I understand that politics and especially international diplomacy are all about tradeoffs. I am not naive nor am I particularly concerned with any sort of purity — ideological, intellectual, or otherwise — when it comes to foreign policy. I recognize the value and necessity of the quid pro quo. But the Obama Administration’s offer to take Sudan off of the US terrorism watch list if it successfully oversees (read: doesn’t foment chaos in and recognizes the outcomes of) self-determination votes in Abyei and South Sudan makes no sense whatsoever to me.
Sudan either is or is not a state that sponsors terrorism. If it is, it belongs on the watchlist. If not, not. If the watchlist is that malleable and that manipulable we should do away with it. I am still a big Obama supporter, I am sympathetic with how frustrating all dealings with Khartoum must be, and I know that we all can see the potential train crash coming when it comes to these independence votes. But this just seems like a horrible, poorly conceived idea that is likely to backfire in so many, many ways.
