The cynic in me sees this latest news about Sudan and Darfur through the prism of Sino-American geopolitical competition:

President Bush will announce Tuesday that he is imposing stiff economic sanctions against Sudan — including penalties against two senior government officials and a rebel leader — and that he will press the United Nations for additional actions to end the violence in Darfur, two senior administration officials said Monday

The kind of fiscal penalties envisioned here aren't going to make on whit of difference in Darfur.

First, he will step up enforcement of existing economic sanctions against 100 or so Sudanese companies already barred from doing business with the United States.

Second, he will add 31 additional companies to the sanctions list, barring them from any dollar transactions within the United States financial system. Of those companies, 30 are controlled by the Sudanese government, officials said, and at least one is violating an embargo against shipping arms to Darfur.

Third, Mr. Bush also will single out two senior officials and a rebel leader for sanctions. The officials would not identify them, but said that Mr. Bush would do so in his remarks at the White House on Tuesday.

What they will do, however, is push Sudan further into China's orbit. Unfortunately I don't see much that can be done here. As we've blown our credibility in the Arab world already.