US troops now in 4 African countries to fight LRA

[Tree Potato]

It's interesting to see the same debates and concerns here as are being discussed in the halls at Air War College.

Do you QPs think the scale and persistence of the atrocities factor into necessitating a response? Or is it purely public pressure? Also, how do you see evolving R2P "doctrine" informing this decision making, especially in light of lessons learned from Libya?

[ZonieDiver]

mugwump,

While I may not agree with your position, I deeply appreciate the information you brought to this discussion. Please continue to do so...

[The Reaper]

Originally Posted by ZonieDiver

mugwump,

While I may not agree with your position, I deeply appreciate the information you brought to this discussion. Please continue to do so...

Concur 100%.

TR

[ZonieDiver]

Do you QPs think the scale and persistence of the atrocities factor into necessitating a response? Or is it purely public pressure?

I alluded to this in a previous post. This is nothing new, even if you isolate Africa. In 2002, I took a job at a charter HS at the Phoenix Job Corps Center. Many of the Somalian "Lost Boys" were relocated here, in were in my classes. They wrote essays about what had happened to them which would ruin your whole week - and echoed, even amplified, the testimony of they young man in the "Kony 2012" video. Again, this is nothing new - or something isolated to that area with the LRA.

Expand the scope to the situation that drove us to put troops in Somalia (Black Hawk Down), Liberia under Doe, or even Syria today. Has Kony killed more, as quickly, as Assad? Look at Asia, and examine Cambodia under Pol Pot. Go back to the purges in China under Mao, or the Soviet Union under Stalin, or Hitler with the Jews, et al.

Few of these atrocities necessitated a response on our part. I'll repeat again what I said before. Why "here" and why "now"?

[cat in the hat]

Part of the reasoning goes with the DOD/State department attempts to apply the sunscreen principle in Africa. ie. a few troops now to put out little fires before extremism takes further root and/or spreads further.

Kony has in the past operated in South Sudan, with the recent separation North Sudan could "persuade" the LRA to make trouble for the new government in Juba. South Sudan has oil and natural gas reserves.

the LRA has been active in DROC so we trained up a light infantry BN in Kisangani a few years back with the hope that it would be used against LRA and some of the other groups. Congo has many minerals we like to use in our toys.

lots of other nations have a head start on the Dark continent and we are playing catch up trying to get more than a token foot in the door.

AND, without sounding like a conspiracy nut. we have troops in Uganda working with the UPDF SF group so that our CIC can point to a military operation that is not based on corporate greed (unless you really look deep). I have no doubt that as the election grows closer, he will use US involvement to his advantage.

and on top of all the above ideas. getting involved with the anti LRA effort is the right thing to do. outside of the base in Djibouti, most of the US military operating in the area are SF, PSYOP/MISO and CA (Army and Navy) we get more bang for the buck and can do more with less troops.

[Mr Furious]

I would rather have the country talking about current world events and conditions than relaying gossip over the recent rants of some pop tart celebutante. So I see some goodness to the viral video and the sudden awakening.

With that said, just in case you were even thinking about throwing your money at Invisible Children...let’s compare similar sized 501(c)(3) annual audited financials:

SOWF: $15.2M in total annual revenue. $5.5M in total expenses of which $4.8M went directly to the supported programs. $.68M for general management, staff compensation, and development costs.

Invisible Children: $13.7M in total annual revenue. $8.9M in total expenses of which $7.1M went directly to the supported programs. $1.73M for general management, staff compensation, and development costs.

Let’s compare the composition of those directly supported program expenses:

SOWF: $4.8M went to expenses and services for scholarships, counseling, financial aid, benefactor services, and wounded warrior programs.

Invisible Children: $7.1M went to expenses and services for program compensation costs, direct services, entertainment, film costs, postage, production costs, professional services, communications, travel and transportation amongst other direct expenses. I do read that ~$1M of net assets were restricted for rebuilding schools and scholarships in Central Africa. I read that they also spent that much in video equipment and transportation alone.

They are similar sized right now, but I have little doubt that Invisible Children will more than likely see a tremendous spike in their financial strength after their video went viral.

