Chairman Donald Payne, who originally convinced Congress to declare the situation in Darfur a “genocide,” said that “for some, our policy is too focused on punitive measures. I beg to differ.” He complained that Gration has repeatedly put off appearing before the subcommittee and took the unusual step of inviting Senator Sam Brownback to bounce Gration off the walls. Brownback, who doesn’t seem keen on any type of negotiation with Sudan’s government at all, spent much of his time forcing Gration to admit that he’s been engaging with the perpetrator of an ongoing genocide. (During the Obama administration’s policy review, Gration opposed calling the situation in Darfur an “ongoing genocide,” but he lost that battle. The official U.S. policy now is that there is a genocide ongoing-even though that’s not literally true anymore-and Gration is stuck mouthing a formula he doesn’t buy.)
Brownback: President Bashir, he has participated in a genocide in Sudan, is that correct? Gration: Sir, he was the president of the country during the time that the genocide took place and, ah, therefore he would have participated. Brownback: So he has led the genocide in Darfur? Gration: His government was responsible for that, and he was the leader of the government, therefore he would have done it. Brownback: President Bashir is an indicted war criminal, by the ICC. Gration: He is. (Silence. Looks down at table.) … Brownback: Are there in the leadership of the government of Sudan, individuals you’re dealing with or negotiating with? Gration: I’m negotiating with individuals that are in high-level positions in the government of Sudan. Brownback: You’re dealing with a government that is conducting an ongoing genocide, is that correct? Gration: (Pause.) I’m dealing with the government. Brownback: That is conducting an ongoing genocide in Sudan? Gration: (Pause.) I’m dealing with the government in an effort to end the conflict, in an effort to end gross human rights abuses. Brownback: I understand your objective. I’m asking you, are you dealing with a government that is conducting an ongoing genocide in Sudan. Gration: I’m dealing with–as I said, I’m dealing with the government in Khartoum, of Sudan. Brownback: Which is currently conducting a genocide in Sudan, is that correct? Gration: That’s correct. Brownback: Should we have dealt with Charles Taylor, who is an indicted war criminal? Gration: I have not been involved with Charles Taylor. Brownback: Should we have negotiated with the Serbian leader Karadzic, the butcher of Bosnia? Gration: I have not been involved in that situation.
Though Sudan gets little coverage, there is no greater discrepancy on foreign policy between what Obama pledged as a candidate and the policy he has pursued as president than in this administration’s approach to Sudan. Obama’s supporters are inclined to blame Gration for this disgrace — TNR called on Obama to fire the mealy-mouthed envoy after he described his strategy in Sudan as “Kids, countries, they react to gold stars, smiley faces, handshakes, agreements, talk, engagement.” — but ultimately the buck stops with Obama, who has applied the same engagement strategy around the world with the same result in every place it’s been tried: nothing. In the case of Sudan, however, Obama promised much, much more. He pledged to put an end to the genocide there, and in early 2007 Biden even went so far as to call for deploying American troops to the country. As Obama’s first year comes to a close, his adminsitration is indulging an envoy whose approach is defined by his desire to indulge the war criminals that rule Sudan. Gration is Obama’s guy, and ultimately, he is implementing Obama’s policy.
