U.S. sending military advisors to Uganda
Obama has authorized about 100 special forces troops to deploy to Uganda and neighboring countries to help target a rebel militia leader. The U.S. troops won't engage in battle, the president says.
October 15, 2011
Reporting from
President Obama is sending about 100 special forces troops to central Africa to help target the leadership of the Lord's Resistance Army, a notorious militia that has been raping and pillaging in the remote jungles of northern Uganda and neighboring countries for more than two decades.
In a letter notifying Congress on Friday, Obama said the goal of the
A militia known for forcing abducted children to fight and for mutilating its victims, the Lord's Resistance Army has long been condemned by the
The militia keeps sex slaves, rapes women and has killed thousands of people. The dense jungle and lack of roads in the lawless border regions of northern
Sam Worthington, president of InterAction, an alliance of nongovernmental groups, said there was a clear need to stabilize the region, and he noted that the Ugandan government requested this intervention.
At the same time,
He said that ultimately the problem would require the political collaboration of the governments in the region.
Obama, in his letter to Congress, said that "although the
The move, in a broad way, reflects the desire of the Obama administration to be more active in security operations in
The deployment has been planned for months and grew out of legislation signed this year supporting increased
After three years of incremental assistance to the Ugandan government, including the presence of some unarmed counter-terrorism advisors, the White House made the decision to ramp up its efforts in an attempt to take out Kony and end his reign of terror in the area, said a U.S. intelligence official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"If we are going to do this, let's not do it half-assed. Let's go in and try to wipe this guy out," the official said.
The Green Berets will work with regional armies to help protect people in isolated hamlets who have been preyed upon by the militia. The plan is, among other things, to help track the movements of the guerrillas and share intelligence from communications intercepts and satellite imagery.
Also,
Inspired by a combination of mysticism and eccentric Christian rhetoric, Kony, who is about 50, is on the
The LRA has displaced about 400,000 civilians and has carried out an estimated 2,400 attacks and 3,400 abductions since 2008.
Though
One Senate aide said he expected Congress to be divided on the intervention, with some members concerned that the mission could expand if its limited objectives were not accomplished quickly.
"It is essential for the president to consult with Congress about any deployment of our military forces into harm's way. I regret that this was not done," said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
The act that set the mission in motion had substantial congressional support, including 201 cosponsors in the House and 64 in the Senate.
There was some immediate support from Congress for the White House decision.
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) praised the move, saying it "may save innocent lives."
Bennett reported from
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