US abandons Chad embassy

[Robbien]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States has abandoned its embassy in Chad, evacuating all but four diplomats who are now stationed at the N'Djamena airport amid heavy fighting between government forces and rebels in the capital.

The downtown embassy, which was hit by indirect fire during weekend clashes, is now vacant and unprotected and the State Department on Monday warned the rebels not to enter the compound, which remains sovereign U.S. territory.

. . .

The rebels arrived on the capital's outskirts Friday after a three-day push across the desert from Chad's eastern border with Sudan and the situation in N'Djamena deteriorated over the weekend to the point where the State Department ordered several dozen nonessential U.S. embassy staff and their families to leave the country.

. . .

The State Department has urged U.S. citizens to leave Chad, and officials said a little under 100 of the roughly 500 registered with the embassy have gone. Without any personnel at its embassy, the State Department has set up two telephone numbers to report the presence and whereabouts of Americans in Chad.

However, on Sunday, the department said its ability to help Americans in Chad was «extremely limited» and asked those who wished to be evacuated to «prepare to depart immediately and identify themselves to the French military, who will retrieve American citizens to escort them to the airport.

Read more: http://www.pr-inside.com/us-abandons-chad-embassy-warns-sudan-r420757.htm

[thereismore]

1. Cuttin and runnin? Not on Bush*'s watch! nt

[krkaufman]

13. Just what I was thinking. Who's the superpower, again? n/t

[grytpype]

2. Why would anyone fight over Chad? Does it have oil or something?

[redqueen]

3. Yup.

http://www.africafocus.org/docs05/oil0502.php

[Robbien]

4. Almost of of Africa is rich in natural resources

The fight is between the people not benefiting from selling off those resources and the governmental elite who does benefit.

Same as the story happening in Kenya.

[ohio2007]

10. China has tapped into that oil supply. They don't care about local politics

as long as the local governments keep the oil flowing.

[Arkansas Granny]

6. When you think about Chad, think about Darfur. Many refugees

of the fighting in the Sudan have fled to Chad. The areas marked in red are refugee camps.



http://www.alertnet.org/thefacts/reliefresources/108255301766.htm

[ohio2007]

12. think about domino's when you think about refugee's

Why do they fall away from the middle east ?

What is chasing them ?

[cutlassmama]

15. Right. This has do with the people from Dufar escaping to

Chad. Genocide has been happening in Dufar since 2004. It was brought to both Bush and Condi's attention, but they refused to do anything until 2006. Then little action was taken by the U.S. He had a war to pay for. So just about all of Dufar has been wiped out by Arab Muslims killing black Muslims. Some excuse was given about water resources...it's been tragic. I've seen pictures, horrible pictures. Every camp, every city people slaughtered and burned. Some refugees were able to make it into Chad for Safety. The Sudanese decided to go to Chad and kill the rest lest they go back and try to live in Dufar again. They are killing everyone in sight.

There is a huge oil pipeline across Sudan, but the oil (70-80%) belongs to China. I don't think they care about the local politics.

[Javaman]

9. It was only a matter of time...

Much of Africa has yet to be properly exploited by the oil giants.

Remember, wars only happen for 3 reasons: money, power and resources, but all add up to money.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Maybe even more important, from the bottom of that article:

On Monday, the U.N. Security Council strongly condemned the rebel attacks and it gave a green light for France and other countries to help the government repel the threat.

Since France has some troops already in the country, they could take an active part in the fighting from now on.

More on that:

The statement was approved after Chad's Ambassador Mahamat Adoum sent a letter to the council appealing to all states "to provide all aid and assistance needed to help" end the aggression by rebels who he said are attempting "to overthrow its legal government by force."

The council statement "calls upon member states to provide support, in conformity with the United Nations Charter, as requested by the government of Chad."

France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert said the council statement calls on member states to provide assistance "to the legal government" to oust the rebels. But he said "I cannot answer" whether France will provide military help.
...
France, the former colonial power, has a long-standing military presence in Chad which was reinforced Friday and Sunday to around 1,800 troops with soldiers based in Gabon, France's U.N. Mission said Monday.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hNbgCu4_IME5gkfyxVeyxDoJE6DwD8UJMCD81

[Robbien]

7. France appears to be taking a step back this time around

The rebels attempted a similar coup about two years ago and France jumped in fast from the beginning. Rebels were defeated even before getting any where near the capital.

