Difficult position
Sudan, however, is not comfortable with the relationship it has with Iran, the former U.S. official said.
“Our sense has always been that they would prefer to have training, cooperation and assistance from more reputable partners, but they don’t have that luxury,” he said.
The Sudanese are in a difficult position. While Iran could be fomenting extremism within Sudan, it also is providing Sudan with intelligence training that could be used to combat that extremism, the former U.S. official said.
“Iran is looking to continue to wage its battle against Israel and assist proxies throughout the region to achieve its larger objective,” he said. “What Sudan represents is an ability for Iran to project power and influence outside its traditional sphere of influence.”
© Copyright 2013 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
Ashish Kumar Sen is a reporter covering foreign policy and international developments for The Washington Times.
Prior to joining The Times, Mr. Sen worked for publications in Asia and the Middle East. His work has appeared in a number of publications and online news sites including the British Broadcasting Corp., Asia Times Online and Outlook magazine.
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