Jebel Marra, Western Darfur.

The advisor to the secretary of information in the SLM faction, Musa Ahmed Mohammed, told SRS on Monday that there have been clashes between the movement and government forces in Kidinir and Laba.

[Musa Ahmed]: “A group from the government moved to the area of Kidinir and clashed with a group from Abdelwahid’s SLM yesterday at around 11.30. Our forces however managed to push the government forces backwards and at the moment SLM is in control of that place and also in Laiba. SAF and Janjaweed clashed with our forces yesterday and the day before yesterday. These clashes had a negative effect on the government side and now the SLM is in full control of the Laba area.”

However, another SLM field commander in the Western Jebel Marra section of the Abdelwahid-controlled area, Mohammed Sharaf, denied that clashes with the government occurred, saying that there was internal wrangling within the movement.

[Mohammed Sharaf]: “There were no clashes between the government and us. What happened was that, amongst us there are people who claim that they belong to Abdelwahid’s group and they disagree on the unity issue. We had agreed in the past that there should be unity between us but there are people who do not want unity and they started to create problems with some of the leaders who are pro-unity like Abdallah Abakar and others. And so yesterday they rented around 500 horses from the Arab tribes and entered some SLM areas and stole a lot of things.”

The UNAMID spokesperson, Noureddine Mezni, appealed to those involved to end the fighting.

[Noureddine Mezni]: “We received some reports from Jebel Marra about the tension there and also the fights and clashes between some groups together with reports about the government and Abdelwahid’s group but because we don’t have an office there we can’t give proper details or confirm the reports that we are getting. However, we do appeal to the groups to stop fighting so that the UNAMID can be able to go to that area.”

The attacks come while other anti-government groups who have been meeting in Doha since 24 January are seeking to reach common ground ahead of direct talks with the government delegation.

- - -

HERE is a copy of a report published by Sudan Tribune, Wednesday, 17 February 2010 re clashes between SAF & SLM-AWNur in northern and southern Jebel Marra. Note that, reportedly, also in Jebel Moon, western Darfur, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said it had cleared the region from “criminal bandits” backed by the Sudanese army.

UNAMID calls for "maximum restraint" in Darfur
From Sudan Tribune, Wednesday, 17 February 2010:

February 16, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – Darfur peacekeepers have called on the Sudanese warring parties to exercise maximum restraint to save the lives of thousands of civilians displaced by the recent surge of violence in the region.

[Photo] Darfuri refugees camp out on the border, near Birak, a few kilometeres from the border with Sudan, March 6, 2008. (Reuters)

Sudanese army attacked this week the positions of the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid Al Nur (SLM-AW) in northern and southern Jebel Marra. The attacks occurred while other rebel groups gathered in Doha for peace talks with the government, but SLM-AW refuses to join the negotiating table.

Also in Jebel Moon, western Darfur, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said it had cleared the region from “criminal bandits” backed by the Sudanese army. Pro-Government press reported last week clashes between JEM and troops loyal to Minni Minnawi, former rebel leader turned Senior Presidential Assistant.

"UNAMID’s peacekeeping forces are increasing their security presence in and around the region, to prevent a further escalation in the violence, said a press statement released Tuesday by the hybrid operation.

It also pointed out to its close collaboration with aid agencies to urgently meet the humanitarian needs of the newly displaced peoples.

The new head of the Mission, Ibrahim Gambari, discussed the military escalation in Darfur last week with government and rebel delegations and voiced his "grave concerns".

"Such confrontations may negatively affect the ongoing peace process, which has recently seen significant strides towards bringing stability to the region," he said.

The UN says up to 300,000 people have died and 2.7 million fled their homes since ethnic minority rebels in the western region of Darfur first rose up against the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum in February 2003.

The Sudanese government disputes the death toll saying 10,000 people died. (ST)

On Tue Feb 9: Gunmen on horseback raided Baytari refugee camp in Kass, S. Darfur, Sudan - 2 IDPs shot dead, 10 injured

A patrol of UNAMID peacekeepers on Tuesday, 09 February 2010, saw armed horsemen riding into a refugee camp at Kass in South Darfur, western Sudan while others surrounded the settlement, one senior U.N. official said on condition of anonymity. "They were members of an Arab militia, apparently related to the man who was killed. They were shooting sporadically when they entered the camp," the official told Reuters. Full story here below.

