WASHINGTON, May 18 (UPI) -- The United States Tuesday removed Sudan from a list of governments that do not cooperate with U.S. efforts to fight terrorism.
Sudan, however, would remain on a second list of "state sponsors of terrorism" that bans U.S. arms trade with the African country.
Soon after removing Sudan from the first list, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell complained that Sudan was not allowing humanitarian assistance to reach strife-torn Darfur region.
"Sudan has taken a number of positive steps on cooperation against terrorism over the past few years," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told a briefing in Washington. "The U.S.-Sudanese bilateral counter terrorism information sharing has improved remarkably."
The spokesman then added that Sudan would remain on the state terrorism list because of the presence of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the country and because of "some other concerns."
Four other countries - Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Libya - remain on the list, too.
Before its removal from the first list, the U.S. administration had banned all U.S. exports to and imports from Sudan. U.S. firms were also prevented from investing in that country. The removal can lead to the lifting of ban on economic and trade relations with Sudan.
Sudan has been trying to improve its relations with the United States since 1995, when on U.S. demand it expelled al-Qaida head Osama bin Laden to Afghanistan. But it allowed his supporters to stay in the country, which led to U.S. missile attacks on suspected al-Qaida targets in Sudan in 1998.
Sudan also was accused of sheltering three suspects in the 1995 assassination attempt against Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
As Boucher complained, the Sudanese government still allows militants groups like Lebanese Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas to maintain cells inside the country.
Recently, Libya also took many steps for improving relations with the United States, but remains on both terror lists. But Boucher indicated Libya may also be removed from one or both the lists in the near future.
"We're looking at Libya's track record on terrorism, including any
residual ties. But until that review is complete, we won't be able to have more to say," he said.
The United States is particularly pleased with Libya's decision to dismantle its program for weapons of mass destruction and to allow U.S. and British experts to inspect its facilities.
Despite Sudan's removal from the list of governments that do not cooperate with the United States in the war against terror, U.S. officials have made it clear they still have several reservations about that country.
One of the major issues being debated with Sudan is the need for immediate humanitarian relief to refugees in the western Darfur region.
U.S. and U.N. officials estimate that government-supported Arab militias have killed more than 10,000 African Muslims in Darfur since last summer.
The fighting also forced about 1 million people to leave their homes and seek refuge in neighboring Chad and in other places inside Sudan. A truce reached about a month ago was to have ended the fighting but more violence has been reported in recent days.
The United States is trying to send a 27-member emergency relief team to Darfur to assess the situation and to provide humanitarian assistance before the onset of the rainy season, which begins next month. U.S. relief workers say the rains would make it almost impossible to bring relief and can cause epidemics and other disasters if medicine and other emergency relief are not provided.
Although Sudan has issued visas for the U.S. team, 16 of its members are still waiting in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, for permits to visit Darfur.
On Tuesday, Powell urged Sudan to realize the need for urgent humanitarian assistance to the people of Daruf and stop its delaying tactics.
"We are pressing the government of Sudan for unrestricted access to Darfur," he said. "We are urging other governments to do the same."
"We call on all parties to observe the ceasefire and for the government of Sudan to rein in these lawless militias immediately," Powell said.
Boucher said the decision about removing Sudan from one of the terror list was separate from its assessment of Khartoum's role in the Darfur crisis.
"The specific designation under -- specific definition in the specific piece of legislation in this matter doesn't change other matters," he said.
The United States, he said, would continue to bring pressure on Sudan for allowing relief to Darfur.
The United States also has concerns about two decades of civil war between Sudan's Islamic government and minority Christian rebels in the south.
The Bush administration has been actively involved in peace talks under way in Kenya. On several occasions during the past two months, both sides came close to signing an agreement but moved away after disagreeing on basic issues like the role of Islamic laws in the Christian south and the sharing of oil revenues between the rebels and the government.
