Blair draws up plans to send troops to Sudan

[cut]

Blair draws up plans to send troops to Sudan

· Army could be used to protect camps
· A million lives at risk from starvation

Ewen MacAskill, diplomatic editor
Thursday July 22, 2004

The Guardian

Tony Blair has asked Downing Street and Foreign Office officials to draw up plans for possible military intervention in Sudan, where more than a million refugees are at risk from famine and disease.
Despite a heavy commitment of British armed forces in Iraq and other troublespots, the prime minister has had discussions with advisers for on-the-ground involvement of troops.

The prime minister is still hoping that diplomatic and political pressure on the Khartoum government will resolve the crisis without the need for military involvement.

But with conditions in hundreds of camps sharply deteriorating this week with the onset of torrential rain, governments across Europe as well as the US are facing calls for action to prevent a repetition of the Rwanda genocide 10 years ago that claimed a million lives. A government official involved in the discussions said Mr Blair was being given regular updates on the condition of the refugees in the Darfur region.

"The prime minister has asked to look at all options that will save lives and not to rule out the military services," the official said.

Three options for military action have been put forward in Downing Street:

· British servicemen to help with the delivery of aid if the humanitarian agencies can no longer cope. At present, the Belgian air force is helping to fly in aid. Britain is using civilian planes because they are cheaper.

· British logistical support for an African Union force of 60 monitors and 300-strong protection force being deployed in the Sudan. The AU force is short of equipment, including helicopters, vital given the poor state of Darfur's roads.

· British troops to protect refugee camps being harassed by marauding militias. This creation of safe zones would be the most risky of the options and would require the agreement of the Khartoum government, which would be reluctant to give it.

The fact that Mr Blair is prepared to consider military options, even limited ones, so soon after the Iraq war may create controversy, not least among critics who already regard him as too interventionist. It would be his sixth military venture since becoming prime minister in 1997.

Mr Blair, speaking at the Labour party conference in 2001, said he would have a moral duty to intervene in any country to prevent a repetition of Rwanda. Two years earlier, Mr Blair set out in Chicago a doctrine for intervention in humanitarian cases.

Asked about Sudan in the Commons yesterday, Mr Blair did not mention the military option. But he said he "ruled absolutely nothing out".

A ministerial source said pressure was building on Mr Blair and the foreign secretary, Jack Straw.

"For Straw and Blair, Rwanda was a marker for the world," he said. "A reprise of Rwanda chills everyone's blood."

Mr Straw is to fly to Sudan soon to assess the plight of the refugees at first-hand.

The UN security council is shortly to table a resolution that is expected to set out a timetable to put pressure on the Sudanese government to resolve the crisis.

The Darfur refugees, mainly women and children, were forced to flee their homes after attacks by the Janjaweed, a militia armed by the Khartoum government to help combat rebels. The government, which initially slowed access by aid organisations to Darfur, has so far failed to fulfil promises to the UN to disarm the Janjaweed.

The onset of heavy rain in recent weeks has brought chaos to the camps by cutting off roads and aid, destroying shelters and disrupting water supplies, leaving malnourished refugees vulnerable to disease.

There is intense debate between Downing Street and the Foreign Office about the best approach. Some, especially in the Foreign Office, see military involvement as impractical given that Darfur is the size of France, and favour continuing to cajole the government into reining in the Janjaweed and making the camps secure.

Intervention in Sudan would help Mr Blair counter critics who accuse him of intervening only when US or British self-interest is at stake. Britain sent soldiers to Sierra Leone in 2000 in support of a beleaguered UN force: the other interventions were Kosovo, Afghanistan and twice in Iraq.

In spite of complaints by the Ministry of Defence about the overstretch of military resources, it could provide a few hundred servicemen. A request for thousands would be problematic. Government officials concede that the US is unlikely to put any troops on the ground and there is little support elsewhere in Europe.

