US Troops in Central Africa

Well, Obama just authorized the deployment of Soldiers into the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and Uganda to hunt down the Lord's Resistance Army.

The Lord's Resistance Army is a depraved group of Christian Origin that is known for mass kidnapping, ethnic cleansing, child soldiers, among other things.

What are the thoughts of those here?

edited 9th Mar '12 1:08:03 PM by USAF713

Its about time something was done about this. I wish it was European troops leading this though. The US has enough on its plate.

I'll say this for the US. At least they're proactive. We just follow them around. Good or ill, its not particularly admirable being dragged along for every conflict reluctantly, and with varying enthusiasm levels.

I hope they haven't overstretched themselves...

I doubt it's gonna be like the Middle East. My guess is that they will just play a support role for the main body of an African coalition.

edited 9th Mar '12 1:08:32 PM by USAF713

.

edited 9th Mar '12 1:33:08 AM by kyfhv

100 soldiers? Who's going to supply them?

What prompted this intervention?

I read its about 100 for "advisory" purposes. I'm glad were doing it though. It helps show were not just fighting for oil or to kill specific religions.

They've been killing people for a while and the African armies crrentaly suck at fighting/finding them. We have a bit of expereince figthing similar forces so we will be a major help.

edited 14th Oct '11 2:22:57 PM by Joesolo

edited 9th Mar '12 1:12:01 PM by USAF713

...Orrrr you could calm down, and the US could be seen as finally getting off it's arse, a pattern started by Libya.

...

100 soldiers?

I thought it was a small army. This was what all the fuss was about?

edited 9th Mar '12 1:33:43 AM by kyfhv

Weare NOT going to invade with a full force to fight a small militia that the african forces can really handle. They need help in Tactics, not numbers.

The LRA is accused of widespread human rights violations, including murder, abduction, mutilation, sexual enslavement of women and children and forcing children to participate in hostilities.

These guys are worse than the Taliban. At least they don't employ little girls as soldiers.

One of their spokesmen said the LRA's ojectives were:

• 1. To remove dictatorship and stop the oppression of our people.
• 2. To fight for the immediate restoration of competitive multi-party democracy in Uganda.
• 3. To see an end to gross violation of human rights and dignity of Ugandans.
• 4. To ensure the restoration of peace and security in Uganda.
• 5. To ensure unity, sovereignty and economic prosperity beneficial to all Ugandans *6. To bring to an end to the repressive policy of deliberate marginalization of groups of people who may not agree with the LRA ideology.

I now feel personally offened by the sheer blatantness of these lies.

edited 14th Oct '11 2:29:38 PM by PacificState

edited 9th Mar '12 1:12:37 PM by USAF713

I almost feel like this is a personal vendetta thing for Obama. His father is from Kenya, which is basically neighbors with some of the countries he is sending these advisers to.

Not to say I don't support this, despite the motivations behind it. Central Africa is a mess, we all agree that it is a mess, yet no one has had the chutzpah to put their political career on the line, roll up their sleeves, and do something about it. People may not agree with everything Obama does, but at least the guy stands by his convictions, or at least more so than most politicians do.

The Lord's Resistance Army seems to be more cultish than mainstream Christian however in all my heart I say blow those assholes to kingdom come.

edited 14th Oct '11 2:32:30 PM by joyflower

Savage, I'll have to have you over for coffee sometime if you ever visit Hawaii, we're not all bad.

I had asked this elsewhere, but wouldn't Europe at least want to get involved in this, or are they expecting us to do it?

@USAF: the French are quite active in their former African empire, like recently in Cote d'Ivoir.

we've been "off our ass" since WW 1! I'll admit we've had a few decades we kept our heads down, be we've helped in hundreds of places around the world. Not to mention the billions in foriegn aid we give away every year.

edited 14th Oct '11 2:32:35 PM by Joesolo

edited 9th Mar '12 1:13:08 PM by USAF713

Africa needs to be fixed. Somehow. What with rampant AIDS and countless little brush wars and stuff like this, it's... bad.