France Calls for 6,240-Strong U.N. Force for Ivory Coast

[demdave]

France Calls for 6,240-Strong U.N. Force for Ivory Coast but U.S. Expresses Reservations

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - France introduced a resolution calling for a 6,240-strong U.N. peacekeeping force in war-divided Ivory Coast, but the United States on Friday expressed reservations about the size and said it wants to examine the justification for the deployment.
Ivory Coast's nine-month civil war officially ended in July, but the nation remains divided between rebel-held north and government-held south. A 2003 peace process brokered in France has never fully taken hold and more than 4,000 French and 1,000 West African troops are helping to keep the peace.

The French draft, circulated late Thursday, follows Secretary-General Kofi Annan's recommendation for a peacekeeping mission with 6,240 troops, including 200 military observers and 120 staff officers. It would also authorize an international civilian police contingent, though no number was specified.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAQZ5Q1JPD.html

[auburnblu]

1. Though many on here seem to hate any military use

I hope the U.S. pitches in a little to help in the U.N. effort here.

I know, chanting "I hate war, I hate the military, I know better" brings peace and harmony 99.9999999999% of the time, but this might be a case when more troops might stop a lot of bloodshed. In that rare case out there sometimes people shooting each other won't stop when someone protesting tells them to, a total shock to many I'm sure.

[bobbyboucher]

2. Well you've certainly missed the point

of what most here are trying to say. sorry to see that.

[NickB79]

3. An example of how the most powerful nations SHOULD behave

Here we see an a rich, advanced nation go to its allies, introduce resolutions and ask for help instead of telling them to f*** off and go it alone, and actually send troops in for peacekeeping, not killing.

I always bring this point up whenever someone starts talking about the human rights violations Saddam inflicted on his people to try to counter my anti-war opinion. I ask them why we went into Iraq first, when off the top of my head I can name at least 6 nations who's people are in far, far worse condition and who desperately need our help much more urgently. Saddam killed 250,000 in 20 yrs? Hell, twice that number died in 20 WEEKS in Rwanda without the international community lifting a finger to stop it. After seeing how so many other nations have dictators even more brutal than Saddam, I'm supposed to believe that the US invaded Iraq out of sheerly humanitarian reasons? Sorry, I'm not that gullible.

I like this quote: "A 2003 peace process brokered in France has never fully taken hold and more than 4,000 French and 1,000 West African troops are helping to keep the peace." Where are the US troops we said we were sending in? Ya know, the ones that sat on ships a mile off the coast while rebel fighters killed hundreds of civilians before being pulled out to help in Iraq?

Man, wouldn't it piss of the Freepers if 6 months from now the Ivory Coast was at peace due to the work of the French?