At prime minister's question time, the Liberal Democrat leader, Charles Kennedy, asked Mr Blair: "What scope do you see for further practical steps now ... to assist the millions of Sudanese facing ethnic cleansing and starvation?"

Mr Blair said he was in touch with ministers on the issue every day and had spoken to the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, twice over the past couple of weeks. He said it was vital to "make sure whatever aid is given gets through to the people who need it most and secondly to keep up pressure on the government of Sudan to make sure they are dealing with the real problems that are giving rise to the violence and ethnic cleansing."

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004

n.b.: for those who don't know already the Guardian is a respected left-wing paper, but I thought I'd post the article was unbiased/intresting enough to post.



Hopefully other countries will follow suit, and that goes to americans and europeans.

[Fee Fi Fo Fum]

would the troops be going in doing humanitarian work? or is there a resistance or some sort of threat?

[Operation Ivy]

GJ Brits :D

I dont know if the US will send over any our forces are strechted to thin :oops:

[cut]

would the troops be going in doing humanitarian work? or is there a resistance or some sort of threat?

We'll have to wait and see, it probably depends on how Sudan react, and who will be joining us.

[seruriermarshal]

I'll hope Mr. cut go to Sudan .

[cut]

I'll hope Mr. cut go to Sudan .

I'd love to go back to Africa, but I have to get my degree first. :D

[EvanL]

I'll hope Mr. cut go to Sudan .
I hope a you learna to speaka da english
*insert picture of organ grinder and monkey here*

[cut]

I'll hope Mr. cut go to Sudan .
I hope a you learna to speaka da english
*insert picture of organ grinder and monkey here*

Leave the poor sod, I didn't correct your french earlier.. p-)

[EvanL]

I'll hope Mr. cut go to Sudan .
I hope a you learna to speaka da english
*insert picture of organ grinder and monkey here*

Leave the poor sod, I didn't correct your french earlier.. p-)
i'll hope mr cut go to french.

[Hydro]

I'll hope Mr. cut go to Sudan .
I hope a you learna to speaka da english
*insert picture of organ grinder and monkey here*

Leave the poor sod, I didn't correct your french earlier.. p-)
i'll hope mr cut go to french.

All your french are belong to cut.

Good news about sending troops to Sudan, question is, who's going to go?

[seruriermarshal]

I'll hope Mr. cut go to Sudan .
I hope a you learna to speaka da english
*insert picture of organ grinder and monkey here*

Are you Mr. cut's father ? perhaps you hope go to Sudan too .

[EvanL]

I'll hope Mr. cut go to Sudan .
I hope a you learna to speaka da english
*insert picture of organ grinder and monkey here*

Are you Mr. cut's father ? perhaps you hope go to Sudan too .
In fact i would be honoured to go to Sudan to help out. But unfortunately being in a civillian position right now it would be tantamount to suicide.

[seruriermarshal]

I'll hope Mr. cut go to Sudan .
I hope a you learna to speaka da english
*insert picture of organ grinder and monkey here*

Are you Mr. cut's father ? perhaps you hope go to Sudan too .
In fact i would be honoured to go to Sudan to help out. But unfortunately being in a civillian position right now it would be tantamount to suicide.

I afraid you help Sudan terrorists kill civil .

[EvanL]

I'll hope Mr. cut go to Sudan .
I hope a you learna to speaka da english
*insert picture of organ grinder and monkey here*

Are you Mr. cut's father ? perhaps you hope go to Sudan too .
In fact i would be honoured to go to Sudan to help out. But unfortunately being in a civillian position right now it would be tantamount to suicide.

I afraid you help Sudan terrorists kill civil .
Dont even try preaching to me about terrorism. I have seen the effect of terrorism with my own eyes. You just point the finger calling others terrorists. Please sir, may you lick my balls some more?

[ShotOver]

Any other countries hopping on this bandwagon? such as Australia, or France, or Germany?

