Rampaging South Sudan troops raped foreigners, killed local

[gotbeer]

Rampaging South Sudan troops raped foreigners, killed local

 

A gnar read. 

[mtangelsfan]

The U.N. is so useless.

that is awful and the fact that the U.N. doesn't give a rip isn't surprising and the fact that the U.S. did nothing is pathetic but unsurprising as well.

I think Africa is worse than the Middle East.

[Blarg]

I don't believe the US have command troops at the Embassy's disposal. This is a multinational UN peacekeeping mission and evidently no one can tell them to engage hostile forces.

[mtangelsfan]

Look, I am truly have no knowledge of this.  I do find it hard to believe that there are not U.S. "troops" close enough to South Sudan that some effort couldn't have been made.

Again, I may be way off on this.

[Blarg]

If there are they are under the UN chain of command. More than likely if they have anything in the area it is just a small group that is assigned protection of the Embassy itself.

[gotbeer]

1 minute ago, mtangelsfan said:

Look, I am truly have no knowledge of this.  I do find it hard to believe that there are not U.S. "troops" close enough to South Sudan that some effort couldn't have been made.

Again, I may be way off on this.

I think all embassies have Marines stationed.  But I really don't think they are equipped to go off premises for a mission (ie armored hum vees, air support, and advanced weaponry and equipment).  They are more there to defend the embassy in case it comes under attack.  I.E. defend American soil. 

The other aspect is, I don't think you can easily send a military force into another country.  Even if it's to protect your own citizens.

And finally, even if a force was available.  You would have the logistics of getting the force the intel necessary to make the operation a success.  UN already should have contingency plans in case a situation like this happens in their area.  A US attack force off at sea (since the embassy forces are more trained for the embassy than for missions outside of it) would need the proper intel to make the attack successful.  Plus since it was government forces doing the raping and pillaging, you would also have the red tape of getting them to agree to an incursion. 

 

[mtangelsfan]

Lets put it this way.  If one of those was a child of an important and powerful politician would nothing have been done?

[gotbeer]

5 minutes ago, mtangelsfan said:

Lets put it this way.  If one of those was a child of an important and powerful politician would nothing have been done?

Look at the response when the Libyan embassy was attacked. 

And I agree with your sentiment MT.  I just don't know if anything could have been done. 

[Blarg]

11 minutes ago, mtangelsfan said:

Lets put it this way.  If one of those was a child of an important and powerful politician would nothing have been done?

You are doing the knee jerk thing again and yet play the other side of the coin and say the US shouldn't be world police.

I did the research you wouldn't there were 47 soldiers sent to protect the embassy back in July. They have no armored vehicles, they are simply foot soldiers with light arms.

There are 120 more heavily equipped soldiers in Djibouti but they are too far to engage and have their orders to be a backup plan only for the embassy should it become overrun while they attend their mission. The embassy was not in danger but that doesn't mean it's 47 man task force is going to run off to do the UN's mission. They have no jurisdiction in that area of conflict. 

This is a UN fuck up, put the blame where it lies. 

[mtangelsfan]

I did, I said they were useless.  And I also admitted that I have little knowledge on this subject.  Calm down.

[arch stanton]

The assault at the Terrain pierced a feeling of security among some foreigners who had assumed that they would be protected by their governments or the hundreds of U.N. peacekeepers almost next door.

One of the women gang-raped said security advisers from an aid organization living in the compound told residents repeatedly that they were safe because foreigners would not be targeted. She said: "This sentence, 'We are not targeted,' I heard half an hour before they assaulted us."

The workers on this compound made a lot of assumptions about their security in an extremely dangerous area. If you don't have it spelled out it's not real. I'm not one to blame victims but they seemed to be living in a fantasy world. I just hope the "security advisors" were the first ones raped.

[gotbeer]

51 minutes ago, arch stanton said:

The assault at the Terrain pierced a feeling of security among some foreigners who had assumed that they would be protected by their governments or the hundreds of U.N. peacekeepers almost next door.

One of the women gang-raped said security advisers from an aid organization living in the compound told residents repeatedly that they were safe because foreigners would not be targeted. She said: "This sentence, 'We are not targeted,' I heard half an hour before they assaulted us."

The workers on this compound made a lot of assumptions about their security in an extremely dangerous area. If you don't have it spelled out it's not real. I'm not one to blame victims but they seemed to be living in a fantasy world. I just hope the "security advisors" were the first ones raped.

 

Not to point fingers or blame or an attack on you arch.  So if it comes off that way, please forgive me.

I'm just curious.  What is your security situation like?  Of anyone on this board, you are probably the most in harms way.  I think you said you work on one of the military bases, so obviously security is pretty tight there.  But as the Sudan situation this happened at their residence.  So I'm just wondering if this is just poor security, or something that could really happen anywhere.

[arch stanton]

I work on the base but I live on a compound. I live on the same compound that the British military personnel live on. From the outside it looks like a prison and is guarded by Saudi military and private security. It's probably the most secure place in the country not occupied by a royal family member. That said, I still have planned escape routes in several directions and carry a machete in my car. I accept responsibility for my own security as much as possible. 

