In a piece that started on page 1 of today's
LA Times, the paper of record for L.A. repeated the debunked claim that Sudan repeatedly offered Osama Bin Laden to the U.S. during the 1990's. They did so without citing any new information to that effect, and in fact, did so without citing any source at all.
By 1993, the Clinton administration had listed Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism, citing the country's "disturbing relationship with a wide range of Islamic extremists." It said Sudan's support of terrorists "included paramilitary training, indoctrination, money, travel documentation, safe passage and refuge."
In late 1995, the U.S. shut down its CIA station in Khartoum and, in February 1996, withdrew its ambassador.
Sudanese officials said their government, alarmed by the frayed ties, tried repeatedly without success to regain favor by turning over Bin Laden to either the Saudis or the U.S.
Even after Sudan forced Bin Laden to move operations to Afghanistan in 1996, the regime continued to make overtures to the White House and the FBI. In letters reviewed by The Times, Sudan offered cooperation on counter-terrorism efforts.
The Clinton administration accepted an invitation by Sudan to send a CIA-FBI counter-terrorism team to Khartoum in mid-2000, but otherwise the Bashir regime's overtures were rejected -- even when, Cloonan said, it offered to turn over two suspects in the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in East Africa.
The statement that Sudan offered Bin Laden to the U.S. has been debunked repeatedly, most recently and I believe most importantly by a
staff statement from the independent 9/11 Comission, which stated bluntly:
Former Sudanese officials claim that Sudan offered to expel Bin Ladin to
the United States. Clinton administration officials deny ever receiving such an offer. We
have not found any reliable evidence to support the Sudanese claim....
No rendition plan targeting Bin Ladin, who was still perceived as a terrorist financier, was requested by or presented to senior policymakers during 1996.
Media Matters has other sources on people who have presented this claim in the past.
The LA Times can be reached at letters@latimes.com. Please keep letters polite, and include your name, address, and phone number if you are interested in having your letter published.