[originaltext] In a statement, the US president says he is taking the action

In a statement, the US president says he is taking the action, because the conflict in Darfur threatens the national security and foreign policy of the United States. The asset freeze is being imposed on four Sudanese identified by the U.N. Security Council as being involved in organizing and carrying out cruel and violent actions in Darfur. The president’s order comes days before rallies are planned in Washington and throughout the United States to protest the three-year war in Darfur.
    Celebrities such as Academy Award winning actor George Clooney are scheduled to speak at the rally. Clooney, who just returned from a trip to the Darfur region, told reporters in Washington the world’s attention needs to be focused on what he called the "first massive murder of the 21st century.”
    1. Why is the U.S. president taking actions in Darfur?
    2. Who is scheduled to speak at the rally?