{"id":3137,"date":"2023-04-30T23:44:54","date_gmt":"2023-05-01T04:44:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/?p=3137"},"modified":"2023-04-30T23:44:54","modified_gmt":"2023-05-01T04:44:54","slug":"sudan-and-the-decline-of-american-courage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/?p=3137","title":{"rendered":"Sudan and the decline of American courage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The US evacuated its embassy in Sudan, but thousands of Americans remain<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20770%20512'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image-172.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"zeen-lazy-load-base zeen-lazy-load wp-image-3138\" width=\"770\" height=\"512\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image-172.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3138\" width=\"770\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image-172.png 1024w, https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image-172-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image-172-770x513.png 770w, https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image-172-370x247.png 370w, https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image-172-293x195.png 293w, https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image-172-120x80.png 120w, https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image-172-240x160.png 240w, https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image-172-390x260.png 390w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Government personnel from the US Embassy in Sudan embrace as they evacuate to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti (Getty)<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the weekend, US special forces evacuated American embassy personnel from Sudan in a nearly\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/briefing-with-under-secretary-for-management-ambassador-john-bass-assistant-secretary-for-african-affairs-ambassador-molly-phee-assistant-secretary-of-defense-for-special-operations-and-low-intensit\/\">day-long operation<\/a>. The evacuation came as the African country descended into near civil war on April 15 when the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces took their disagreements to the battlefield. US forces managed to get all of the personnel \u2014 along with a number of foreign individuals \u2014 out of the country safely,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/briefing-with-under-secretary-for-management-ambassador-john-bass-assistant-secretary-for-african-affairs-ambassador-molly-phee-assistant-secretary-of-defense-for-special-operations-and-low-intensit\/\">flying<\/a>\u00a0about 800 miles from Khartoum back to Djibouti in three heavy-lift helicopters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The decision to leave an embassy is not an easy one, and is typically reserved for only the most severe circumstances (Kyiv in early 2022, for example). \u201cThe decision to suspend operations at the embassy,\u201d&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/rFVMUncwwJY\">said<\/a>&nbsp;secretary of state&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/thespectator.com\/tag\/antony-blinken\">Antony Blinken<\/a>, \u201cis among the most difficult that any secretary has to make.\u201d Under secretary for management John Bass&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/briefing-with-under-secretary-for-management-ambassador-john-bass-assistant-secretary-for-african-affairs-ambassador-molly-phee-assistant-secretary-of-defense-for-special-operations-and-low-intensit\/\">added<\/a>, \u201cI can tell you as a career professional, none of us ever want to take the flag down and have to depart.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Past mistakes and disasters undoubtedly weighed on the administration\u2019s decision, not least given the debacle Biden presided over in Afghanistan. Everyone remembers the embassy attacks in Iran in 1979 and Libya in 2011 \u2014 two of America\u2019s lowest points in recent history, when Washington looked impotent and incompetent in the most basic of duties: protecting its diplomats.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">America is not out of the woods yet, though. There are still thousands of US citizens in Sudan,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Politics\/wireStory\/us-evacuation-sudan-left-americans-98895305\">some of whom<\/a>\u00a0want to get out \u2014 but the administration has said there will be no military evacuation out of the country for them. \u201cWe have advised Americans to not travel to Sudan since August 2021,\u201d\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/briefings\/department-press-briefing-april-21-2023\/#post-439830-Sudan\">said<\/a>\u00a0State Department spokesman Vedant Patel on April 21, \u201cand the US embassy in Khartoum\u2019s security alert on April 16 stated that due to the uncertain security situations in Khartoum and closure of the airport, Americans should have no expectation of a U.S. government-coordinated evacuation at this time.\u201d He continued, \u201cIt is imperative that US citizens in Sudan make their own arrangements to stay safe in these difficult circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2023\/04\/26\/us-sudan-evacuation-consular-team-00093916\"><em>Politico<\/em><\/a>, the State Department may be sending in a consular team to Port Sudan on Sudan\u2019s Red Sea coast to help Americans leave, but that is not much solace given how vast the country is.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/germany-ends-sudan-evacuations-700-people-flown-out-defence-ministry-2023-04-26\/#:~:text=BERLIN%2C%20April%2025%20(Reuters),said%20on%20Twitter%20on%20Wednesday\">Germany<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/africa\/countries-scramble-evacuate-foreign-citizens-sudan-2023-04-25\/\">France<\/a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/uk\/britain-begin-evacuating-its-nationals-sudan-2023-04-25\/#:~:text=LONDON%2C%20April%2025%20(Reuters),to%20a%2072%2Dhour%20ceasefire.\">UK<\/a>&nbsp;(just to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Politics\/wireStory\/us-evacuation-sudan-left-americans-98895305\">name a few<\/a>) got their citizens out of the country \u2014 and while they had fewer in Sudan to begin with, their militaries are also far less capable than Washington\u2019s. America has the means to get its citizens out \u2014 it should use them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If Americans die, some of the responsibility will lie with an administration that is both too weak and too cautious to do what needs to be done. The administration\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/briefings\/department-press-briefing-april-21-2023\/#post-439830-Sudan\">claims<\/a>\u00a0that its top priority is the safety of US citizens \u2014 but if that\u2019s the case, an evacuation should be in the works. As Elliot Ackerman said at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/ideas\/archive\/2023\/04\/sudan-evacuation-us-citizens-abroad-noncombatant-evacuation-operation\/673843\/#\">the<em>\u00a0Atlantic<\/em><\/a>, \u201cProtecting American civilians abroad used to be a sacrosanct government mission. Now it\u2019s falling to private citizens.\u201d He also pointed out that (contrary to State Department claims) not evacuating American citizens is a \u201cstartling break with\u2026 precedent\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unfortunately, the past decade has been one giant break from precedent in the realm of foreign policy. From failing to aid the US embassy in Benghazi (only to lie about the tragedy later) and letting Putin off the hook for snatching Crimea, to questioning NATO\u2019s existence and abandoning allies in Syria, to a disastrous, deadly and utterly foolish withdrawal from Afghanistan and the glacial arrival of military support for Ukraine, a new normal has emerged. It is becoming less and less shocking when American leaders take the road of ease and weakness \u2014 in spite of the cost.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We can only hope and pray that the recently agreed\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/africa\/sudans-bashir-whereabouts-unknown-after-associates-prison-escape-2023-04-26\/\">ceasefire<\/a>\u00a0holds \u2014 and that US citizens in Sudan will find their way home safely. We should pray for the day, too, when the US government rediscovers leadership, courage and responsibility. It could learn from the incredible men and women of America\u2019s armed forces who show these qualities daily, as demonstrated in this past weekend\u2019s operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Original Link:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/thespectator.com\/topic\/sudan-american-courage-evacuation-khartoum\/\">https:\/\/thespectator.com\/topic\/sudan-american-courage-evacuation-khartoum\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The US evacuated its embassy in Sudan, but thousands of Americans remain Over the weekend, US special forces evacuated American embassy personnel from Sudan in a nearly\u00a0day-long operation. The evacuation came as the African country descended into near civil war on April 15 when the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces took their disagreements to the battlefield. US forces managed to get all of the personnel \u2014 along with a number of foreign individuals \u2014 out of the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-threat-to-america"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3137"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3137\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3139,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3137\/revisions\/3139"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}