The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the Bush Administration has forged a strong intelligence partnership with Sudan, and the African nation has become an ally in the U.S.-led war on terror.
The newspaper cites U.S. government sources as saying Khartoum has provided access to terror suspects and has shared intelligence data with the United States, even though it remains on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.
The report says the Central Intelligence Agency has flown Sudan's intelligence chief to Washington as recently as last week.
In exchange for its collaboration, the Times says Sudan is seeking to be removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism and for Washington to lift economic sanctions.
A decade ago, Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida network were based in Sudan.
Some information for this report provided by Reuters.
