WASHINGTON, DC -- With devastating atrocities continuing to be perpetrated against people in the Darfur region of Sudan, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today urged President Bush to take a more proactive role in ending the violence in Darfur. Senator Reed joined with several key lawmakers in sending a letter to President Bush calling for more aggressive steps to quell the violence and lay the groundwork for a robust international peacekeeping force with adequate mandate and resources. It has been more than two years since President Bush declared the violence in Darfur to be genocide. He was right to do so, and he was right to send a Special Envoy to the region, but now he must follow up his words with action. The Sudanese government must put a stop to the killing of innocent civilians, said Reed, a member of the Armed Services Committee. The text of the letter is below: Mr. George W. BushThe PresidentThe White HouseWashington DC, 20500January 16, 2007Dear Mr. President: We write to express our continuing concerns about the deteriorating situation in Darfur. As escalating violence exacerbates an already extreme humanitarian crisis, you are no doubt acutely aware that time is of the essence in saving thousands of lives. We welcomed the November 20th announcement by your Special Envoy for Sudan, Andrew Natsios, that the Sudanese Government must accept a joint United Nations-African Union force in Darfur by January 1 or face a tougher line from the United States and the international community. This built upon a powerful warning from your Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, in September that Khartoum faces "a choice between cooperation and confrontation." We appreciate your Administrations efforts at aggressive diplomacy and negotiation, but it seems clear that the Sudanese are not responding to such tactics. Ambassador Natsios was right to insist upon progress on the ground in Darfur by the end of 2006, but we are now more than a week into 2007 and the people of Darfur appear to be no better off. On the contrary, recent developments suggest that security in Darfur continues to deteriorate, and aid workers under attack are being compelled to pull out just as the humanitarian crisis is worsening. Ambassador Natsios has been understandably reluctant to publicize the details of a more aggressive, Plan B, but we believe that the time has come to begin implementing more assertive measures. We would like to be informed of the preparations that have been made for the implementation of this contingency plan, as well as the timing, benchmarks to measure the impact of such a plan, and the results you hope to obtain. Additionally, we are anxious to know more about the U.S. strategy for addressing growing regional instability as violence and refugees from Darfur continue to spill into Chad and the Central African Republic. As you know, we are willing to support your Administration in leading the international community by taking proactive steps to end the violence in Darfur. Simply condemning the worsening violence is not enough; we believe it is past time to use all resources at our disposal to stop this humanitarian tragedy. We look forward to hearing how you plan to proceed on this difficult matter. CC: Ambassador Andrew Natsios, Presidents Special Envoy to Sudan The Honorable HonoJendayi E. Frazer, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs