Article

2003-05-30 East/Subsaharan Africa

UN ready to back French-led force to halt Congo carnage

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Steve White 2003-05-30 12:24 am|| || Front Page|| [8 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 There is a piece of "United Europe" military that works. It's called LÃ©gion ÃtrangÃ¨re.

I'm afraid UN troops will just be fresh food. Literally.

Posted by True German Ally 2003-05-30 04:13:52|| 2003-05-30 04:13:52|| Front Page Top

#2 Now, let me get this straight. A large group of civilians in Congo are committing genocide, and elements of the French Army are going to... what:
fly in and put up some concertina wire, break out the wine and the xbox?

The problem I have with this is that a French military unit is going to be deployed in a military situation, with no military orders and no military plans. The best way to stop the genocide to to overrun the country and take it over in a military operation, but instead this force will be flown in with at best unclear orders, with instructions that can be best described as making them spectators in a brutal event.

I also find it incredible the ambassador wants French forces to be able to open fire to stop massacres. I think once the French arrive they will be hard pressed not to open fire to protect their own people. And just who are the French going to fire upon? Un-uniformed civilians.

Posted by badanov 2003-05-30 06:44:54|| [www.rkka.org] 2003-05-30 06:44:54|| Front Page Top

#3 If there is quiet, it is only because the Lendu have fled. But there is a steady drip of violence - isolated shootings by night, some looting by day and the rape of girls as young as 10. Their uniformed male schoolmates roam the half-deserted streets, swinging sub-machine guns they are barely big enough to handle.

What's needed is a bit of the Second Amendment here. The superficial spin in this statement is that these 10 year old boys using guns to protect their classmates are part of the problem, not the solution.

Sorry I don't have a link to the article, but it was on Strategypage and talked about how, with a few weapons and unconventional tactics, a small village was able to keep itself secure from the chaos surrounding it when some muslims came calling.

Don't waste dough on peacekeepers. Send in choppers to distribute lots of guns, ammo, and radios to report attacks, and let the locals particiapte in sorting it out. Shoot to defend yourself and ALL defenders, regardless of side. This means being able to support Village A if they're being invaded on Monday, and then shooting their men up on Wednesday if they're invading Village B in revenge. The idea of "defend your village, don't go raiding" will eventually sink in.

Posted by Ptah 2003-05-30 07:27:35|| [www.crusaderwarcollege.org] 2003-05-30 07:27:35|| Front Page Top

#4 The UN AND the French? Oh, this'll work out just great.

Posted by tu3031 2003-05-30 07:56:24|| 2003-05-30 07:56:24|| Front Page Top

#5 I thought that violence never solves anything. Why then are the French sending soldiers?

Posted by Hermetic 2003-05-30 12:44:47|| [akablog.blogspot.com] 2003-05-30 12:44:47|| Front Page Top

#6 Ptah, I saw that article as well, though I didn't save it or the URL. It was in the Sudan, I believe (Uganda maybe???). The village elders and adult men brought out their old Enfield rifles and put down a force of AK-armed muslim thugs, on their way to loot and destroy said village, in a running ambush and skirmish operation.

Hermetic: don't you know that it's different when the French do it? Just ask the rest of the EU.

Posted by Steve White 2003-05-30 13:27:20|| 2003-05-30 13:27:20|| Front Page Top

#7 If I were the Congolese I would feel great knowing the UN and France are going to protect me. Just wait right there for your next meal, oh that's right you ARE the next meal!

Posted by Anonymous 2003-05-30 15:14:41|| 2003-05-30 15:14:41|| Front Page Top

Some mutilated bodies bore evidence of cannibalism.

Come to Africa.
Delicious food.
Friendly people...
Um, I mean, friendly food, delicious people and blue helmets as far as the eye can see!

Posted by Celissa 2003-05-30 18:20:08|| [www.celissasblog.com/weblog.php] 2003-05-30 18:20:08|| Front Page Top

#9 hmmmm.
1. French military prowess
2. French cooking
3. Rampant cannibalism
.....
Does anyone else see a serendipitious connection here?

Posted by Luigi 2003-05-30 19:55:24|| 2003-05-30 19:55:24|| Front Page Top

#10 UN ready to back French-led force to halt Congo carnage

Back it with WHAT?

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2003-05-30 22:07:48|| 2003-05-30 22:07:48|| Front Page Top

#11 You know if I was standing there with automatic weapons watching innocent civilians being slaughtered and little girls being raped,then orders or no orders the bastards die.Personal consequences be damned,sometimes a person has to do the right thing.If these"soldiers"didn't do something then they are cowards.

Posted by Raptor 2003-05-31 06:39:29|| 2003-05-31 06:39:29|| Front Page Top

09:28 Raptor
09:16 Raptor
08:22 Aris Katsaris
08:08 Raptor
08:03 Aris Katsaris
07:59 Aris Katsaris
07:31 Raptor
07:25 Raptor
07:17 Raptor
06:58 Anon1
06:48 Raptor
06:39 Raptor
06:03 Raptor
00:33 mojo
00:32 Tremor
23:54 Celissa
23:46 True German Ally
22:32 Barbara Skolaut
22:16 Anonymous Troll
22:14 Anonymous Troll
22:10 Anonymous Troll
22:07 Bomb-a-rama
22:04 Bomb-a-rama
21:50 Bomb-a-rama