15-Oct-11 World View — The U.S. Will Send Troops To Central African Nations

This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com.

* The U.S. will send troops to central African nations

* LRA head Joseph Kony seeks theocratic state based on Ten Commandments

* Left-wing protests continue to grow on Wall Street and in Europe

* All forms of public transport in Athens paralyzed by strikes

* Debate over ‘Leftist Terrorism’ erupts in Germany

* Wall Street protests spread to London

* Distrust of Egypt’s interim military government grows

The U.S. will send troops to central African nations


Joseph Kony, head of the Lord's Liberation Army (LRA)
Joseph Kony, head of the Lord’s Liberation Army (LRA)

In a surprise announcement late on Friday afternoon, the Obama administration announced that it would be sending troops to several central African countries, including Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to the State Department:

“With the consent of the Government of Uganda, and as notified to Congress, the United States has sent a small number of U.S. military advisors to the region to assist the forces that are pursuing the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and seeking to bring top commanders to justice. These advisors will work with our regional partners and the African Union in the field to strengthen information-sharing, enhance coordination and planning, and improve the overall effectiveness of military operations and the protection of civilians. These advisors will not engage LRA forces unless necessary for self-defense.”

According to a statement by President Barack Obama, “I believe that deploying these U.S. armed forces furthers U.S. national security interests and foreign policy, and will be a significant contribution toward counter-LRA efforts in central Africa.” State Dept. and Dept. of Defense

LRA head Joseph Kony seeks theocratic state based on Ten Commandments

Joesph Kony, head of the LRA, is accused of war crimes and is wanted by the International Criminal Court. Kony is a self-styled mystic and religious prophet, claims to be fighting on orders from God to establish theocratic rule based on the Biblical Ten Commandments. LRA terrorists move in very small groups that defy organized forces looking for them. These small groups attack civilian villages, torturing, mutilating and killing men, raping women, and kidnapping children as sex slaves. AFP

Left-wing protests continue to grow on Wall Street and in Europe

Fourteen “Occupy Wall Street” protesters in lower Manhattan were arrested on Friday, for performing such acts as overturning trash baskets or hurling bottles. A much larger confrontation was threatened over plans to close Zuccotti Park for cleaning. Zucotti was the site of many of the demonstrations against the financial industry, and there were concerns over violence if the police went ahead with plans to close the park. However, the confrontation was averted when the park closing was postponed. Bloomberg

“Occupy Wall Street” protesters are swelling and clashing with police across the country. Scores of protesters were arrested in Denver, Seattle, San Diego and New York, while similar demonstrations were scheduled to take place in Washington, Orlando and Atlanta. CNN

All forms of public transport in Athens paralyzed by strikes

Union leaders were ratcheting up their action on Friday, in a bid to overturn draft legislation that implements further cuts to wages and pensions, as required by the European Union for further bailouts. (The reasoning is: Why suffer austerity programs, if the EU is going to supply the bailout money anyway?) There were no services by taxi drivers, or on the Athens metro, tram, city buses, trolley buses and the electric railway. Larger strikes are planned for next week. Kathimerini


Debate over ‘Leftist Terrorism’ erupts in Germany

So far, authorities have found at least 17 incendiary devices near German rail facilities in and around Berlin this week. They were planted next to train tracks and near signalling equipment. Two have gone off. Though no injuries have yet been reported, the discoveries have resulted in significant train delays and several cancellations. Many officials are concerned that the country is seeing the beginnings of a wave of leftist terror. The fear is a renaissance of something like the Red Army Faction, the terror group which perpetrated dozens of killings in Germany over three decades starting in the early 1970s. Spiegel

Wall Street protests spread to London

More than 13,700 people have expressed their support on Facebook for a Saturday protest in Lond’s financial district, demonstrating against “corporate greed.” One protester said that they were likely to protest “outside selected corporations’ headquarters as well as demonstrating in front of shops; everything is on the table.” Independent (London)

Distrust of Egypt’s interim military government grows

The distrust between pro-democracy activists in Egypt and the governing Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has deepened after last weekends bloody clash between Coptic Christian protesters and the military. On Friday, hundreds of protesters marched from Egypt’s pre-eminent mosque to a central Cairo cathedral in a show of Muslim-Christian unity, chanting slogans against the country’s interim military rulers. AP

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.