[seruriermarshal]

I'll hope Mr. cut go to Sudan .
I hope a you learna to speaka da english
*insert picture of organ grinder and monkey here*

Are you Mr. cut's father ? perhaps you hope go to Sudan too .
In fact i would be honoured to go to Sudan to help out. But unfortunately being in a civillian position right now it would be tantamount to suicide.

I afraid you help Sudan terrorists kill civil .
Dont even try preaching to me about terrorism. I have seen the effect of terrorism with my own eyes. You just point the finger calling others terrorists. Please sir, may you lick my balls some more?

I don't know that you have eyes can see about terrorism . Perhaps you have a good teacher who's Osama . Perhaps he like you lick his balls some more .

[Hydro]

I'll hope Mr. cut go to Sudan .
I hope a you learna to speaka da english
*insert picture of organ grinder and monkey here*

Are you Mr. cut's father ? perhaps you hope go to Sudan too .
In fact i would be honoured to go to Sudan to help out. But unfortunately being in a civillian position right now it would be tantamount to suicide.

I afraid you help Sudan terrorists kill civil .

What? A leetle jibe in your direction and now Evan's a baby roasting terrorist? Shut the hell up. Engage brain before mouth.

[EvanL]

I'll hope Mr. cut go to Sudan .
I hope a you learna to speaka da english
*insert picture of organ grinder and monkey here*

Are you Mr. cut's father ? perhaps you hope go to Sudan too .
In fact i would be honoured to go to Sudan to help out. But unfortunately being in a civillian position right now it would be tantamount to suicide.

I afraid you help Sudan terrorists kill civil .
Dont even try preaching to me about terrorism. I have seen the effect of terrorism with my own eyes. You just point the finger calling others terrorists. Please sir, may you lick my balls some more?

I don't know that you have eyes can see about terrorism . Perhaps you have a good teacher who's Osama . Perhaps he like you lick his balls some more .
Thats wat i thought.. your an idiot.

[seruriermarshal]

I'll hope Mr. cut go to Sudan .
I hope a you learna to speaka da english
*insert picture of organ grinder and monkey here*

Are you Mr. cut's father ? perhaps you hope go to Sudan too .
In fact i would be honoured to go to Sudan to help out. But unfortunately being in a civillian position right now it would be tantamount to suicide.

I afraid you help Sudan terrorists kill civil .

What? A leetle jibe in your direction and now Evan's a baby roasting terrorist? Shut the hell up. Engage brain before mouth.

EvanLloyd wrote:
I wouldnt say its an act of terror

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=19581&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=16

That's answer .


Thats wat i thought.. your an idiot.

Perhaps you say yourself .

[EvanL]

I'll hope Mr. cut go to Sudan .
I hope a you learna to speaka da english
*insert picture of organ grinder and monkey here*

Are you Mr. cut's father ? perhaps you hope go to Sudan too .
In fact i would be honoured to go to Sudan to help out. But unfortunately being in a civillian position right now it would be tantamount to suicide.

I afraid you help Sudan terrorists kill civil .

What? A leetle jibe in your direction and now Evan's a baby roasting terrorist? Shut the hell up. Engage brain before mouth.

EvanLloyd wrote:
I wouldnt say its an act of terror

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=19581&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=16

That's answer .
hahaha if u understood english enough to properly comprehend sentences you would understand what i meant in that post.
May i ask where you are from?

[ShotOver]

Come on now fellas, settle.
This is good news that the ****hole sudan may get fixed up, so err.. rejoice, stop arguing.

[seruriermarshal]

I'll hope Mr. cut go to Sudan .
I hope a you learna to speaka da english
*insert picture of organ grinder and monkey here*

Are you Mr. cut's father ? perhaps you hope go to Sudan too .
In fact i would be honoured to go to Sudan to help out. But unfortunately being in a civillian position right now it would be tantamount to suicide.

I afraid you help Sudan terrorists kill civil .