Militias raid Darfur camp, kill two refugees
From Reuters by Andrew Heavens in El-Fasher, Darfur, Sudan
(Additional reporting by Opheera McDoom in Khartoum; Editing by Randy Fabi)
Wednesday, 10 February 2010 6:06am EST - excerpt:

EL-FASHER, Sudan (Reuters) - Militias raided a Darfur refugee camp, shooting dead two people and injuring at least 10 in an escalation of tensions in Sudan's restive west, witnesses and U.N. officials said Wednesday.

The raid followed the murder of a militia member's relative who appeared to be searching the camps in Kass, South Darfur for the suspect, U.N. officials in Darfur said.

"The Janjaweed (militia) came in on horses and camels and were looting and shooting," Adam Ali, a resident in the Baytari camp in Kass town, told Reuters by telephone. "They burned many huts and looted the people's belongings." [...]

A patrol of U.N./African Union UNAMID peacekeepers on Tuesday saw armed horsemen riding into the camp, while others surrounded the settlement, one senior U.N. official said on condition of anonymity.

"They were members of an Arab militia, apparently related to the man who was killed. They were shooting sporadically when they entered the camp," the official told Reuters.

Ali said four people were killed, but the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) put the death toll at two, with 10 injured.

"Ten IDPs (internally displaced people) were taken to Kass hospital. Another two were shot dead," said OCHA spokesman Samuel Hendricks.

"It is concerning because it shows the level of tension. Things can easily escalate and get out of control," he added. [...]

On Sat Feb 6: Seven killed in clashes between SPLA & Messiriya in Abiemnom, Unity state, S. Sudan

On Tuesday, 9 February 2010, Sudan Army Forces (SAF) spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel al-Sawarmi Khalid denied that SAF had armed the Messiriya.

The spokesperson told SRS - Sudan Radio Service that: "It is illegal for the Messiriya to use SAF uniforms or equipment. There are Messiriya nomads who were recruited by the SPLA and they were given uniforms and military ranks and they started saying that they belonged to the SPLA and this caused a lot of problems".

SPLA spokesperson Kuol Diem Kuol also spoke to SRS about the attack. Mr. Kuol said that he thought the recent attack was a violent response on the part of the Messiriya to a civil disarmament campaign and that "the Messiriya want to come and graze by force in Unity State".

Full report here below.

Clashes Kill Eleven in Unity State
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Tuesday, 09 February 2010:

(Abyei/Khartoum/Juba) - Eleven people were killed during clashes between the SPLA and Messiriya tribesmen in Abiemnom county, in Unity state, last Saturday.

Speaking to SRS, community leader Bagat Makuec Abien accused the Sudan Armed Forces of arming the Messiriya.

[Bagat Makuec Abien]: “Eleven people have been killed. Eight soldiers and 3 civilians. The attackers of the SPLA camp were not nomads. They were militia from the Sudan Armed Forces.”

However, SAF spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel al-Sawarmi Khalid denied that SAF had armed the Messiriya.

[Al-Sawarmi Khalid]: “The Sudan Armed Force refute these allegations. You should know that the Messiriya is just a normal tribe and everything is okay, this is all about grazing among the Messiriya people in Unity state. This is just a small problem at community level and the Sudan Armed forces cannot get involved. It is illegal for the Messiriya to use SAF uniforms or equipment. There are Messiriya nomads who were recruited by the SPLA and they were given uniforms and military ranks and they started saying that they belonged to the SPLA and this caused a lot of problems.”

SPLA spokesperson Kuol Diem Kuol also spoke to SRS about the attack.

[Kuol Diem Kuol]: “Six SPLA and one civilian were killed. 11 people were wounded; among the wounded were 8 SPLA, 2 children and one lady. From the side of Messiriya 8 bodies were found on the ground. This morning, the situation was normal, there was no more violence.”

Mr. Kuol added that he thought the recent attack was a violent response on the part of the Messiriya to a civil disarmament campaign.

[Kuol Diem Kuol]: “The SPLA is still disarming the civil population in south Sudan. So when the Messiriya came with the cattle to Unity state in December they were told to leave their guns in Messiriya land and come to graze, but they refused, so they clashed with the police in December. And when the SPLA went in, they also fired at the SPLA, wounding one SPLA soldier. I think they attacked our base, the SPLA battalion headquarters in Warping in Abiemnom county in retaliation. They attacked on 8 January, they attacked again on 23 January and the third attack was on 4 February. The Messiriya want to come and graze by force in Unity State.”

Kuol Diem Kuol was speaking to SRS from Juba on Monday [Feb 8].

Coup attempt underway in Niger

See reports at Niger Watch, Thursday, 18 February 2010.

