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Last update - 18:34 07/03/2009
Iran, Hamas dispatch solidarity missions to Sudan president
By The Associated Press
Tags: Hamas, Sudan, Israel News 

Iran and the Palestinian militant group Hamas showed their support for Sudan's president Friday, sending top officials to the Sudanese capital and denouncing the international warrant for his arrest on charges of war crimes in Darfur.

Their visit came as the United Nations human rights group warned that Sudan's expulsion of 13 aid organizations from Darfur could also constitute a war crime. Sudan took the step in retaliation after the Netherlands-based International Criminal Court issued a warrant against President Omar al-Bashir on Wednesday.

The expulsion raised fears of a humanitarian crisis in the large, arid western region, where war has been raging for six years. Some 2.7 million people have been forced from their homes, and many rely on aid groups for food, water, shelter and medical care.
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The government also ordered the closure of SUDO, the largest Sudanese non-governmental aid organization operating in Darfur, said SUDO's head, Ibrahim Mudawi. He said the order came late Thursday, accusing the group of violations of the law, without providing specifics.

SUDO, with about 300 staffers, distributes food and drills water wells in Darfur, as well as operates 13 clinic and provides psychological help, Mudawi said. "We will take legal procedures against this decision," he said. "We are worried [about our staff]. We don't know what they are going to do with them."

The ICC accuses al-Bashir of leading a counter-insurgency campaign against Darfur rebels that included atrocities against civilians. Al-Bashir denies the charges against him and his government refuses to cooperate with the ICC, calling it part of a colonial conspiracy to destabilize Sudan.

Dozens of al-Bashir supporters marched in downtown Khartoum after Friday prayers in support of the president. They waved banners, shouting: "With our blood and soul, we defend you, al-Bashir." The small rally came after al-Bashir joined thousands of supporters demonstrating in the capital on Thursday, denouncing the warrant.

Iran's parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, arrived in Khartoum along with Moussa Abu Marzouk, the No. 2 figure in Hamas' Damascus-based leadership. Larijani told reporters at the airport that the ICC's arrest warrant is an insult. Also in their delegation were Syrian Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Abrash and representatives from other Palestinian militant factions.

Iran and Hamas have been long time allies of al-Bashir, whose government is dominated by Muslim fundamentalists and military officers.

A spokesman for the UN human rights office said Friday that the expulsion of the groups may be a war crime and said officials at the agency were looking into the issue.

"To knowingly and deliberately deprive such a huge group of civilians of means to survive is a deplorable act," Rupert Colville said in Geneva. "Humanitarian assistance has nothing to do with the ICC proceedings. To punish civilians because of a decision by the ICC is a grievous dereliction of the government's duty to protect its own people."

"This decision by the government could threaten the lives of thousands of civilians, living in camps in Darfur and elsewhere," he added.

Asked about the comments, a senior Sudanese Foreign Ministry official, Mutrif Siddique, said only, "Their campaign against us continues."

Siddique said the Sudanese humanitarian affairs ministry, which is responsible for the work of aid agencies, is aware the expulsion of the organizations will have an impact on people in Sudan.

"This ministry and authorities have made arrangements to avoid a food shortage or a medical crisis," he said. "There will be a partial effect and they [authorities] will work to avoid any shortage."

Siddique claimed that major UN aid agencies were not affected by this
expulsion decision and stressed that hundreds of Sudanese NGO workers remain and work in Darfur.

The U.S. State Department condemned the decision to expel the aid groups and called on the Sudanese government to allow the groups to continue operating.

"These organizations provide critical humanitarian assistance to millions of Sudanese, and the forced departure of these organizations immediately and seriously threatens the lives and well-being of displaced populations," said spokesman Gordon Duguid.

The World Food Program questioned whether the remaining aid groups would be able to fill the gap.

"We simply don't have the capacity to carry out the life saving work of the NGOs," said the agency's spokeswoman in Geneva, Emilia Casella.

Under the Geneva Conventions it is illegal to intentionally starve people to death by blocking their access to food. The rule applies to international conflicts, but efforts have been made to incorporate it in customary international humanitarian law, which would carry weight in courts.