What? A leetle jibe in your direction and now Evan's a baby roasting terrorist? Shut the hell up. Engage brain before mouth.

EvanLloyd wrote:
I wouldnt say its an act of terror

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=19581&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=16

That's answer .
hahaha if u understood english enough to properly comprehend sentences you would understand what i meant in that post.
May i ask where you are from?

ye , your meaning is that 14 girl killed and murderer aren't terrorists . So I think you will help terrorists .

[EvanL]

ohh i know why seruriermarshal wont tell us where hes from.. cus he coems from a terrorist country. you seruriermarshal are a terrorist arent you? you train with al qaeda. you love binladen.
:roll:

[seruriermarshal]

ohh i know why seruriermarshal wont tell us where hes from.. cus he coems from a terrorist country. you seruriermarshal are a terrorist arent you? you train with al qaeda. you love binladen.
:roll:


Poor idiot .

[Midav]

To the original post, I hope the US sends troops. Posted about this before and am dissapointed at the US gvmt. for not sending troops. However, am even more dissapointed that the UN has done nothing.

GJ Brits. My sincerest respect to you.

[usa320]

Im guessing the US is going to send marines to Sudan.

I know someone in the Marines who got called up...said he was probably going "to Africa".

[martinexsquaddie]

way things are it will probably me and group of 12 year olds armed with longbows :(
although thats probably more of a militray threat than the sudanese are equipped to deal with load them up with red bull and whatch them destroy anything in there path rofl

[Midav]

way things are it will probably me and group of 12 year olds armed with longbows :(
although thats probably more of a militray threat than the sudanese are equipped to deal with load them up with red bull and whatch them destroy anything in there path rofl

Dude, I have no idea what you just said or are attempting to deliver.

[WolverineBlue]

Best thread ever. You guys are hilarious. Go back and re-read the thread, and you'll see how some posters' attempts at English turn this into a huge flame-war. I respect that seuriermarshal tries to communicate in English -- where are you from, seuriermarshal? French seems to be your native tongue, but please tell us where you're from.

[notmesir]

Good news about sending troops to Sudan, question is, who's going to go?

Yeah fantastic news, I mean it's not as though we currently have a recruiting cap, have just been told that we are to lose 4 bn's of inf, and have 35% of guys away on operations at the moment...... Perhaps it is time for someone other than the UK and USA to try and sort some **** out.

[cut]

Come on now fellas, settle.
This is good news that the ****hole sudan may get fixed up, so err.. rejoice, stop arguing.

rejoice? that's either a clever political pun or fluke..

[Pille1234]

Unfortunatly Blair disclaimed the guardian report. :|

[abncougar]

[quote="Midav"]However, am even more dissapointed that the UN has done nothing.

yeah, the UN is worthless. They refused to help in Rawanda 10 years ago also.

[BlackRain]

Perhaps we should just let the UN weapons inspector have more time searching in Sudan before we think about "invading" Sudan and "occupying them".

[cut]

Perhaps we should just let the UN weapons inspector have more time searching in Sudan before we think about "invading" Sudan and "occupying them".

If we were going to kill civilians for no existent WMD, yes.
For a humanitarian intervention and to prevent ethnic cleansing of Black people in Sudan I think time is short enough.

[oldsoak]

Blair: "- all you blokes who are just about to get the sack, just before you go, theres a litle job that needs doing..."

- yep, i know he's denied it. It would be a tad embarassing to sack blokes and then start scratching around for troops to go to Sudan.

[AROUETLJ]

On thing is sure: If Britain's going in, then France will too. After all, they've already got troops next door in Chad. And they'll have a Security Council Resolution with the whole operation being an EU mission. But this is just wishful thinking. They probably won't do anything. And that's a sensitive region. Our great newly-found friend The Colonel could get irritated. One question though: If the Brits are overstretched in Iraq, how will they scrape together a contingent for Sudan?

