Will the French Cry for Help Soon?

[Genghis Pwn]

I think France has gotten itself in over its head militarily in the Congo. How long before Chirac is on the phone in tears begging W to bail his French soldiers out of central Africa? These UPC (Union of Congolese Patriots) rebels the French are fighting look pretty tough. I don't think the French will be able to stand up to these guys...

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20030621/capt.sge.aiy06.210603163403.photo00.default-384x255.jpg


Also, I find it shameful and disgraceful how French troops are now purposefully trying to look like American forces in order to cash in on the prestige and respect our fighting men have earned around the world, at great cost in terms of American lives and dollars... :mad:

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20030610/capt.sge.ruj24.100603215825.photo02.default-378x282.jpg

http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20030606/i/1054903548.3959734399.jpg

Shame on the French. If they do call us to bail them out, I think we should confiscate all their Oakley sunglasses, US Army Ranger hats, and M4s while we are at it.

[Richard G]

Did they get U.N. permission to go in? If not, why didn't they veto themselves?

[Genghis Pwn]

Originally posted by Richard G
Did they get U.N. permission to go in? If not, why didn't they veto themselves?

Exactly! :confused:

[ZeeGerman]

You guys really suck!

From

here (http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/w-af/2003/jun/21/062107323.html)


France and many African nations are backing Secretary-General Kofi Annan's call for a larger U.N. peacekeeping force with a more robust mandate in war-torn eastern Congo, but the United States appears reluctant to agree.

And since when does the US Army hold patents on camouflage uniforms and ranger hats?

[a_unique_person]

Another thread I started has the UN asking for more backup. The US and it's allies to have not recieved the message yet.

As for the use of child soldiers, it is a terrible thing and hardly a joking matter.


BTW, do you put this much research into all your topics?

[blackpriester]

Originally posted by a_unique_person
Another thread I started has the UN asking for more backup. The US and it's allies to have not recieved the message yet.

As for the use of child soldiers, it is a terrible thing and hardly a joking matter.


BTW, do you put this much research into all your topics?

I think that's pretty much his standard.
I am normally not into ad hominems, but Genghis has really stood out in terms of unqualified, non-researched comment and uber-patriotic hooplah. So much for the role of SKEPTICs on this board...

[MRC_Hans]

Originally posted by blackpriester


*snip* So much for the role of SKEPTICs on this board... Ehrr, what exactly do you mean by that statement? Seems to me GP is another idiot who just got debunked by a couple of skeptics here...

Hans

[Genghis Pwn]

Uh, how was I debunked?

[Flo]

Originally posted by Genghis Pwn
Uh, how was I debunked?


"Unmasked" would be closer to the truth ... :rolleyes:

[Genghis Pwn]

Originally posted by Flo



"Unmasked" would be closer to the truth ... :rolleyes:

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Jon_in_london]

Originally posted by Genghis Pwn


:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

:rolleyes:

[MRC_Hans]

Originally posted by Genghis Pwn
Uh, how was I debunked? Very easily, apparantly.

The French are in Congo on behalf of the UN not in spite of it.

They are not copying UC uniforms (easy to see in the pic you attached), it's just that soldiers tend to look alike. And they do happen to use some of the same weapon types, since there is a degree of standardization within the NATO.

And the boy soldiers in Africa are deadlier than rattlesnakes: Totally demoralized and usually high on khat, they are completely unpredictable, and yet very tricky to handle, since gunning them down is bound t oproduce nasty headlines (and no doubt nasty posts from Genghis Pwn types).

Now, GP, you are obviously not concerned with facts. So this won't mean a thing to you. :rolleyes:

Hans

[crocodile deathroll]

Before the next presidential elections Bushy will realized the he has bitten of a little more than he can chew! (http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,6637692%255E2703,00.html) as there not so much as smoking gun anywhere, just a few smoking pipelines.
So all his ambitions to benefit from Iraqi oil as the covert justification for this war is going up in smoke as we speak.

Bushy will be one who will be utimately crying for help not the French. As the election draws nearer he will he will be down his knees pleading for UN intervention to release him of the hook from this increasingly unpopular war. I do not think Americans will tolerate the needless killings of its troops when this war is supposedly over, isn't it?, and still none of those WMDs justify it. I better hope they find them soon. I hope they find them soon as my country will also be in a lot of deep hot water if they don't.

[Lord Emsworth]

I doubt whether the French will come begging for Genghis' help.

[Segnosaur]

Originally posted by ZeeGerman
You guys really suck!

From

here (http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/w-af/2003/jun/21/062107323.html)


A couple of things I noticed about the article:

- France wants to increase the size of the forces, but according to the article, they are withdrawing their OWN troops within a few months.
- Many of the calls for a stronger UN mandate comes from neighbouring countries (like Angola), or from some of the rebels, or even some of the people themselves. How does the "recognized" government of the Congo feel about it?

I can't blame the US for being hesitant. It seems almost like a no-win situation. Unlike Iraq or Afghanistan, where there was a clear enemy and goal, trying to stop rival but equally matched groups can easily result in a REAL quagmire. If they do go in, it will have to be with serious intentions to fix the problems, something that the UN has a real problem with.

[ZeeGerman]

Originally posted by Segnosaur


A couple of things I noticed about the article:

- France wants to increase the size of the forces, but according to the article, they are withdrawing their OWN troops within a few months.
- Many of the calls for a stronger UN mandate comes from neighbouring countries (like Angola), or from some of the rebels, or even some of the people themselves. How does the "recognized" government of the Congo feel about it?

I can't blame the US for being hesitant. It seems almost like a no-win situation. Unlike Iraq or Afghanistan, where there was a clear enemy and goal, trying to stop rival but equally matched groups can easily result in a REAL quagmire. If they do go in, it will have to be with serious intentions to fix the problems, something that the UN has a real problem with.

None of your points is disputed. I just picked the first reference I found to demonstrate that pwn and R. G. were sort of heading the wrong way in their childish bashing.

As for being hesitant, do you believe, we should wait until we can point out the real bad guys down there before trying to put a stop to the current situation?
That's an interesting question for me because Germany will get involved in Congo pretty soon.

Zee

- edited for bad grammer

[Mike B.]

Well France is trying...

But it really seems like a no win situation to me...

[ZeeGerman]

Originally posted by Mike B.
Well France is trying...

But it really seems like a no win situation to me...

Well, certainly it's sort of a no win situation. The people down there are a threat only to themselves and they kill only each other. They are not into international terrorism and they apparently have no WMD to distribute. It's just a humanitarian mission and the only people who could win are those who would have suffered otherwise.

I agree that it's a nasty situation though...

Zee

[Segnosaur]

Originally posted by ZeeGerman

None of your points is disputed. I just picked the first reference I found to demonstrate that pwn and R. G. were sort of heading the wrong way in their childish bashing.


I thought RG was making a joke myself...

Originally posted by ZeeGerman

As for being hesitant, do you believe, we should wait until we can point out the real bad guys down there until trying to put a stop to the current situation?
That's an interesting question for me because Germany will get involved in Congo pretty soon.


That's a very good question.

So far the UN mission has been a failure. They've sent them in without enough forces and equipment to do the job, and they haven't given them a mandate to actually step in and do something useful.

If they don't give them a mandate to 'go after' people causing the problems, they will simply be irrelevant at best, or 'targets' at worse. And of course if they are given a mandate to go on the offensive, they could end up breeding resentment to the UN or their host countries (espeically if 'children' are killed, even if those children are actually armed.)