Peacekeepers?

This is coolbert:

"When you defend everything, you defend nothing!!" - - Frederick the Great.

Well, this is true? Frederick was right on the money? His admonition is as true today as it was in the 1700's?

As witnessed by the current events unfolding in the Congo.

The 5,500 man Tutsi militia of Laurent Nkunda has been able to put to rout - - in short order - - the 30,000 strong Congolese army. Again, almost done so in a casual fashion, at the leisure of the Tutsi commander and his troops.

And the 17,000 peacekeeping troops of the U.N. are also totally unable to deal with the situation. An impotent, enfeebled, rag-tag mob?

Very interesting interview on National Public Radio this afternoon with a woman who is an expert on the Congolese situation.

According to this "expert" the U.N. force does suffer some severe drawbacks that hinder the mission. Drawbacks to include:

* Of that 17,000 man force, only 12,000 are "rifles"? Combat arms troops capable of fighting.
* The U.N. force is NOT concentrated. Broken up into smaller contingents, each contingent having a designated sector it must guard and maintain the "peace" in.
* Road mobility at this time of the year in the Congo [rainy season] is extremely poor. U.N. troops cannot with alacrity move from one area to another.

The U.N. force is NOT cohesive and united.

Laurent Nkunda has the initiative and is able to focus the entire energy of his command in a way that the UN commander is not. Laurent makes "things" happen at the time and place of his own choosing!

The UN commander, to the extent such a person exists, is trying to guard everywhere. His command is dispersed, relatively immobile, "impotent"! While making an effort to guard "everything", he is guarding "nothing"? Yes, I think this is so!

As to the lack of road mobility, well, the Tutsi militia seems not to be impeded by the rainy season, do they? They seems to get along just fine! Their mobility is not bothered! Indeed, they are taking advantage of the situation, knowing full well the weakness of the UN "peacekeepers"!

Also, the rumor, as repeated on the NPR program, is that about twenty cargo aircraft, daily, depart the airport at Kigali, Rwanda! Loaded with an assortment of mineral wealth from the Congo. Mined by impressed laborers working under hellish conditions!

Personnel comment: That UN force has some sort of wheeled armored vehicle [painted in the obligatory UN "white" color too]. Film footage seems to show the same combat vehicle over and over, but YOU NEVER SEE DISMOUNTED UN TROOPS!! NEVER!! What is that??!! [UN troops would be spotted by the blue helmets they wear!!]

coolbert.