[cut]

On thing is sure: If Britain's going in, then France will too. After all, they've already got troops next door in Chad. And they'll have a Security Council Resolution with the whole operation being an EU mission. But this is just wishful thinking. They probably won't do anything. And that's a sensitive region. Our great newly-found friend The Colonel could get irritated. One question though: If the Brits are overstretched in Iraq, how will they scrape together a contingent for Sudan?

I don't know how many they are plannig to send but it can't be that many.

[Marsuitor]

Forbereder FN-operasjon i Sudan
1- Norge planlegger å sende en fortropp til Sør-Sudan i løpet av høsten. Stabsoffiserene skal være med å forberede en større FN-operasjon i det afrikanske landet.
Av Marita I. Wangberg, Forsvarets mediesenter.

FNs sikkerhetsråd vedtok 11. juni å sende en fortropp som skal forberede deployering av en større FN-operasjon for å overvåke en endelig fredsavtale for Sør-Sudan. 15 land har sagt seg villig til å delta i fortroppen, og Norge er et av disse.
- Norge vil sende opptil 4-5 stabsoffiserer i løpet av høsten, som skal arbeide innenfor logistikk og administrasjon, sier Sigurd Marstein i Forsvarsdepartementet.

2- De andre landene som har tatt FN-oppfordringen er Danmark, England, Jordan, Canada, India, Holland, USA, Spania, Polen, Romania, Bangladesh, Ukraina, Pakistan og Nepal.

Politikerne positive
Den norske delen av fortroppen vil bestå av personell som står på beredskap hos SHIRBRIG. Dette er et nordisk initiativ som har styrker på høy beredskap for å stille til FN-operasjoner mens FN setter sammen ordinære styrker.

3- FN har ennå ikke endelig vedtatt at det blir noen fredsoperasjon i landet, men forberedelsene er i gang. Den norske regjeringen og Stortinget har tidligere vært positive til norsk deltakelse i en slik operasjon.
- Men først er det to forutsetninger som må på plass: En endelig fredsavtale mellom partene må være undertegnet, og FNs sikkerhetsråd må fatte vedtak om en slik operasjon, sier Marstein.

Langvarig konflikt
Sudan er preget av årevis med borgerkrig, har mange interne flyktninger og opplever nå en større humanitær krise. 26. mai ble det underskrevet en foreløpig fredsavtale for Sør-Sudan. Det finnes også en lokal våpenhvileavtale for Nuba-området sentralt i landet. Den blir overvåket av Joint Military Commission (JMC), som er ledet av nordmannen Jan Erik Wilhelmsen. I tillegg deltar Norge med militært administrativt personell og sivile kontrollører.

4- En eventuell FN-operasjon vil møte krevende utfordringer i landet, som er på størrelse med hele Vest-Europa. Infrastrukturen, for eksempel veinettet, er dårlig. Sudan har også store medisinske utfordringer, blant annet med vannbårne sykdommer og malaria, og klimaet er krevende.http://www.mil.no/start/article.jhtml?articleID=80121

Sorry about Norwegian page only, roughly what the article says:
1- Norway, together with fifteen other countries, is planning to deploy a small contingent of officers this autumn in preperation for a larger multinational deployment at a later date.
2- The other countries who have shown an interest in the UN move.
3- The UN have not made a final decision (naturally) on whether there will be a humanitarian mission or not. But planning and preperation is under way. Norway is also positive to sending troops to participate in an eventual operation. Also two conditions must be met before a mission can commence: A final peace-deal between the warring parties. And the UN security council must approve and pass a resolution on it.
4- An eventual UN-operation would meet serious challenges in the country, which is the same size as western Europe. The infrastructure, the road network for example, is bad. Sudan also has large medical challenges that must be overcome. Ie. waterborne diseases and malaria (go Lariam! :roll:), also the climate is very harsh.

[cut]

I heard Gen. Sir Mike Jackson say that 5000 troops were available, if the government decided to send that many.

