Chad rebels: Irish troops will not be neutral

[MacCoise]

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaki ... aking2.htm

Rebels in Chad today claimed an EU force - including 400 Irish troops - due to begin deployment next week will not be neutral.

The rebels, whose assault on the capital N'Djamena 10 days ago further delayed deployment of the Eufor security mission, urged the EU not to send the force, arguing it would be dominated by the French.

France which already has over 1,000 troops in Chad under the terms of a separate agreement with the government of its former colony, will supply around 2,000 troops to the EU's 3,700-strong force.

"The alliance of the armed opposition no longer believes in the neutrality of a force essentially composed of French troops and whose operational direction is carried out by France," the rebels said in a statement.

Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea will meet Lt Gen Pat Nash, the Irish general with overall command of the mission, in Paris on Wednesday for a briefing.

Viva la France!

[cactus flower]

Is there any way of linking this thread with the Chad thread already running? (of vice versa)

[905]

Well this is hardly newsworthy. Of course the rebels are going to say anything to prevent another barrier to their success. The operation has always had the taint of bias, we don't need the rebels of Chad to remind us. Not that it is neccessarily true.

[TheBear]

<Mod>Moved to the Foreign Affairs section, as it deals with Irish foreign policy.</Mod>

[fergalr]

We have the international community's mandate to enforce peace along the Sudanese border and to protect the refugee camps. The government of Chad also has the support of the international community against these "rebels" and all states have been asked to aid that government. To be frank, the capital is on the opposite side of Chad to where we will be deployed.
And this armed rabble of opportunists can sit on it.

[jjones]

Not that it is neccessarily true.

It's not neccessarily true. It is true though.

Anybody who doesn't understand the fact that France is in political control of the EU battlegroup in Chad just doesn't get geo-politics at all.

[Thac0man]

And this armed rabble of opportunists can sit on it.

My thoughts exactly. The French are not shy of a dust up when the opportunity arises. Methinks discression will get the better of the rebels valour. They are not going ot get very many volunteers to tackle a well equipped army with total air superiority, especially in a vaste country that has sod all cover from air bourne attacks. The operational capability of the rebels will evaporate when confronted by any army equipped with a UN enforcement mandate and the muscle to back it up.

I think they will do the smart thing, and come to a politcal settlement while they still can.

[jjones]

How come you guys are cheerleading a brutal, corrupt dictator like Deby and his French puppet masters?

Y'all hate freedom, yeah?

[905]

Uh oh, he's onto us boys, scatter! How come you like rebels so much?

[jjones]

Uh oh, he's onto us boys, scatter! How come you like rebels so much?

I don't. If you care to read the thread I haven't said anyting at all about the rebels, positive or negative.

Interesting to see that you dictator-loving freedom-haters are also operating a "with us or against us" policy.

Is it a sexual thing? Dictators are powerful and that gets some people going I guess. The french have lovely uniforms too.