The War for our Minds (By Werner K, Soldier of Africa)

Photo and caption by Werner K while on active service during a most dangerous time in Darfur, western Sudan (from the archives of sudanwatch.blogspot.com 2 Dec 2006): This is me working in my "office", which is a tent with air conditioning. At least the heat in El Fashier is not as bad anymore as a month or two ago. The nights are actually getting cold now. (Werner K, Darfur Nov 2006)

Here is a copy of a blog post by one of my great blog mates, Werner (pictured above) at Soldier of Africa blog, Wednesday, 17 February 2010:

The War for our Minds



Do you consider yourself to be somebody with scrupulous values and good moral judgement? Do you think you will always be able to make informed decisions or maybe you are just informed which decisions to make.

The following is a list of some of the techniques used by governments and paramilitary organisations around the world to make us see their points of view. Read them and ask yourself again if what you know is true:

Ad hominem
A Latin phrase that has come to mean attacking your opponent, as opposed to attacking their arguments.

Ad nauseam
This argument approach uses tireless repetition of an idea. An idea, especially a simple slogan, that is repeated enough times, may begin to be taken as the truth. This approach works best when media sources are limited and controlled by the propagator.

Appeal to authority
Appeals to authority cite prominent figures to support a position, idea, argument, or course of action.

Appeal to fear
Appeals to fear and seeks to build support by instilling anxieties and panic in the general population, for example, Joseph Goebbels exploited Theodore Kaufman's Germany Must Perish! to claim that the Allies sought the extermination of the German people.

Appeal to prejudice
Using loaded or emotive terms to attach value or moral goodness to believing the proposition. Used in biased or misleading ways.

Bandwagon
Bandwagon and "inevitable-victory" appeals attempt to persuade the target audience to join in and take the course of action that "everyone else is taking".

* Inevitable victory: invites those not already on the bandwagon to join those already on the road to certain victory. Those already or at least partially on the bandwagon are reassured that staying aboard is their best course of action.
* Join the crowd: This technique reinforces people's natural desire to be on the winning side. This technique is used to convince the audience that a program is an expression of an irresistible mass movement and that it is in their best interest to join.

Beautiful people
The type of propaganda that deals with famous people or depicts attractive, happy people. This makes other people think that if they buy a product or follow a certain ideology, they too will be happy or successful.

Big Lie
The repeated articulation of a complex of events that justify subsequent action. The descriptions of these events have elements of truth, and the "big lie" generalizations merge and eventually supplant the public's accurate perception of the underlying events. After World War I the German Stab in the back explanation of the cause of their defeat became a justification for Nazi re-militarization and revanchist aggression.

Black-and-white fallacy
Presenting only two choices, with the product or idea being propagated as the better choice. (e.g., George W. Bush: "Either you are with us or against us.")

Common man
The "plain folks" or "common man" approach attempts to convince the audience that the propagandist's positions reflect the common sense of the people. It is designed to win the confidence of the audience by communicating in the common manner and style of the target audience. Propagandists use ordinary language and mannerisms (and clothe their message in face-to-face and audiovisual communications) in attempting to identify their point of view with that of the average person. For example, a propaganda leaflet may make an argument on a macroeconomic issue, such as unemployment insurance benefits, using everyday terms: "Given that the country has little money during this recession, we should stop paying unemployment benefits to those who do not work, because that is like maxing out all your credit cards during a tight period, when you should be tightening your belt."

Demonizing the enemy
Making individuals from the opposing nation, from a different ethnic group, or those who support the opposing viewpoint appear to be subhuman (e.g., the Vietnam War-era term "gooks" for National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam aka Vietcong, or "VC", soldiers), worthless, or immoral, through suggestion or false accusations.

Direct order
This technique hopes to simplify the decision making process by using images and words to tell the audience exactly what actions to take, eliminating any other possible choices. Authority figures can be used to give the order, overlapping it with the Appeal to authority technique, but not necessarily. The Uncle Sam "I want you" image is an example of this technique.

Disinformation
The creation or deletion of information from public records, in the purpose of making a false record of an event or the actions of a person or organization, including outright forgery of photographs, motion pictures, broadcasts, and sound recordings as well as printed documents.

Euphoria
The use of an event that generates euphoria or happiness, or using an appealing event to boost morale. Euphoria can be created by declaring a holiday, making luxury items available, or mounting a military parade with marching bands and patriotic messages.

Flag-waving
An attempt to justify an action on the grounds that doing so will make one more patriotic, or in some way benefit a group, country, or idea. The feeling of patriotism this technique attempts to inspire may not necessarily diminish or entirely omit one's capability for rational examination of the matter in question.

Glittering generalities
Glittering generalities are emotionally appealing words applied to a product or idea, but which present no concrete argument or analysis. A famous example is the campaign slogan "Ford has a better idea!"

