U.S. Army servicemen from the East Africa Response Force (EARF) prepare to board a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules at Djibouti's Camp Lemonnier to assist in the evacuation of US personnel from Juba, South Sudan last week. (Photo: US Air Force)
U.S. Mission In South Sudan Shows Limits Of Military -- Eric Schmitt, New York Times
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s recent efforts to help evacuate Americans from strife-torn South Sudan and to bolster security at the United States Embassy there underscore the military’s ability to more quickly send crisis response forces to emergencies in Africa.
But they also reveal the limitations of American military power there and highlight the remaining gaps in intelligence and communications, according to commanders and independent analysts. One evacuation mission was aborted on Dec. 21 when three Osprey aircraft ran into heavy small-arms fire and four members of a Navy SEAL team were wounded.
In response to the fatal attack on the American diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012, the Pentagon created a 150-member rapid response force in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, and sent 500 Marines to a base in Spain, positioning troops, aircraft and military equipment closer to potential conflicts.
The mission in South Sudan is the first test of these new forces. In some respects, the troops did well, the analysts said.
Read more ....
My Comment: You go on a mission with what you have .... and for the U.S. in Africa, they have limited resources and too few boots on the ground to be an effective force. Guarding the embassy and running shotgun on a convoy is about the limits of what they can do.
No comments:
Post a Comment