Introduction
On June 4 2003 ESPAC published and distributed a publication
entitled "Misleading Congress: The Congressional Research
Service, Ted Dagne and Sudan" (http://www.espac.org).
This explored the many professional shortcomings of the
CRS and its work on Sudan.
We were intrigued to receive by email on the same day a
message from Ms. Sara Hessenflow, Legislative Assistant
on Foreign Policy to United States Senator Sam Brownback.
Senator Brownback has been notable for his support for the
Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) rebel movement in Sudan,
and a prime mover in the appallingly skewed, and hopelessly
misnamed, Sudan Peace Act (See "The Sudan Peace Act:
Perpetuating
Africa's Longest War" and "Arrogance Plus Ignorance:
The US 'Sudan Peace Act'", at http://www.espac.org).
We have, therefore, decided to reprint below our entire
exchange with Senator Brownback's Assistant. Ms. Hessenflow's
startling inclination to launch intellectual challenges,
and then to shy away from debate when answered, is interesting
to say the least. Her unwillingness - or more likely her
inability - to provide, let alone discuss, any evidence
for her assertions against Sudan perhaps explains Senator
Brownback's distorted attitude toward Sudan, and his persistent
attempts to encourage the destabilisation of that country
and to derail its peace process. Ms. Hessenflow's abdication
from reason and debate is only too typical of the tactics
of the anti-Sudan lobby. Their case can only rest on the
most partisan falsification, or one-sided interpretation,
of evidence - and when effectively challenged they can only
resort to bluster.
The following correspondence is reprinted as received (including
Ms. Hessenflow's charmingly informal layout and style of
topping and tailing).
I: Sara Hessenflow's First Message
Sara Hessenflow
Legislative Assistant - Foreign Policy
U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback
303 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington,
D.C. 20510
USA
Phone: 202-224-6521
Fax: 202-228-1265
Email: sara_hessenflow@brownback.senate.gov
4 June 2003
Unbelievable! Attacking CRS is pretty pathetic....they are
VERY well respected here....but of course, if you want to
defend Sudan, you'd have to be pretty pathetic.....
Sara Hessenflow
II: ESPAC'S First Reply
Simon Phillips
European-Sudanese Public Affairs Council
1 Northumberland Avenue
London
WC2N 5BW
Tel: 0207 872 5434
Fax: 0207 753 2848
E-mail: director@espac.org
http://www.espac.org
4 June 2003
Dear Sara,
Thank you for your email concerning the Congressional Research
Service and Sudan, below.
We are somewhat disappointed at the lack of substance in
your message. We would have expected a bit more than mere
abuse from a Senatorial staffer. Our publication on the
CRS provided substantive evidence for its arguments. Your
failure to address those arguments reflects rather badly
on you.
The simple fact is that the people of Sudan, both north
and south, Muslim, Christian or animist, have been very
poorly served by the US Congress. There is no doubt that
the sort of naivety and partisanship you have so clearly
demonstrated has sadly prolonged the conflict there.
Naivety and politics do not mix well. The Sudanese people
have had to live with the consequences of that. It is fortunately
now becoming ever more clear that many of the Clinton-era
claims about Sudan are being exposed as questionable, where
not wholly baseless.
One must look beyond the propaganda that has so distorted
US perceptions of the Sudanese conflict. Luckily more and
more people are doing so.
If we can be of any assistance please do not hesitate to
contact us.
Yours sincerely,
Simon Phillips
Assistant Director
ESPAC
III: Sara Hessenflow's Second Message
Sara Hessenflow
Legislative Assistant - Foreign Policy
U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback
303 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington,
D.C. 20510
USA
Phone: 202-224-6521
Fax: 202-228-1265
Email: sara_hessenflow@brownback.senate.gov
4 June 2003
I apologize for my message to you earlier. I thought I was
responding to the friend who sent it to me rather than to
the organization that produced the report. I'll happily
discuss the specific complaints I have with your piece if
you are interested, but it seems you are not.
