Us military aircraft hit in s. Sudan

annata said:

4 U.S. troops injured during evacuation mission in strife-torn South Sudan - The Washington Post

I confess to not even know there was a South Sudan; what I am wondering about though is why
the " injection" of $ billions by the US and it's allies?

Humanitarian aid? What??

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ttwtt78640 said:

They have oil, timber and mineral deposits and have adopted English as the official language; my guess is crony capitalism of the first order and a possible location for US military bases in "the region". Billions of US dollars are not tossed out without careful consideration (political advantage) by our congress critters.

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Southern Sudanese hip-hop star Emmanuel Jal noted that China was seen positively by Sudanese and Africans due to its
non interference policy, only doing business, saying-

"The Chinese don't influence our politics, They don't comment on it, and what they want, they pay for -- sometimes double the amount.
This tends to make all Africans happy -- from the dictators to the democrats, There isn't a party in Africa that doesn't like them.
Even if you're a rebel movement and you say to them you can secure gold, the Chinese will simply say they want to buy it.
The only foreign policy advice I heard from China was when they said to Sudan, 'Don't go back to war.' That's all they said. They didn't push anything else.

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A mission to evacuate Americans from South Sudan was aborted Saturday when an aircraft carrying U.S. military members was fired upon as it prepared to land in Bor, wounding four of them, the Pentagon said.

The most severely damaged aircraft was thought to have been hit in the fuel line, a military official speaking on condition of anonymity said.

All three aircraft -- CV-22 Ospreys -- were diverted to Entebbe, Uganda, which is not where their flights originated, the official said. Another aircraft then flew the wounded to Nairobi, Kenya, U.S. Africa Command said in a statement.

The four service members were in stable condition after treatment, the statement said.

Pentagon officials were trying to determine how to mount another effort to evacuate the roughly three dozen Americans in South Sudan, where they have been working for the United Nations, a senior U.S. official said on condition of anonymity.

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel was "reviewing options," Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said. "Whatever we do it will be in coordination with the State Department," he added.

The White House said U.S. President Barack Obama was briefed before dawn Saturday while aboard Air Force One after landing in Hawaii, then met with his national security team on the matter.

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US President Barack Obama warned the leaders of South Sudan against a military coup Saturday after four US servicemen were wounded in an attack on their aircraft in the increasingly unstable country.

"Any effort to seize power through the use of military force will result in the end of longstanding support from the United States and the international community," the White House said in a statement.

Obama stressed that the South Sudanese leaders "have a responsibility to support our efforts to secure American personnel and citizens in Juba and Bor," the capital and a rebel-held flashpoint town in the African nation.

The president's comments came after three CV-22 Osprey aircraft came under fire in South Sudan as they headed to Bor to help with efforts to evacuate Americans from the country teetering on the brink of a return to civil war.

The attack damaged the tiltrotor aircraft, forcing them to divert to Uganda. The wounded were then flown to Nairobi for medical treatment and are now in "stable condition," the Pentagon said in a statement.

The attack underlined the increasingly dangerous situation in South Sudan, where at least one UN base has also come under attack in recent days, with the murder of two Indian peacekeepers and possibly dozens of civilians.

The United States, Britain, Kenya and Uganda have been carrying out evacuation missions for their nationals.

Oil companies have flown out their workers after the death of at least five South Sudanese oil workers on Wednesday, with Chinese state oil company China National Petroleum Corp confirming it was pulling out its staff.

Oil production accounts for more than 95 percent of South Sudan's fledgling economy.

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Jango said:

News from The Associated Press

And in case you're wondering: South Sudan: Obama Sends 45 U.S. Troops to African Nation | TIME.com

So U.S. troops were deployed to South Sudan to protect our embassy and people there and our military is already coming under fire. Will be interesting to see how, or if we respond to this attack and provocation on U.S. military personnel and equipment.

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JJB3333 said:

im not saying that it is right, but seriously people we cant afford (both figuratively referring to our state of mind, and literally because we are $16 trillion in debt). Help the guys out, give the govt some help or give the rebels some help an bring it up in 20 years and say they owe us.

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Ockham said:

WTF are we doing in South Sudan?

:2brickwal

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Jango said:

Just wanting to update your information: U.S. Debt Jumps to $17.076 Trillion - Washington Wire - WSJ

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Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President In my report to the Congress of December 19, 2013, I provided information on the deployment of U.S. forces to support the security of U.S. personnel and our Embassy in South Sudan. I am providing this additional report, consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148), to help ensure that the Congress is kept fully informed on U.S. military activities in South Sudan.

On December 21, 2013, approximately 46 additional U.S. military personnel deployed by military aircraft to the area of Bor, South Sudan, to conduct an operation to evacuate U.S. citizens and personnel. After the aircraft came under fire as they approached Bor, the operation was curtailed due to security considerations, and the aircraft and all military personnel onboard departed South Sudan without completing the evacuation. The purpose of this operation was to protect U.S. citizens, personnel, and property. As I monitor the situation in South Sudan, I may take further action to support the security of U.S. citizens, personnel, and property, including our Embassy, in South Sudan.

This action has been directed consistent with my responsibility to protect U.S. citizens both at home and abroad, and in furtherance of U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct U.S. foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive. I appreciate the support of the Congress in these actions.

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Henry David said:

The return of small arms fire? I wonder if that's the first time the Osprey has been hit by small arms fire?

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American citizens were evacuated from a contested area of South Sudan on Sunday after a local rebel commander provided assurances that there would be no interference, Western officials said.

The evacuation, which involved about 15 Americans, was carried out by helicopter from the United Nations compound in Bor, in Jonglei State, which is surrounded by 2,000 armed youths.

It came one day after American Special Operations forces tried to evacuate the Americans there, only to turn back after the three Osprey aircraft being used for the mission ran into heavy small-arms fire. Four American service members were wounded in that episode.

“We were able to evacuate all Americans who presented themselves at the U.N. camp in Bor,” a State Department official said. “We will continue to work to confirm whether there are any remaining American citizens in Bor who need to be evacuated.”

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CRUE CAB said:

Acutally they are pretty unreliable just under normal conditions. Read up on them, flying caskets.

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