U.S. sent envoy to Sudanese president’s inauguration

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley today defended the administration’s decision to send a consulate officer as a representative to the inauguration of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, currently under indictment for war crimes:  Crowley acknowledged that the level of US representation was even below that of other nations, who sent their ambassadors or deputy chiefs of ...

By , a former associate editor at Foreign Policy.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley today defended the administration's decision to send a consulate officer as a representative to the inauguration of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, currently under indictment for war crimes: 

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley today defended the administration’s decision to send a consulate officer as a representative to the inauguration of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, currently under indictment for war crimes: 

Crowley acknowledged that the level of US representation was even below that of other nations, who sent their ambassadors or deputy chiefs of mission to Thursday’s inauguration.

"It was a reflection of our relations with Sudan," Crowley told reporters.

When asked whether sending someone at all gave support to Beshir, who faces war crimes charges, Crowley replied that the United States had work there as it pressed for full implementation of a fragile 2005 peace deal.

He also said the inauguration was not just for the president but also for the first vice president, Salva Kiir, the chairman of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, who holds the post under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

So if it was too embarrassing to send someone higher up, why send anyone at all? Sending a consulate officer just gives Bashir some measure of legitimacy while making the U.S. look like it’s trying — unsuccessfully — to avoid embarrassment. 

Joshua Keating was an associate editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @joshuakeating

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