The tendency is to see anything that comes from the US as a big lie

CAIRO, August 3, (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – The Arab countries and Western allies are at odds over the situation in the Sudan's Darfur crisis as many Arabs believe that talk of the UN resolution on sanctions and military deployment in Darfur to protect Sudanese civilians masks a new offensive against yet another Arab regime, reported the Financial Times on Monday, August 3.

Due to the US failure to find the alleged Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, the Arabs have become more doubtful about the west's credibility and broader motives in the Middle East affairs, the paper said.

"The tendency is to see anything that comes from the US as a big lie. Some even doubt the veracity of catastrophic images of Darfur because they come from the western media," Hassan Abu Taleb, deputy director at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo told the British paper.

The Arab governments are also fearing a popular anger at a time when "further foreign interference in the region's affairs is virulently opposed", the paper said.

Sentiment has partly been inflamed by controversy over whether a "genocide" has taken place in Darfur, as the US Congress asserted in a vote last month.

On Thursday, July 22, the US House Of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution describing the situation in Darfur a "genocide ."

However, Sudanese officials and experts have refuted the claims  and warned of plots targeting the unity of the oil-exporting country.

The Arab media are suspicious that the term was used as a device to justify intervention and seize control of Sudan's oil or to sully the reputation of fellow Arabs.

On Monday, August 2, The Guardian reported that British Prime Minister Tony Blair is making the case for a "colonial war" against Sudan because of its growing oil reserves, as there are no signs of highly-touted claims of genocide in the Arab country.

Conservative stance

The UN says the Darfur conflict displaced around a million people and killed 30,000 others

According to the paper, the Arab governments are taking a "more conservative" position the situation in Darfur than their western counterparts.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit had criticized, upon arrival from a visit to Darfur reports of the western media on widespread atrocities in Sudan's western province.

"To talk about grave violations of human rights or massacres or other such accusations, I don't think it is that way," he said.

Hossam Zaki, the Arab League's spokesman, had also criticized the tough approach of the US and the European Union to the crisis, and threats of military deployment by Britain and Australia, saying they were "antagonizing" Khartoum while "achieving little on the ground".

Egypt, which has strategic interests in its southern neighbor, and the Arab League fear a heavy-handed approach could precipitate chaos at a time when the government has already been weakened on several fronts, the Times added.

They further believe that by insisting that Khartoum act to disarm militia within a month in a territory larger than Iraq, the UN resolution is demanding the impossible. At the same time it risks strengthening the rebels and opening up another front between the government forces and the Janjaweed.

"What we want to see is encouragement and support from the international community to a political process that will resolve this crisis and deal with its root causes," said the league's spokesman.

"The Sudanese government in this whole process is extremely important. Yes, it should be held accountable to the promises it has given to the UN secretary-general but it should not be cornered," he added.

A US draft resolution threatening sanctions against Sudan in 30 days was met with opposition in the UN Security Council  on Wednesday, July 28, amid calls to give the Sudanese government more time to rein in militias in Darfur.

Seven of the Council's 15 members pressed the US to soften a threat of UN sanctions against Khartoum it failed to disarm Janajaweed militias in Darfur.

Insecurity

Meanwhile, a representative of the UN Secretary General said insecurity and human rights violations continued in Sudan's strife-torn western region of Darfur.

"Contrary to official statements about improvement of the security situation and the voluntary return of the displaced, I found a situation of persistent insecurity and human rights violations as the paramount concern of the displaced," Francis Deng told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

He called on the Sudanese government to guarantee the victims of rape access to medical treatment and to bring those responsible to justice.

"While most of the displaced I spoke to expressed a desire to eventually return to their places of origin, they all strongly affirmed their unwillingness to return at this stage due to the prevailing situation of insecurity, mainly because of continued attacks by the so-called Janjaweed militia and other armed actors," he said.

The UN and international aid organizations have accused the pro-government janjaweed militias of waging a brutal campaign to drive Sudanese citizens of African origin out of Darfur.

The UN says the Darfur conflict displaced around a million people and killed 30,000 others.

Sudanese research centers question the figures and estimate those killed at 2000, including civilians, pro-government forces and rebels.