[Dean's World] Aziz P: "unnecessary at this time"

[notify at powerblogs.com]

Posted by Aziz P:
"unnecessary at this time"
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1144680858.shtml


   [1]February, 2006:

     ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 17 -- President Bush on Friday called for
     doubling the number of international troops in the war-ravaged
     Darfur region of Sudan and a bigger role for NATO in the
     peacekeeping effort.

     Bush has concluded that peace talks will not halt the violence that
     has left tens of thousands dead and more than 2 million homeless in
     Darfur and that a more muscular military response is required,
     administration officials said.

   [2]April, 2006:

     The Bush administration has settled on the idea of sending up to
     several hundred NATO advisers to help bolster African Union
     peacekeeping troops in their efforts to shield villagers in Sudan's
     Darfur region from fighting between government-backed Arab militias
     and rebel groups, administration officials said.

     The move would include some U.S. troops and mark a significant
     expansion of U.S. and allied involvement in the conflict. So far,
     NATO's role has been limited to airlifting African Union forces to
     the region and providing a few military specialists to help the
     peacekeeping contingent.

     The proposal, which still faces uncertain approval within NATO
     because of concerns that it could be a distraction from operations
     in Afghanistan, falls well short of more aggressive measures that
     some have advocated, such as sending ground combat troops or
     providing air patrols to protect peacekeepers and prevent the
     bombing of villages. These options have been ruled out as
     unnecessary at this time, an administration official said.

     In general, U.S. officials said, their aim has been to address
     shortcomings in the African Union force without upstaging that
     force and stirring resentment in a region highly sensitive to the
     presence of Western troops.

References

   1. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/17/AR2006021701935.html
   2. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/09/AR2006040900957.html