Obama sends troops into Central Africa

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.telegraph....o-central-Africa.html

Many criticised Bush for his Gung-Ho attitude, but is Obama any different?

[Bobbisox]

It's about time every available Army swooped on Mugabe and cleared him off the face of the Earth, it's true, Only the good die young, this evil Tyrant seems to go on forever !
I know it's never going to happen but one can hope :-)
re your OP, I think America sneezes and we catch cold, how long will it be before the special" relationship" has us meddling in anothers affairs?

[anotheoldgit]

/// how long will it be before the special" relationship" has us meddling in anothers affairs? ///

Is there any special relationship when they don't even trust our navy.

http://www.express.co...sile-crisis-Mrs-Obama

"Point them anywhere, as long as it is not at me" it would seem.

[Bobbisox]

hollow words from them I fear AOG :-)

[SeaJayPea]

Ever since 1982 all political leaders seem to want their own 'Falklands Factor' and are prepared to see young men die in an attempt to enhance their own image.

And it doesn't work.

[ichkeria]

"It's about time every available Army swooped on Mugabe ..."
and then
"how long will it be before the special" relationship" has us meddling in anothers affairs?

You see, that's the problem. It's only "meddling" if we don't agree with it.

On the matter at hand, sending 100 combat troops to advise on handling the LRA, who have been training 9 year-olds and younger to kill for years, doesn't sound all that gung-ho.

[jake-the-peg]

Yes - he's sent 100 soldiers to work with local forces.

There are 100,000 in Afghanistan alone

[jno]

as I recall, sending a few advisers was how the Vietnam war started. I'm not really sure why the US wants to be involved in Uganda at all, considering they still have other wars to pursue.

[rov1100]

I was under the impression the US would not send any ground troops onto foreign soil but just use drones to take out any rebel leadership.

A small contingent like this could easily get wiped out or taken hostage and then we have real escalation.

[ichkeria]

The thing with the LRA is, they are a terrorist group. They have spread, like a rash, into neighbouring countries around Uganda also.
I have no particular opinion on whether the US army should help get after these criminals, but it seems unlikely that thwy would get caught up in anything like VIetnam or Afghanistan. It's a bit of a different situation.

[jno]

ichkeria, I thought after Vietnam they would be careful that they didn't end up the same way in Afghanistan; but they more or less have. In fact the Uganda mission seems pretty limited; but they'll have to be determined to keep it that way even if things don't work out.

[stokemaveric]

well obama sees the french as his ally more than the british so maybe they will help him out in this situation...until the sh1t hits the fan of course and then he will be on the hotline to no 10 downing st...

[lokerz1]

I believe that in countries where lunatics dictate and terrorize their own people who are powerless to retaliate, democratic countries should step in.

Being a soldier myself, I find it annoying when people say "they're sending our troops to die". The Government aren't sending out the troops to die, they are sending us out to enforce world peace and democracy...........TO DO OUR JOBS!!!

Any dictatorship that thinks it can oppress peoples views with violence should feel the pressure of the west and be prepared to face military action if they don't comply.