Both are registered and have a Combined Federal Campaign number. Your money and your choices. It’s pretty clear to me where my charitable contributions will continue to go.

[ZonieDiver]

Originally Posted by Mr Furious

Entire post

I don't disagree at all. As a '70's SF'er from 8th Group, I am very much into early intervention to avoid later disasters.

As a former HS teacher, I'd love nothing more than an opportunity to discuss such issues with my students. I tried for years to get my district to have more about Africa and Asia in the curriculum, rather than being so Euro-centric. I think Afchic said it well when she mentioned that if 14 year olds are even discussing that... it is a good tihing!

[tonyz]

WSJ
March 16, 2012, 7:09 PM ET

‘Kony 2012′ Director Jason Russell Detained After ‘Meltdown’

Excerpts:

A co-founder of the group that produced a popular online video about fugitive African rebel leader Joseph Kony was detained by police in San Diego and hospitalized after “exhibiting bizarre behavior” while dressed only in his underwear, according to police.

Jason Russell, 33 years old, was detained Thursday afternoon in the Pacific Beach area after he was found having “kind of a meltdown,” according to San Diego police officer Thomas Broxtermann.

Mr. Broxtermann said police responded to multiple complaints variously describing a white male “running around the street in his underwear,” “naked and masturbating and screaming” and “banging his hands on the ground and screaming incoherently.” The calls complaining began around 11:30 am.

Mr. Russell was handcuffed and taken to a Kaiser Permanente medical facility for a mental-health evaluation, Mr. Broxtermann said, adding that he wasn’t intoxicated and wasn’t criminally charged.

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2012/...fter-meltdown/

[ZonieDiver]

They had a clip of that on our local news yesterday. "Meltdown" doesn't do him justice!

[PSM]

Originally Posted by ZonieDiver

They had a clip of that on our local news yesterday. "Meltdown" doesn't do him justice!

Video here: TMZ.

Pat

[BOfH]

Originally Posted by cat in the hat

...Congo has many minerals we like to use in our toys.

On that note:
US, EU and Japan challenge China's rare earth export restrictions with the WTO: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17348648
Army's rare earth concerns: http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/0...arth-concerns/

Another point to consider is Iran's involvement[1] in Africa, IIRC, Africa is a known source of yellow cake uranium...

MOO: Kony is one(of many) bad dude, and even a double tap to the face may not do his victims justice, but, as QP Zonie Diver put it, the "why here, why now?" may not be the simple altruism of bringing him to justice; understand that terminating Joseph Kony may not be just about ending the slaughter, but a win-win for both those he victimizes and whatever business we have in the four countries he roams.

[1]http://www.economist.com/node/15453225

[Sdiver]

Well, the internet generation my have forgotten about this guy .....

U.S. Special Forces help in the hunt for Kony.

http://start.toshiba.com/news/read.p...lang=en&page=1

(Let me know if the link is good and it can be opened. I got it off my 'Toshibia' homepage. SD)

[tonyz]

Originally Posted by Sdiver

Well, the internet generation my have forgotten about this guy .....

U.S. Special Forces help in the hunt for Kony.

http://start.toshiba.com/news/read.p...lang=en&page=1

(Let me know if the lnk is good and it can be opened. I got it off my 'Toshibia' homepage. SD)

Link worked fine for me.

[Pete]

Ugandan army says Sudan is backing Joseph Kony's LRA

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17890432

"The Ugandan army says the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) led by Joseph Kony is being supported and supplied by the Sudanese government.

The LRA is accused of rape, mutilation, murder and the recruitment of child soldiers........."

[Pete]

Uganda: LRA rebel Caesar Achellam in row over amnesty

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18199001

"A senior commander in the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) should be granted amnesty just like other LRA fighters, his lawyer has told the BBC.

But Uganda's public prosecutor has said the amnesty law does not apply to Caesar Acellam because he was one of the top rebel military strategists.

Mr Acellam is in a Ugandan army base in South Sudan, two weeks after being found in the Central African Republic......................"

So they offer amnesty to LRA soldiers who turn themselves in - catch Acellam - and he tries to claim amnesty?

I don't think so, Caesar.