This time France has been passive.

[maxsolomon]

8. sarkozy's been busy.

[ohio2007]

11. France may want the US to rescue them out of this neo IndoChina ?

Let Saigon fall...just cut deals with the new bosses the way China does. ;)

[krkaufman]

14. Simple trade, perhaps? Chad for Iraq? n/t

[tocqueville]

16. is this Fox News or what ?

1) It's the other way round, France bails out US citizens :

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a61_1202116696

2) France is (was) present in Chad to counter Khadaffis territorial claims and aggression

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chadian-Libyan_conflict
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouadi_Doum_air_raid

3) France's presence secures the EUFOR intervention to protect the Darfur refugees from Janjaweed incursions.
The operation is under UN mandate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EUFOR_Chad/CAR

4) France and other countries got JUST NOW a UN mandate to intervene to protect civilians and the legally elected power.
That's why the interventions were limited so far to self-defense and to hold the airport to secure evacuations.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080204/wl_africa_afp/chadunrestuncouncil_080204160136


so before you spew stupidities, check your facts.

[Nihil]

17. But, but, but ...

... that would be breaking the habits of a lifetime for that poster!

:hi:

[gratuitous]

18. Thank you George W. Bush

For the foreseeable future, whenever a global crisis flares up, the United States' role will be reduced to warning one side or the other in a conflict not to enter our embassy. The major option will be to bluster ineffectually or to ask pretty please.

[Robbien]

19. CHAD: Rebels ready for cease fire if Deby Leaves

AGI)- Ndjamena, Feb. 5 - Chad's rebels are ready to accept a cease fire on condition that president Idriss Deby leaves his post.

The rebels are also accusing France of direct intervention with helicopters and tanks alongside government military forces and claims that they are responsible for civilian casualties.

"We are in favour of a cease fire in the event that mediators can come up with a solution that provides for president Deby to resign his position" said Henchi Ordjo, a spokesperson for the rebels who was telephonically contacted by Reuters in an unspecified area of Ndjamena. "Deby must go", he insisted.

The same source said that helicopters and tanks belonging to the French contingent in Chad yesterday opened fire during clashes that took place around the city's airport. "France participated directly in the clashes, it caused civilian casualties", said Ordjo.

http://www.agi.it/world/news/200802051456-cro-ren0041-art.html

[Robbien]

20. France will ‘do its duty’ in Chad

Rebels in Chad announced an immediate ceasefire today as France - emboldened by United Nations (UN) condemnation of the insurgents - declared it was poised to intervene militarily.

With refugees pouring into neighbouring Cameroon by the thousands, fearing renewed fighting in the capital Ndjamena, rebel spokesman Abderaman Koulamallah said the insurgents were bowing to diplomatic pressure to halt their offensive against President Idriss Deby Itno’s regime.

"Aware of the suffering of the Chadian people...the forces of national resistance have given their agreement to an immediate ceasefire," Koulamallah told AFP by satellite telephone.

The rebels - who stormed Ndjamena over the weekend, pinning Deby inside his presidential palace - were doing so, he said, "in line with the peace initiatives of fraternal countries Libya and Burkina Faso".

Reacting to the announcement, Deby’s government said a ceasefire was pointless because the rebels - who last week surged across the width of Chad from bases inside Sudan - had been "decimated". "Why a ceasefire? They don’t exist any more. With whom would we sign a ceasefire?...We’ve got them under control," Prime Minister Nourredine Delwa Kassire Coumakoye told the French global TV channel France 24.

http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=699223

Deby is sounding a lot like Baghdad Bob. He is sitting isolated in his compound believing that France will take care of everything for him.

In the wake of yesterday’s unanimous Security Council statement, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said France - with 1,450 troops and Mirage fighter jets stationed in Chad - was ready to "do its duty" and intervene if need be.

"Now there is a legal decision taken unanimously by the Security Council, and if Chad was the victim of an aggression, France could in theory have the means to oppose such action," he said in the French coastal town of Aytre. "Everyone needs to think carefully about this."

In its statement yesterday, drafted by French diplomats, the UN Security Council said it "strongly condemns" the rebel offensive, and called on UN nations to "provide support...as requested by the government of Chad".

http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=699223

Time will tell.

[Supersedeas]

21. maybe Condi can reassign them all to Baghdad?