[2RHPZ]

Australia may send troops to Sudan

Australian troops could be committed to yet another international conflict, with Foreign Minister Alexander Downer saying today there was a good chance troops would be sent to strife-torn Sudan.

Mr Downer said Australia was considering increasing its aid to the African country, where as many as 50,000 people have died and about 1.2 million people have been forced from their homes since anti-government rebel groups rose up in February 2003.

Yesterday, Defence Minister Robert Hill said Australia was considering its response to the UN's request that Australia contribute personnel to a UN force to be sent to Sudan.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and US Secretary of State Colin Powell met late last week to discuss the situation for the second time in three weeks.

''There's a good chance that we will send some troops to Sudan, a small number of course, a very small number,'' Mr Downer told the Nine Network's Sunday program.

''It's something we're considering.

''We haven't made any final decisions about it and the appropriate ... resolutions for a United Nations force there have yet to be passed through the Security Council, though they're being considered. So we'll just have to wait and see.

''But we are very concerned about the situation in Sudan.''

He said there were enormous human rights problems in the Darfur region, but declined to go as far as the US Congress which this weekend described the killings of black civilians by Arab militias as genocide.

''I'm not sure I'd go as far as calling it genocide but look, there have been an enormous number of people killed, between 1.1 and 1.2 million people who have been displaced from their homes, who are as we would say refugees in the Darfur region, across the border into Chad, and the international community to be frank hasn't done a lot about this,'' he said.

''We've announced recently $8 million worth of aid, I'm considering whether we provide substantial additional aid and over and above that is the question of whether we might provide a small number of troops for a United Nations peacekeeping operation there.''

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail last week warned against any international intervention, saying sanctions would only complicate matters.

According to the UN, as many as 50,000 people have died and about 1.2 million have been displaced since a revolt against the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum broke out among indigenous black African ethnic minorities in February 2003.

[martinexsquaddie]

well if tony invites me for a 6 month adventure holiday somewhere hot :(
I'm putting my pants on my head sticking two pencils up my nose and answering every question with wibble :lol:

[Roger Rabbit]

I'll hope Mr. cut go to Sudan .
I hope a you learna to speaka da english
*insert picture of organ grinder and monkey here*

Leave the poor sod, I didn't correct your french earlier.. p-)
i'll hope mr cut go to french.

All your french are belong to cut.

Good news about sending troops to Sudan, question is, who's going to go?

Question should surely be, whos left to go?

I say send Corporal Jones, they don't like it up em.

[Gringo]

I'll hope Mr. cut go to Sudan .
I hope a you learna to speaka da english
*insert picture of organ grinder and monkey here*

Leave the poor sod, I didn't correct your french earlier.. p-)
i'll hope mr cut go to french.

All your french are belong to cut.

Good news about sending troops to Sudan, question is, who's going to go?

Question should surely be, whos left to go?

I say send Corporal Jones, they don't like it up em.

"PUT THAT LIGHT OUT! PUT THAT LIGHT OUT!"

[Roger Rabbit]

Yet another English classic. Huzzah for UK Gold for still showing it.

[martinexsquaddie]

Don't tell him your name Pike :lol:

[Roger Rabbit]

Anyone remember the episode where Corporal Jones was accused of being a coward? Think it was called "White Feather" or something or other. Anyway part of that episode was set in the Sudan i think where they came under attack from fuzziwuzzis(is that politically correct?). Anyway if anyone knows the name of the episode i'd be gratefull cause then i can try and find it on kazaa.

[Hydro]

You stupid boy.

[Gringo]

Anyone remember the episode where Corporal Jones was accused of being a coward? Think it was called "White Feather" or something or other. Anyway part of that episode was set in the Sudan i think where they came under attack from fuzziwuzzis(is that politically correct?). Anyway if anyone knows the name of the episode i'd be gratefull cause then i can try and find it on kazaa.

I remember the episode, can't recall the name.
"Put that light out!"