The U.S. Air Force has not ruled out playing a lead role in transporting troops and equipment for an African-led intervention to dislodge militant Islamists in Mali, the Pentagon's top Africa official said Wednesday, reports Julian Pequet for The Hill.
The United Nations Security Council is weighing whether to approve a West African force of about 3,300 troops to take over the desert expanses of the country's northern half, which broke away following a March coup. Mali's neighbors and western countries are worried that the Texas-sized area has become the world's largest safe haven for militant Islamists, but U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has raised questions about the plan's viability, and the Obama administration favors a cautious approach, writes Pequet.
The Pentagon's deputy assistant secretary for Africa, Amanda Dory, says the US is not planning boots on the ground.
With regard to Air Force pilots and other aviation personnel, she said, “Well, they are in the air” — not on the ground.
We will probably see even more disingenuous comments like the above "boots on the ground" example as more operations are conducted with unmanned air and ground vehicles.
ReplyDeleteThe Pentagon's deputy assistant secretary for Africa, Amanda Dory, says the US is not planning boots on the ground.
ReplyDeleteWith regard to Air Force pilots and other aviation personnel, she said, “Well, they are in the air” — not on the ground.
Absolutely brilliant response Ms. Dory!!! Mali?? Really?? Pretty soon, the government will be everywhere searching for monsters (I mean terrorists) to destroy. This policeman of the world business is perpetrated by both parties to obscure their intent to take our freedom. And they're doing a pretty good job of it. One need look no further than the NDAA, domestic drones, the TSA, etc.
I agree with the two comments above about boots on the ground. Somehow the US has sunk so low that we can bomb people but as long as we don't put actual "boots on the ground" then its no big deal.
ReplyDeleteAnd I bet that even this is a lie since they probably will have military observers and trainers on the ground but somehow their boots don't count even if they carry M-16's and use them. The government has reserved the right to determine when bombing and shooting is war.
The liberation of Gadaffi's weapons as well as those given to AQ by the Euro's, Saudi's, Qatar and other US cutouts have likely found their way to N. Mali.....wonder how long the US Air assets will remain not-on-the-ground when the shoulder fired missiles start coming?
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