Pelosi praises Bush for tightening Sudan sanctions

In a rare showing of support for President Bush, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) praised the commander in chief Tuesday for tightening sanctions against the Sudanese government.

{mosads}“The president’s decision to impose tougher economic sanctions on Sudan was the right one,” Pelosi stated, adding: “It has been three years since the Bush administration correctly termed the conditions in Darfur as ‘genocide’ and it is long past time for all countries concerned by the suffering that continues in Darfur to take the steps necessary to end it.”

Earlier Tuesday, Bush had laid out a new plan to increase economic and political pressure on Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir to end the attacks by the government and Janjaweed militia upon civilians in Darfur. The White House responded to Sudan’s non-compliance with United Nations demands to put a stop to genocide in the Darfur region.

Pelosi and Bush have clashed recently on the handling of the war in Iraq and other issues, but the situation in Darfur has brought together Republicans and Democrats.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (Md.) and other Democrats joined Pelosi in applauding Bush’s announcement.