Friday Prayers Address U.S. Condemnation of Kordofan

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001619 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL SOCI NK US SU SUBJECT: Friday Prayers Address U.S. Condemnation of Kordofan Attack and North Korean Missiles ¶1. (SBU) Summary: July 7 prayers at a Khartoum mosque praised U.S. condemnation of the July 3 rebel attack in Hamra al-Sheikh in Kordofan, yet linked the response to perceived U.S. apprehensions arising from North Korean missiles and a purported shift in the world balance of power. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) On July 7, pro-Government, state-run Omdurman Sudan Television in Arabic broadcasted Friday prayers at the Al-Shahid (Martyr's) Mosque in Khartoum offered by Al-Shaykh Abd-al-Jalil al-Nadhir al-Karuri. He included in his second sermon the following remarks, as translated and reported by FBIS: (Begin text) The news of this week says sometimes the superpower understands the truth and knows fear. To know the truth is what was announced by the U.S. State Department, condemning the military attack by rebels on Hamrat al-Shaykh town in Kordofan. They condemned the act and said that it violates the agreements (Darfur Peace Agreement),which was witnessed by the world, it violates the peace which people have agreed upon and appealed to them (rebels) not to violate the agreement. We praise this recognition of truth by them (U.S. State Department). Their recognition of fear emanates from the fact that North Korea has manufactured a continental missile reaching 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000 kilometers, shaking all the countries. It shakes the countries leading a campaign to become imperial states in the world. As they are being threatened by what they used to refer to as Third World country. They are fearing because they had tried sanctions against it and failed, because other countries in Asia opposed it. Thus, the Cold War has been revived and now it is between the West and Asia. Because the Asian countries as a group have defended the missile issue and it should not lead into an embargo. They have made South Korea to sleep and its buses both the big and the small ones are full in Khartoum streets. The North (Korea) is developing and its advancement is not in building cars and buses but missiles which brought about a balance (of power) in the world. (End text) HUME