Other UN agencies also expressed concern about the consequences of losing their aid partners. The World Health Organization said it would tear a hole in the body's disease monitoring efforts that could lead to outbreaks of
infectious diseases going unchecked.

"If they are not helping us do this very vital work, we may see the emergence of infectious diseases," said WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib.


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      2.   Go figure. You don`t say. 21:48  |  4:20 06/03/09
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      6.   What Will the Leftist Do Now? 22:42  |  Eli 06/03/09
      7.   Time For Global Action! 22:52  |  Brian 06/03/09
      8.   Sounds like... 22:52  |  Woody Berch 06/03/09
      9.   Terrorists of the world unite! 23:30  |  Dan 06/03/09
      10.   Makes Sense 23:48  |  Baruch Gold 06/03/09
      11.   Iran will defend any countries with bad leaders! 23:49  |  Maria 06/03/09
      12.   Awfully Quiet Here! Where Are the Pro Hamas Supporters? 23:51  |  Baruch Gold 06/03/09
      13.   S....but the crazy world takes side with them!!! 23:53  |  Maria 06/03/09
      14.   Audacity and the evil it represents 00:41  |  allang 07/03/09
      15.   A "new" axis of evil 03:42  |  Joe 07/03/09
      16.   When it concerns one of them 05:01  |  Lola 07/03/09
      17.   Audacity and the evil it represents 05:07  |  allang 07/03/09
      18.   The onslaught continues 05:14  |  Arnold 07/03/09
      19.   This just infuriates me 06:38  |  Lynn 07/03/09
      20.   Lynn, you got it right, we live in a crazy world 06:58  |  Lola 07/03/09
      21.   Birds of a feather flock together 06:59  |  Gregor 07/03/09
      22.   Palis never miss an oppurtunity! 07:25  |  James 07/03/09
      23.   Hamas Logic 07:29  |  James 07/03/09
      24.   #9, Lynn, hypocrisy is very ugly 07:49  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/03/09
      25.   #9 What else infuriates you Lynn? 07:57  |  Maureen Ann 07/03/09
      26.   Our freedom and rights. 07:58  |  Jean Van Daem 07/03/09
      27.   All loosers united!!! 08:05  |  Alex 07/03/09
      28.   Re # 9 lynn 08:11  |  Billy jack 07/03/09
      29.   my apologies 08:13  |  james 07/03/09
      30.   ASINUS ASINUM FRICAT 08:18  |  Avraham 07/03/09
      31.   #11 09:27  |  Michael 07/03/09
      32.   israel is terrorists 10:16  |  jack 07/03/09
      33.   #7, allang 10:16  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/03/09
      34.   #9, Lynn 11:05  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/03/09
      35.   Enough Said.... 11:07  |  SUNDAY 07/03/09
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      37.   one loose 007 license has being revoked, HR is up in arms 11:16  |  Miron 07/03/09
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      39.   #15 jack "Israel is Terrorists. You are killing people" 11:43  |  H 07/03/09
      40.   # 16 Cipora ....... You may be right 12:22  |  allang 07/03/09
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      43.   #2 Eli from Tronto the Good, Qaddafi already gave 14:19  |  Israeli Observer 07/03/09
      44.   Billyjack.....I am an American 14:48  |  Lynn 07/03/09
      45.   OUCH !! We are limping. Shot ourselves in the leg AGAIN! 15:15  |  Ari ben Yisrael 07/03/09
      46.   Hypocrisy showing the racism of Arab elitism 16:20  |  Jo 07/03/09
      47.   jack in london,try getting an eductaion then get back to us 18:17  |  you lose 07/03/09
      48.   guilt by association; "solidarity missions" 18:57  |  Akiva P 07/03/09
      49.   Birds of a feather ... 19:39  |  Rory 07/03/09
      50.   Darfur needs to have the whole worlds attention... 00:25  |  Galut 08/03/09
      51.   #2 00:38  |  Galut 08/03/09
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