Sudan / Unaware of U.S. Involvement in Reported January Airstrike
WASHINGTON, March 27, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ — US Department of State Daily Press Briefing
Gordon Duguid
Acting Deputy Department Spokesman
MR. DUGUID: Good morning, everyone. I have no announcements to lead with, so I’m happy to start with your questions.
QUESTION: On Sudan?
Yes, please.
QUESTION: On Sudan. If you could just please comment on reports about an alleged weapons convoy that was destroyed in Sudan, with weapons supposedly headed for Gaza. I believe the attack happened in January. Was the U.S. aware of this attack? Reports are saying that it was either carried out by the U.S., others are saying that it may have been carried out by Israel.
MR. DUGUID: I’ve seen no reports that suggested U.S. involvement in this particular case. I’m aware of the media reports. I don’t have any information on that for you. It would be a defense issue, in any event. But I am unaware that there is any suggestion of U.S. involvement.
QUESTION: Sudan’s – I believe it was the transport minister – has acknowledged that his country in the past has sent weapons to Hamas but says that is no longer the case. Is there a U.S. concern that Sudan is still providing weapons assistance to – through Gaza or to Hamas?
MR. DUGUID: I don’t have any information for you on that. We are concerned that weapons are being sent to Hamas, that smuggling has been a problem in the Gaza Strip, and that is one of the things that everyone is working to resolve, particularly the Egyptians are working to resolve, in order to help bring peace back to the Gaza.
QUESTION: Can I just clarify something?
MR. DUGUID: Yes.
QUESTION: Your remarks were a little unclear. Are you saying the U.S. did not have any involvement in that at all, just flat out?
MR. DUGUID: I am unaware of any suggestion that the U.S. did.
QUESTION: But there is a suggestion. There’s a Sudanese report saying that.
MR. DUGUID: I am unaware of the report. I haven’t seen it and I don’t have any information on that.
QUESTION: But Kirit isn’t asking whether you’re aware of any suggestions. He’s asking whether there was any involvement, to your knowledge.
MR. DUGUID: But I am – and what I am telling you is that because I was unaware that there was any suggestion, I have not been informed that there was any sort of U.S. involvement. I will be happy to refer you to the Pentagon if this is something that would involve military action, but nothing I have seen indicates any U.S. involvement in this incident at all.
QUESTION: And just on the same point then, do you have any indication of Israeli involvement?
MR. DUGUID: I would refer you to the Israelis about their involvement in any particular military action.
Thank you.
(The briefing was concluded at 12:08 p.m.)
SOURCE : US Department of State