But, despite what people who have never been here believe, this is a relatively peaceful country. South Sudan is 3 years into a civil war. Believing they are safe because they're foreigners shows zero awareness of reality. Someone blew some sunshine up their asses in regards to the security situation they fell for it. If I was going to be in a war zone I'd want details about who was guarding me and who was paying them to guard me. 

[Blarg]

1 hour ago, mtangelsfan said:

I did, I said they were useless.  And I also admitted that I have little knowledge on this subject.  Calm down.

I am calm. But you were first to blame the US without any background on the subject so don't expect to not have a rebuttal. 

[ten ocho recon scout]

2 hours ago, mtangelsfan said:

Look, I am truly have no knowledge of this.  I do find it hard to believe that there are not U.S. "troops" close enough to South Sudan that some effort couldn't have been made.

Again, I may be way off on this.

The closest we have would be in djibouti. Which isnt really close, and really arent much more than a security force to watch over prepositioning equipment.

[ten ocho recon scout]

2 hours ago, gotbeer said:

I think all embassies have Marines stationed.  But I really don't think they are equipped to go off premises for a mission (ie armored hum vees, air support, and advanced weaponry and equipment).  They are more there to defend the embassy in case it comes under attack.  I.E. defend American soil. 

The other aspect is, I don't think you can easily send a military force into another country.  Even if it's to protect your own citizens.

And finally, even if a force was available.  You would have the logistics of getting the force the intel necessary to make the operation a success.  UN already should have contingency plans in case a situation like this happens in their area.  A US attack force off at sea (since the embassy forces are more trained for the embassy than for missions outside of it) would need the proper intel to make the attack successful.  Plus since it was government forces doing the raping and pillaging, you would also have the red tape of getting them to agree to an incursion. 

 

The security force marines at the embassies are less than a company...IE a company being about 150 jarheads. Embassies are more like a platoon...only enough to shoot looters, nothing to leave the grounds and fight...and really nothing to stave off a real attack.

[ten ocho recon scout]

37 minutes ago, calscuf said:

Someone should start a White Lives Matter movement in Africa.

I think the rhodesians did some time back.

[gotbeer]

44 minutes ago, arch stanton said:

I work on the base but I live on a compound. I live on the same compound that the British military personnel live on. From the outside it looks like a prison and is guarded by Saudi military and private security. It's probably the most secure place in the country not occupied by a royal family member. That said, I still have planned escape routes in several directions and carry a machete in my car. I accept responsibility for my own security as much as possible. 

But, despite what people who have never been here believe, this is a relatively peaceful country. South Sudan is 3 years into a civil war. Believing they are safe because they're foreigners shows zero awareness of reality. Someone blew some sunshine up their asses in regards to the security situation they fell for it. If I was going to be in a war zone I'd want details about who was guarding me and who was paying them to guard me. 

Fair enough.  And very true about the zones. 

Dammit Arch.  Now I picture you living on the set of the Walking Dead Prison.  I'll lose it if you say all the Brits there say Coral. 

[arch stanton]

23 minutes ago, gotbeer said:

Fair enough.  And very true about the zones. 

Dammit Arch.  Now I picture you living on the set of the Walking Dead Prison.  I'll lose it if you say all the Brits there say Coral. 

26°08'31.2"N 50°09'08.9"E

 

Drop that on a google map.

[ten ocho recon scout]

2 hours ago, arch stanton said:

I work on the base but I live on a compound. I live on the same compound that the British military personnel live on. From the outside it looks like a prison and is guarded by Saudi military and private security. It's probably the most secure place in the country not occupied by a royal family member. That said, I still have planned escape routes in several directions and carry a machete in my car. I accept responsibility for my own security as much as possible. 

But, despite what people who have never been here believe, this is a relatively peaceful country. South Sudan is 3 years into a civil war. Believing they are safe because they're foreigners shows zero awareness of reality. Someone blew some sunshine up their asses in regards to the security situation they fell for it. If I was going to be in a war zone I'd want details about who was guarding me and who was paying them to guard me. 

Too soon, arch. Lets wait a few days before we mention something getting blown up their asses.

On another note, are you in saudi or somewhere else in the emirates? If so, are you free to head out into the city if you choose to, or are you pretty much told to stay on post (or your living area)?

[gotbeer]

1 hour ago, arch stanton said:

26°08'31.2"N 50°09'08.9"E

 

Drop that on a google map.

Dang.  Only thing that place is missing is a golf course.  You already have a few pools, a school, not sure what that is in the top right, and an In N Out.

[Blarg]

1 hour ago, arch stanton said:

26°08'31.2"N 50°09'08.9"E

 

Drop that on a google map.

Uh.. you might want to be careful about giving coordinates and using the word drop.

[TobiasFunke]

2 hours ago, arch stanton said:

26°08'31.2"N 50°09'08.9"E

 

Drop that on a google map.

If a world zombie apocalypse breaks out and I was you, I would go into Al Sufun, blow up the one and only bridge, and live life peacefully.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, mtangelsfan said:

The U.N. is so useless.

that is awful and the fact that the U.N. doesn't give a rip isn't surprising and the fact that the U.S. did nothing is pathetic but unsurprising as well.

I think Africa is worse than the Middle East.

You think?

[mtangelsfan]

yes, yes I do.