My independent research on the Sudan - including several
meetings with actual Sudanese victims of that regime, has
lead me to conclude that the criticism of the Sudanese government
by CRS is hardly improper. If it
is your view that a government who is kidnapping its people,
persecuting over half the population, funding and providing
sanctuary for terrorists deserves a more fair analysis....well,
I wish you luck in making that case.
I think your criticism of CRS missed the mark. You criticize
the messenger rather than the source. And even if some of
the CRS information is "stale," I haven't seen
anything from a credible source that contradicts the attrocities
that still go on in the Sudan.
Sara
IV: Sara Hessenflow's Third Message
Sara Hessenflow
Legislative Assistant - Foreign Policy
U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback
303 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington,
D.C. 20510
USA
Phone: 202-224-6521
Fax: 202-228-1265
Email: sara_hessenflow@brownback.senate.gov
4 June 2003
P.S. Please don't confuse interest in Sudan's oil with interest
in peace for the Sudanese. It is not America that has been
doing business with this regime and keeping them in power....
Charges of naivety are easily thrown around - particularly
by liberals. Are there complexities in this situation, of
course. Do those complexities warrant coddling a terrorist
government, NO.
V: ESPAC's Second Reply
Simon Phillips
European-Sudanese Public Affairs Council
1 Northumberland Avenue
London
WC2N 5BW
Tel: 0207 872 5434
Fax: 0207 753 2848
E-mail: director@espac.org
http://www.espac.org
6 June 2003
Dear Sara
Thank you for your two email responses.
We are delighted that you say that you are happy to discuss
specific complaints you have about our recent publication
on the Congressional Research Service's shortcomings with
regard to Sudan.
Despite stating that you think our criticism of CRS "missed
the mark" your responses do not address any such specifics.
Rather than address those specifics, what you choose to
do, however, is point to human rights abuses in the course
of the Sudanese civil war. On this issue we can agree. War,
and particularly civil war, inevitably
results in the death, injury and suffering of civilians.
We are sure that we do not have to remind any native of
Kansas (which we assume you are) of the horrific atrocities
committed in Kansas and the Kansas
borderlands with Missouri, by regular Federal and rebel
forces and official and unofficial militias, during the
American civil war.
Any abuse of human rights is unacceptable. For someone
criticising our supposed bias with regard to Sudan, you
seem to be remarkably one-sided in ignoring the horrific
and well-documented human rights record of the
SPLA rebel movement in Sudan. Indeed, the US Congress has
politically and financially supported this movement, led
by someone described by the New York Times as a "war
criminal".
Your focus is in any instance a shortsighted one.
The simple fact is that at least part of the responsibility
for human rights abuses, disease and famine over the past
several years in Sudan lies at the feet of American policy
towards that country. American policy has artificially prolonged
the war and all resultant suffering in Sudan. All those
Senators and Representatives who either encouraged this
policy or simply acquiesced with it, share this responsibility.
While complaining about the consequences of war, they have
been prolonging it.
You also seem to fall back on claims that Sudan is a terrorist
state. This claim has been exposed on numerous occasions
as deeply questionable. Even your closest ally in the war
on terrorism laughs at that claim. On what act of international
terrorism do you base your statement? Surely not on Sudan's
"listing" by the State Department?
1 Given your stated concerns about human rights, why do
you apparently ignore the massive human rights abuses of
one side to the conflict, the SPLA?
2 Could you point to any press release from your office
that has shown any concern about the SPLA's human rights
abuses?
3 Do you endorse political and financial support for a
group said to be led by a war criminal?
4 Could you give some details about your independent research
on human rights abuses in Sudan? What methodology did you
use; where was this research conducted; if in Sudan, how
long were you there for; in which languages; do you speak
Dinka, Nuer or Arabic; how many people did you interview?
4 Why do you not focus more on ending the civil war in
Sudan rather than focusing on the consequences of this war,
allegations of which have been caught up in a vicious propaganda
and disinformation war.
5 Given your concerns about Sudan's "terrorist government",
you do accept that Sudan offered to extradite Osama bin
Laden in 1996, or that it repeated sought to cooperate with
Washington in the years afterwards?
