Sudan next?
 

Jacko said in the Sunday Torygraph that 5000 troops could be used in the Sudan if needed later on in the crisis!
Are they going to call up the Home Guard to do this?
Where the hell are those troops gonna come from. Not the Black Watch or the Highland Fusiliers as they face the axe? Or could this be the Glory that they need to save them????

Can't see them risking air assets as there is a civil war raging. What ?

Hot from the BBC web site 15 mins ago....

"There are precedents for using troops not to attack a central government but to provide security for refugees. After the Gulf War in 1991 the US, Britain and others set up safe areas for the Kurdish refugees from Iraq who flooded over the mountains into Turkey.

Planning is already under way. Britain is thinking about a joint civilian-military team, according to Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who is going to Sudan soon.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has also been to Sudan. The government there is in no doubt about world opinion.

The Africa Union has promised a small force of 300 soldiers to act as monitors of some kind. "

Grimweasel,

It wasn't Jackonicko who said that, it was the Chief of the General Staff General Sir Michael Jackson, and he should know!
If he thinks 5000 troops are ready to go right now then I guess they are!

Where are the 102k right now, 8500 in Iraq, a few thousand in Bosnia?

proone, perhaps you were a tad overzealous with your pedantry as "jacko" is also the nickname for General Jackson. (sorry if trod on your toes in replying grimweasel)

As a mere observation from your profile proone, it would appear that any post suggesting overstretch or commenting on the cuts in derogatory terms, has warranted an opposing, fulsome and prompt reply. Just an observation.

Grimweasel,

Sorry, totally misunderstood!

uncle peter,

So?

Hi
We all know that the MOD relies heavily on the TA and the likes in Bosnia, Iraq, but where are they going to get the troops and RAF Reserve when up to 24% of the TA ?? want to resign when their op tour is over????. (I don't know if this figure applies to the RAF RESERVE as well):rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Maybe the fire service want to lend us a couple of their chaps? You know, return the favour and all....

Pr00ne.............you Blairite:rolleyes:

all spelling mistakes are "df" alcohol induced

Doesn't the castle at Blair Atholl have its own private and legally recognised army - All grey hair and white beard. I also believe that the Beefeaters at the Tower of London are in a kind of military. Maybe we should send those too..

.

I'm due out of the big sandpit in August. I could stop off on the way home perhaps. I wouldn't even have to change commands (CENTCOM run Horn of Africa as well as Afghan and Eye-rack).

See ya there!

LJR,
I think you're referring to the Atholl Highlanders, a whisky-fuelled private army which parades once a year with fearsome Atholl halberds and muskets. It's even got a mechanised section. Soldiers who fall by the wayside, casualties of too many drams, are collected in wheelbarrows and pushed on to the final objective.:O

Spit,
Most of 3 Commando Bde and two of the Para battalions are available, I think. It would, however, have to be a short, "in and out"deployment. There\'s nothing left in the toybox for a continuous roulement. The main problem would be providing medics to support the op.

The figure quoted for the percentage of TA who wish to quit doesn't in my view apply to the RAuxAF. Whilst there were some problems on Telic caused by the regulars expecting some very experienced Regt reserves to do all the mundane tasks whilst they did the exciting stuff, very few voted with their feet (which is a reflection of their dediction). The Medics also had a problem following the decision to not grant those involved in the medevac missions a telic medal.

It should also be pointed out that with some 2300 members the RAuxAF is considerably smaller than the TA.

As for Sudan, is the problem not the numbers of personnel but having sufficient AT to both get them in theatre and supporting them thereafter?

While a brigade's-worth of troops could be found, where would the head shed scrape up the medics to support the op. Given the state of the refugees and the conditions on the ground, they'd be the key people in any deployment.

As the BBC states, the effort may be a jonit civil / Mil. one. Maybe the HMG has a reserve civil NHS deployable hospital?

Still, Bangledesh has been ravaged by floods so where does the International community start???

And would someone tell me how the AT fleet are going to route into the refugee area?

FJJP
 

Why don't yez come and spend a week or two in Lokichokio and find out?:E

Seriously, there's a 1800m strip at Loki and you could use Rumbek as a forward staging area or just operate out of El Obeid or Khkhkh(hack, cough)khkhkhartoum. Sudan govt would have to agree on the latter two, though.....

Has Sudan got some oil or minerals, then?
:confused:

Didn't know that.

Yes.....see below.

"Natural resources: petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower. Exports: $2.45 billion (f.o.b., 2003 est.): oil and petroleum products, cotton, sesame, livestock, groundnuts, gum arabic, sugar." (see www.Governments:Sudan)

I would have used the CIA World fact Book but the Yanks here have blocked the site!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:confused:

Exact export figure not available but I saw a fugure quoted on ARRSE but couldn't find it when I needed it cos I'm network enabled! (I didn't say capable). And North Sea oil is going fast.

So from one sandpit to another...........? :ok:

The country's floating on a lake of oil. The Canucks are pumping it as fast as they can before the Septics invade.....:ok:

CIA World Fact Book

209,100 bbl per day (export)
631.5 million bbl (proven reserves)




If at first you don't succeed .....give up

Well, there you have it...loads of black gold in situ!

When shall I go and get my anti-malarial and jabs then???