By: A. S. Alkoronki

The twentieth day of August 2012 witnesses the bitter 14th anniversary for the destruction of Al-Shifa Pharmaceutical Factory through a notorious American aggression in 1998, by three long range cruise missiles bombs, that were launched by the U.S. Navy from barges at their Marine base on the Indian Ocean.

Al-Shifa Pharmaceutical Factory was considered to be the largest pharmaceutical factory in Sudan and the neighbouring African countries. It employed over 300 workers, producing medicine both for human and veterinary use. The factory was used primarily for the manufacture of anti-malaria medicines and veterinary products.

The destructive  missile attack launched by the United States government, killing one employee and wounding eleven, plus affecting up to tens of thousands of Sudanese civilians through depriving them of the supply of necessary drugs, especially anti-malaria medicines, the disease which causes hundreds of thousands of deaths annually, in Sudan and neighbouring poor countries.

The administration of President Bill Clinton justified the attacks, dubbed “Operation Infinite Reach”, on the grounds that the al-Shifa plant was involved with processing the deadly nerve agent VX, and had ties with the Islamist al-Qaeda group of Osama bin Laden. Under-Secretary of State Thomas Pickering claimed to have sufficient evidence against Sudan got through a clandestine CIA operation.

Politically, the Sudanese opposition in Cairo led by Mubarak Al-Mahdi “The National Democratic Alliance (NDA)” confessed that it provided the USA administration with information that the plant was producing ingredients for chemical weapons.

“Operation Infinite Reach” was allegedly a retaliation for the August 7 truck bomb attacks on USA embassies in Dar el Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya. The operation was carried simultaneously against Sudan and Afghanistan, linking both countries to harmful ties with al-Qaeda of Osama Bin Laden.

Like all unfounded accusations the USA administration used to throw unwarily against Sudan, God has predestined voices from among its own people, and others, to present facts and provide logic to refute its claims. Officials of the same Clinton administration later said that there was no proof that the plant had been manufacturing or storing nerve gas, or it has any relations with Osama Bin Laden or contacts between officials at Al-Shifa plant and Iraqi chemical weapons experts as initially claimed by the Americans.

(Will be continued next, Inshaa Allah)