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Posted by MIGUEL ANGEL CHAPARRO (Member # 47) on :

Bush balances political and foreign-policy agendas

Associated Press
Monday, October 21, 2002

WASHINGTON - Juggling his domestic, foreign policy and political agendas, President Bush is taking a step toward sanctions against war-ravaged Sudan, meeting NATO's chief on expanding the alliance and hosting major Republican donors.

Bush is also moving to put generic drugs on the shelves faster by barring manufacturers of brand-name drugs from filing multiple patent lawsuits that can stall the arrival of cheaper versions for years. Democrats see election-season politics at play with a hot-button campaign issue.

Later Monday, Bush signs a get-tough-on-Sudan resolution that formally condemns human rights violations, alleges the Sudanese government uses food as a weapon and directs the president to impose sanctions against Sudan if he determines its government isn't negotiating in good faith.

The government of Sudan, Africa's largest nation, signed an agreement with rebels last Tuesday to suspend fighting during talks to end their 20-year-old war. The cease-fire paved the way for the government to lift a ban on relief flights to the southern Equatoria region Sunday.

Nevertheless, Bush was to sign the resolution, which carries a variety of possible penalties against Sudan if it negotiates in bad faith. The sanctions could include a downgrade of diplomatic relations, a United Nations arms embargo and attempts to deny the government use of its oil revenues.

It would authorize $300 million over the next three years for peace efforts - money that would have to be formally provided in other legislation.

Since 1983 some 2 million people have died in Sudan's civil war between the Muslim-dominated government and rebels seeking greater autonomy for the south. From the outside the conflict is often viewed as a religious war, but competition for oil, land and other resources also fuel it. Terrorist leader Osama bin Laden lived in Sudan for years.

Later Monday Bush is schedule to meet with NATO Secretary-General George Robertson.

Topping the agenda is NATO expansion, a senior White House official said Sunday. At a summit next month in Prague, the leaders of the alliance are expected to invite the Baltic nations of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, which were once part of the Soviet Union to join NATO along with Slovenia, Romania, Slovakia and Bulgaria.

The prospect of those countries joining NATO has irritated Moscow, which sees the expansion plan as a means to bring the former enemy alliance to Russia's doorstep.

Bush also was expected to urge Robertson to modernize the military technology in other member countries, said the senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Monday night, Bush was saluting the Republican National Committee's big donors - the so-called Regents who have contributed $250,000 over the last two years and who helped carry him to the White House. It marks the second time this year the president has singled them out for special attention.

In April, Bush summoned them to a ranch near his own spread in Crawford, Texas, for a thank-you barbecue. Like that event, the ``donor maintenance'' gathering Monday night in suburban McLean, Va., is closed to the news media, unlike the overwhelming majority of Bush's fund raisers.