Or do you take Ted Dagne's line?
You will probably choose not to respond to these questions.
We would be pleasantly surprised if you have the courage
to do so.
Best wishes
Simon Phillips
Assistant Director
VI: Sara Hessenflow's Fourth Message
Sara Hessenflow
Legislative Assistant - Foreign Policy
U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback
303 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington,
D.C. 20510
USA
Phone: 202-224-6521
Fax: 202-228-1265
Email: sara_hessenflow@brownback.senate.gov
6 June 2003
In my opinion, this is a pointless exercise. I have no desire
to spend hours explaining to you why the Sudan government
is a terrorist state which harbored bin Laden, and actively
- as a government policy,
sanctioned the KIDNAPPING....of Southern Sudanese to be
used as slaves. You say I am one-sided....this is laughable....of
course, I am opposed to the terrorist government of Sudan
-- so, I am one sided. The fact that you are not seems to
leave YOU defensive....not me.
American policy has not prolonged the war and violence
in Sudan -- unless of course by "prolong" you
mean refusing to encourage the terrorist government of Sudan
to fully take over the South. If it is your view that complete
subjugation and slavery is preferable to war -- well, then
I don't think you learned the lesson of Kansas in the U.S.
civil war that you referred to earlier.
I have no desire to debate you or hear any further condescending
remarks about how American policy has misjudged the poor
Sudanese government. I am proud of America's stance on this
subject -- and I hardly think the Europeans -- who do business
with regimes like Iran and North Korea, are in ANY position
to lecture America on the issue of human rights.
VII: ESPAC's Third Reply
Simon Phillips
Assistant Director
European-Sudanese Public Affairs Council
1 Northumberland Avenue
London
WC2N 5BW
England
Tel: 0207 872 5434
Fax: 0207 753 2848
E-mail: director@espac.org
http://www.espac.org
6 June 2003
Dear Sara
I must say that we were not terribly surprised that when
asked to substantiate your weak claims your position changed
from being willing to "happily discuss" issues
to that of "having no desire" to do so. It was
sadly predictable. It is also that much more difficult to
flesh out woolly rhetoric and bluster.
It is a very sad reflection on someone who labels herself
as the "legislative assistant - foreign policy"
to a United States Senator (especially one seemingly interested
in Sudanese affairs) in the United States Congress, that
you are simply unwilling and probably unable to engage in
even the most basic of discussions on Sudan.
Given this inability to engage on simple, tangible issues,
one can only speculate as to the short-comings of whatever
"independent research" you are capable of conducting.
We understand your reluctance to discuss or
defend your research "methodology".
It also explains your inability to answer six basic questions
on Sudan.
It is, of course, important to know one's limitations.
We note that you take issue with former President Carter's
publicly stated view that American policy has prolonged
the war in Sudan. We are disappointed that you seem to think
that former President Carter's views
were condescending towards the United States. There again,
you undoubtedly feel you know that much more about Sudan
than Mr Carter does.
It is sad that you state you are proud of the war, disease
and famine that Washington's prolonging of war in Sudan
has brought about. Luckily there are Americans, President
Bush included, who want to change that
policy to one of peace.
We have been so impressed with the level of debating skill
demonstrated in this email exchange with a Senatorial staff
member on Sudan that we intend to publish this entire exchange
on the Internet and on our
website.
Have a good weekend.
Best regards
Simon Phillips
Assistant Director
ESPAC
VIII: Sara Hessenflow's Fourth and Final Message
Sara Hessenflow
Legislative Assistant - Foreign Policy
U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback
303 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington,
D.C. 20510
USA
Phone: 202-224-6521
Fax: 202-228-1265
Email: sara_hessenflow@brownback.senate.gov
6 June 2003
If it is important to know one's limitations -- than you
clearly need to take a look at your organization. Insulting
staffers doesn't get you very far in America - just because
I refuse to take part in endless and pointless argument
with you does not mean I am ill-informed, sad, or any other
insult you choose to hurl.
I assume you think this condescending behavior gets you
somewhere. It does not work here. Please cease to email
me.