Half-truth
A half-truth is a deceptive statement, which may come in several forms and includes some element of truth. The statement might be partly true, the statement may be totally true but only part of the whole truth, or it may utilize some deceptive element, such as improper punctuation, or double meaning, especially if the intent is to deceive, evade blame or misrepresent the truth.

Intentional vagueness
Generalities are deliberately vague so that the audience may supply its own interpretations. The intention is to move the audience by use of undefined phrases, without analyzing their validity or attempting to determine their reasonableness or application. The intent is to cause people to draw their own interpretations rather than simply being presented with an explicit idea. In trying to "figure out" the propaganda, the audience forgoes judgment of the ideas presented. Their validity, reasonableness and application may still be considered.

Labeling
A Euphemism is used when the propagandist attempts to increase the perceived quality, credibility, or credence of a particular ideal. A Dysphemism is used when the intent of the propagandist is to discredit, diminish the perceived quality, or hurt the perceived righteousness of the Mark. By creating a "label" or "category" or "faction" of a population, it is much easier to make an example of these larger bodies, because they can uplift or defame the Mark without actually incurring legal-defamation. Example: "Liberal" is a dysphemism intended to diminish the perceived credibility of a particular Mark. By taking a displeasing argument presented by a Mark, the propagandist can quote that person, and then attack "liberals" in an attempt to both Example: "Racist" is another dysphemism intended to diminish credibility of a particular mark: (1) create a political battle-ax of unaccountable aggression and (2) diminish the quality of the Mark. If the propagandist uses the label on too-many perceivably credible individuals, muddying up the word can be done by broadcasting bad-examples of "liberals" into the media. Labeling can be thought of as a sub-set of Guilt by association, another logical fallacy.

Name-calling
Propagandists use the name-calling technique to incite fears and arouse prejudices in their hearers in the intent that the bad names will cause hearers to construct a negative opinion about a group or set of beliefs or ideas that the propagandist would wish hearers to denounce. The method is intended to provoke conclusions about a matter apart from impartial examinations of facts. Name-calling is thus a substitute for rational, fact-based arguments against the an idea or belief on its own merits.

Obtain disapproval or Reductio ad Hitlerum
This technique is used to persuade a target audience to disapprove of an action or idea by suggesting that the idea is popular with groups hated, feared, or held in contempt by the target audience. Thus if a group that supports a certain policy is led to believe that undesirable, subversive, or contemptible people support the same policy, then the members of the group may decide to change their original position. This is a form of bad logic, where a is said to include X, and b is said to include X, therefore, a = b.

Oversimplification
Favorable generalities are used to provide simple answers to complex social, political, economic, or military problems.

Quotes out of context
Selectively editing quotes to change meanings—political documentaries designed to discredit an opponent or an opposing political viewpoint often make use of this technique.

Rationalization
Individuals or groups may use favorable generalities to rationalize questionable acts or beliefs. Vague and pleasant phrases are often used to justify such actions or beliefs.

Red herring
Presenting data or issues that, while compelling, are irrelevant to the argument at hand, and then claiming that it validates the argument.

Scapegoating
Assigning blame to an individual or group, thus alleviating feelings of guilt from responsible parties and/or distracting attention from the need to fix the problem for which blame is being assigned.

Slogans
A slogan is a brief, striking phrase that may include labeling and stereotyping. Although slogans may be enlisted to support reasoned ideas, in practice they tend to act only as emotional appeals. Opponents of the US's invasion and occupation of Iraq use the slogan "blood for oil" to suggest that the invasion and its human losses was done to access Iraq's oil riches. On the other hand, "hawks" who argue that the US should continue to fight in Iraq use the slogan "cut and run" to suggest that it would be cowardly or weak to withdraw from Iraq. Similarly, the names of the military campaigns, such as "enduring freedom" or "just cause", may also be regarded to be slogans, devised to influence people.

Stereotyping
This technique attempts to arouse prejudices in an audience by labeling the object of the propaganda campaign as something the target audience fears, hates, loathes, or finds undesirable. For instance, reporting on a foreign country or social group may focus on the stereotypical traits that the reader expects, even though they are far from being representative of the whole country or group; such reporting often focuses on the anecdotal. In graphic propaganda, including war posters, this might include portraying enemies with stereotyped racial features.

