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| Africa: West | |
| Additional U.S. Troops Requested For Liberia | |
| 2003-08-17 | |
| Geez! Will the whining and begging to get us in this With so few Nigerian peacekeepers in Monrovia that residents are forming their own patrols, the head of the West African force appealed to the United States today to send another 120 to 150 Marines ashore. Just a few more, then a few more, then... Nigerian Brig. Gen. Festus Okonkwo said he asked the U.S. commander in the region, Maj. Gen. Thomas Turner, to essentially double the current Marine deployment in Monrovia to shore up the badly overstretched West African contingent. "Everybody’s complaining STFU then ," Okonkwo said, as he awaited the arrival of U.N. cargo jets transporting 176 more Nigerian peacekeepers to Liberia today, bringing to 1,000 the number of West African peacekeepers here. "We are trying, but we don’t have our full contingent." Okonkwo said he asked for Marines to boost the peacekeeping presence on Bushrod Island, a sprawling section of north Monrovia that the rebels vacated Monday. Only 30 Nigerian soldiers are stationed on the island, and residents have complained of gunfire and marauding government militias after sunset. "I want white rich people on the road," Okonkwo said. Okonkwo commands the peacekeeping force deployed earlier this month by the Economic Community of West African States, at the request of the U.N. Security Council. After president Charles Taylor stepped down under international pressure and exile into exile in Nigeria Monday, President Bush sent the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit to provide support for the West African force, but their mission remains unclear. U.S. Harrier jump jets and AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters added a dramatic punch to what appeared to be a joint deployment on Bushrod Island, which rebels had held for three weeks. But the U.S. presence here remains light and tentative. The United States dispatched 4,350 Marines and sailors to the region aboard three ships. On Wednesday about 60 Marines who arrived by helicopter at Monrovia’s seaport flew back to the USS Iwo Jima before dark. They returned the following day to finish erecting a fence near the main dock but have not been back since. About 150 Marines remain at Monrovia’s international airport, about 40 miles outside the capital. A spokesman said the Marine quick reaction force has orders only to stand by in an abandoned building. The Nigerian continent was scheduled to double in size by Friday. But delays continue to plague the deployment, despite a $10 million U.S. contract to Pacific Architects and Engineers, a U.S. firm, to hasten the arrival of the West African force. U.N. officials, who expect to take over the stabilization force in two or three months, estimated that 5,000 troops are needed to secure Monrovia, and that the entire country will require a force of 15,000 peacekeepers. Diplomats, meanwhile, awaited word on negotiations taking place in Accra, Ghana, between rebel leaders and Liberia’s new president, Moses Blah, over the structure of a transitional government. Under terms of an agreement being hammered out in Ghana, the government Taylor left behind would be replaced in October by a transitional government. Officials had hoped to announce final agreement on the pact today, but Blah returned to Liberia empty-handed late today after bickering between the two rebel groups, Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, or LURD, and the Movement for Democracy in Liberia, or MODEL. "I’m trying to be an optimist," said one source monitoring the talks, noting that LURD has made good on its vow to leave Bushrod. Residents on the island said government militias remain their main problem. The undisciplined young men armed and left behind by Taylor are notorious across Liberia for stealing and raping. "They bust your door in on you and try pulling you out," said Thomas Mufaya, 25. The street in front of him was marked at regular intervals by the remains of tires set afire last night by residents seeking light and security. "Vigilante action," said Milcolm Ledlum, standing on a main road flanked by an abandoned police station and the headquarters of the Liberian Electricity Corp.. "Things are a little bit shaggy right now, that’s why the Americans don’t want to come," said Frank Warah, who lives in New Cru Town neighborhood, where shots were heard again last night. "The Americans are a little bit afraid." Afraid? Cautious? Intelligent? Not willing to be suckered into this 3rd world commode where everyone’s wearing brasseires and tube tops and AK47s? If that’s your definition of afraid, so be it ....see ya!
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| Posted by:Frank G |
| #8 parabellum: thanks for that link, that was a KICK ARSE ESSAY from Du Toit!!! badanov, i love your list. It can be applied to so many situations, too. 1) take responsibility for your own problems 2) see rule 1) 3) repeat. |
| Posted by: Anon1 2003-8-18 7:20:04 AM |
| #7 badanov - add 2 more and send it to Letterman. Oh, no, wait. He's an entertainer, so he's prolly to the left of Trotsky. Nevermind. ;-) |
| Posted by: .com 2003-8-17 10:47:27 AM |
| #6 We need to make a deal with the whole of the African continent: 1) Take responsibility for your own problems. 2) If you want western/US investment, see 1) 3) If you want troops sent to stop your latest civil war, see 1) 4) If you want AIDs aid, see 1) 5) The best our lefitsts elite will come up with in Africa will be WE ARE THE WORLD II: Saving Zimbabwe from famine. Don't like it? See 1) 6) Afraid what sharia will do to your fragile societies? See 1) 7) Think white folks are to blame for your being drunk on communist philosophies? See 1) 8) As far as I am concerned, the ONLY reason Marines should be landing in Liberia is to kick some Liberan ass, not stand upright for targeting purposes. As in everything else, see 1) |
| Posted by: badanov 2003-8-17 10:10:18 AM |
| #5 Kim du Toit says Let Africa Sink, and I have to agree. |
| Posted by: Parabellum 2003-8-17 9:58:18 AM |
| #4 Anon1 - Good points. I think the AIDs assistance was tens of billions, which brings to mind a good quote from a rather wisened old US Senator (50's-60's) named Everett Dirksen, "A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon you're talking about real money." Not bad. He also said, "I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times." Funny dude with a Shakespearean actor's voice that even Sir Lawrence Olivier couldn't match. Back OT, from a getting anything started POV, you nailed it: corruption is the key. It makes everything the West does almost a non-starter. The NGOs are savvy enough to tread lightly where there are no reliable forces to protect them. I don't know to what degree, but they certainly play the game and make payoffs - which merely prolongs the problem preventing any Western Govt with the req'd staying power from trying to gain a foothold to start solving problems. And some "Western" countries, such as Phrawnce, are still colonialists at heart - and act as such - smearing the honest efforts of the rest in the eyes of the Africans. And then there's the UN. It takes $100 to get $1 worth of effect, it seems. I know that's exaggerated, but there is a large BS factor. Sigh. I dunno, mate. |
| Posted by: .com 2003-8-17 5:39:48 AM |
| #3 oops i meant hundreds of millions |
| Posted by: Anon1 2003-8-17 5:29:10 AM |
| #2 poor old africa. I don't know how to feel about it. they get themselves into severe messes, blame it on the western countries, demand to be helped: then hate you for interfering. now bush just promised hundreds of billions for AIDS relief for Africa, shouldn't they at least TRY to solve some of their own problems? Take some goddam responsibility! either that or we should all just walk away, take the westernised peoples with us and come back in 50 years when Africa is people-free, having been made extinct by corruption, nepotism and the spread of ignorance and primitive beliefs causing wars, famines and easily-preventable diseases. |
| Posted by: Anon1 2003-8-17 5:09:15 AM |
| #1 What part of "no" is beyond their understanding? This has quagmire and fool's errand written all over it. No, no, no. Never. At every bend in every river in Africa there is a tribal disaster either in progress - or just waiting to happen. They are pretty spiffy when it comes to dreaming up acronyms, however. Maybe they should all come to work for ad agencies on Madison Ave. Just giving credit where due... |
| Posted by: .com 2003-8-17 4:58:32 AM |