us, to inquire whether the vital prerequisite of subject matter jurisdiction has been satisfied. See, Magee v. Exxon Corp., 135 F.3d 599, 601 (8th Cir.1998); Bradley v. American Postal Workers Union, AFL—CIO, 962 F.2d 800, 802 n. 3 (8th Cir.1992). As a sovereign power, the United States may be sued only to the extent that it has consented to suit by Statute. United States Dep’t of Energy v. Ohio, 503 U.S. 607, 615, 112 S.Ct. 1627, 118 L.Ed.2d 255 (1992); United States v. Mitchell, 445 U.S. 535, 538, 100 S.Ct. 1349, 63 L.Ed.2d 607 (1980). In granting its consent to be sued, the United States may attach such conditions, and limitations, as it deems proper, and strict compliance with those conditions is an absolute requirement. Bellecourt v. United States, 994 F.2d 427, 430 (8th Cir.1993) (<HOLDING>), cert. denied, 510 U.S. 1109, 114 S.Ct. 1049,
holding that waiver of federal tort claims act sovereign immunity is conditioned upon strict compliance with exhaustion requirement holding that the alien tort statute itself is not a waiver of sovereign immunity holding that strict compliance is not required holding that waiver of sovereign immunity under federal tort claims act for intentional acts committed by federal law enforcement was not limited to investigative activities holding that equitable considerations did not toll the statute of limitations under the tort claims act where plaintiffs conduct was not in strict compliance with congressional waiver of immunity