Testimonial
Testimonials are quotations, in or out of context, especially cited to support or reject a given policy, action, program, or personality. The reputation or the role (expert, respected public figure, etc.) of the individual giving the statement is exploited. The testimonial places the official sanction of a respected person or authority on a propaganda message. This is done in an effort to cause the target audience to identify itself with the authority or to accept the authority's opinions and beliefs as its own. See also, damaging quotation
"The Bulgarian Martyresses", 1877 painting by the Russian painter Konstantin Makovsky depicting the rape of Bulgarian women by Ottoman troops during the suppression of the April Uprising a year earlier, served to mobilise public support for the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) waged with the proclaimed aim of liberating the Bulgarians.

Transfer
Also known as association, this is a technique that involves projecting the positive or negative qualities of one person, entity, object, or value onto another to make the second more acceptable or to discredit it. It evokes an emotional response, which stimulates the target to identify with recognized authorities. Often highly visual, this technique often utilizes symbols superimposed over other visual images. These symbols may be used in place of words; for example, placing swastikas on or around a picture of an opponent to associate the opponent with Naziism.

Unstated assumption
This technique is used when the propaganda concept that the propagandist intends to transmit would seem less credible if explicitly stated. The concept is instead repeatedly assumed or implied.

Virtue words
These are words in the value system of the target audience that produce a positive image when attached to a person or issue. Peace, happiness, security, wise leadership, freedom, "The Truth", etc. are virtue words. In countries such as the U.S. religiosity is seen as a virtue, making associations to this quality affectively beneficial.

--
Posted By Werner K to Soldier of Africa on 2/17/2010 01:06:00 PM

Former Clinton and Bush officials war-game cyberattack (originating from the Sudan!)

War game simulates cyberattack



Photo: A mock nat'l security team led by Michael Chertoff wrestles with questions a real-life Cabinet might face. Photo: AP

Former officials war-game cyberattack
From Politico.com by JEN DIMASCIO
Tuesday, 16 February 2010, 5:41 PM EST:

Could a terrorist organization wage a crippling cyberattack that would take down telecommunications networks, disable the Internet and disrupt the nation’s power grid?

Quite possibly, concluded the group of former Clinton and Bush administration officials who engaged Tuesday in a war game designed to simulate how the government would respond to such an attack.

Sponsored by the Bipartisan Policy Center and held at a Washington hotel, “Cyber Shockwave” was the kind of classified “table top exercise” often used by national security agencies. Its scenario: A cyberattack originating from the Sudan spreads first through an NCAA basketball tournament cell-phone application. The attack spreads virally through the nation’s cell phones, takes out land lines and zaps the Internet.

The mock national security team, led by former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, wrestled with the kind of questions a real-life Cabinet might face in such a catastrophe. As the team debated the legal authorities available to the president and what to tell the public, its ability to reach the populace was rapidly diminishing.

More and more telephones and computer networks — including the stock exchange and air traffic controls shut down — and as panelists wondered whether this was indeed an act of war, improvised explosive device attacks took out power grids in the eastern United States.

But the other complicating factor in the computer-based attack was the government’s inability to pinpoint the culprit. Even though the mock defense secretary pledged that U.S. Cyber Command could retaliate, the question remained — against whom? And how, when the government’s response plans are largely defined in the context of Cold War nuclear politics and don’t quite seem to fit this threat.

John Negroponte, the former director of national intelligence who had the role of secretary of state, said the scenario was certainly realistic and that with the information provided during the game, the culprit was not likely to be a nation-state. “I would put my money on a terrorist group,” Negroponte said.

In the role of counselor to the president, Joe Lockhart, White House press secretary in the Clinton administration, urged the panel to get the president to call the incident an act of war, bring congressional leaders to the White House and to act broadly and aggressively to stop the spread of outages.

The way out for the president seemed to be to take control, federalize the National Guard with the help of Congress and to ask for forgiveness of any potential trampling of civil rights later on.

The exercise illuminated some of the problems in dealing with issues of cybersecurity, especially because it’s difficult to get the government to change in the absence of a crisis. Former Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick, acting as attorney general, pointed out the legal problems with using broad presidential authority to force energy or communications companies to act on the public’s behalf or mobilizing the military to take charge in an epic disaster.

Gorelick said President Barack Obama should be asking Congress now for ways to alleviate the policy problems that tie the government’s hands during crises.

So, who might be planning such an attack, one that the panel agreed was plausible? Possibly criminal networks, and perhaps Al Qaeda.

“We don’t understand their capabilities,” said John McLaughlin, the former acting director of the CIA and DNI-for-a-day. “We just don’t know the extent to which they could do something like this.”

But retired Air Force Gen. Charles Wald, the event’s defense secretary, hedged on the Al Qaeda question. “If I knew, I wouldn’t be able to tell you.”