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After months of internal debate, mounting impatience among U.S. activist groups, and rapidly approaching deadlines in the Sudanese Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), the Obama administration yesterday unveiled its strategy toward Sudan, calling for frank dialogue with the government in Khartoum and promising "calibrated steps to bolster support for positive change and to discourage backsliding."

The realities of Sudan itself appear to have forced an end, at least for the moment, to protracted internal bickering and deadlock between hard-liners-most notably, U.S. ambassador to the UN Susan Rice-and realists-U.S. special envoy to Sudan General Scott Gration. Sudan's national elections are slated for April 2010. Less than a year later is a national referendum in which the...