8 French peacekeepers killed in the Ivory Coast - UN threatens "serious consequences"

[Imran Siddiqui]

I only wish the UN were that good to the US when we are attacked. But when we defend ourselves like in Iraq, we are scolded for collateral damage and for making terrorists mad.

Defending ourselves in Iraq? The Iraq War was not because they were shooting as us in the no fly zone. The UN allowance for self-defense actions requires the self-defense to be proportionate to the harm. For shooting at us in the no fly zone, bombing their air defense missiles and air force would be ok. Not invading a country.

what I want to know is why the French are there in the first place.

They are part of a UN peacekeeping force.

[BeBMan]

Yep, I even remember how I started a thread about it when they went in.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Verto
From the Air Force Assocation:

"Coalition aircraft have been shot at or threatened more than a thousand times by Iraqi air defenses

That's not good enough. Most of the time the Coalition bombed them, it was simply for the Iraqis getting radar locks on them. I will however, concede the point that they attacked our forces.

As we retailated in each case, and the UN stood behind us as we did so, TD's point is still not proven. Nor can you claim that we had a right to invade Iraq based on these skirmishes.

[BeBMan]

Originally posted by The diplomat


They destroyed 3 helicopters.

I read they destroyed 2 planes and some helis, which is a deadly blow against the air force of the Ivory Coast - because it has only a handful of combat aircraft

[Dis]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


That's not good enough. Most of the time the Coalition bombed them, it was simply for the Iraqis getting radar locks on them. I will however, concede the point that they attacked our forces.

As we retailated in each case, and the UN stood behind us as we did so, TD's point is still not proven. Nor can you claim that we had a right to invade Iraq based on these skirmishes.

of course we had no right. But we did it anyways. Who's going to stop us?

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Dissident
Who's going to stop us?

China, eventually.

[Menlas]

Originally posted by BeBro


I read they destroyed 2 planes and some helis, which is a deadly blow against the air force of the Ivory Coast - because it has only a handful of combat aircraft

2 Sukhoi planes and 6 helis to be precise, which happens to be about all the Ivory Coast airforce.

[Dis]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


China, eventually.

China is a defensive nation. They have no desire to start wars with other nations.

[Akka]

Originally posted by PLATO


Multiple times over a period of years in the "No Fly Zone"

And it seems that each times the aircraft retaliated, and the UN backed them for doing so.

So, it seems that there were no injustice toward the US.

Originally posted by Dissident
what I want to know is why the French are there in the first place. It's none of their business. They should stay out of harms way and out of the affairs of other countries, as should we.

1) France is part of UN peacekeeping.

2) The French intervention was actually asked by Ivory Coast.

[PLATO]

Originally posted by Akka

And it seems that each times the aircraft retaliated, and the UN backed them for doing so.

So, it seems that there were no injustice toward the US.

I wasn't trying to show injustice or justification...just answering che's question.

[GePap]

Given the no fly zones were created without UN approval, but unilaterally by the US, UK and France in 1995, we were violating Iraqi airspace and undermining their sovereignty on a daily basis- they had every legal right to try to shoot our planes down, given that they were not there by consent or agreement.

This, of course, has escalated. The French appear to be taking control of the capital after pro-government mobs went thorugh the city trying to kill French citizens.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
The warhawks are more likely to laugh at the notion of the UN threatening anything and expecting to be taken seriously.

You mean, when there are 10,000 UN troops there, including 4,000 ones who are vastly better trained and equipped than the Ivorian army?
To the point that the Ivorian air force has been wiped out since that attack?

[GePap]

Those were French actions, not UN actions. What is silly is the president of Ivory Coast asking the UN to do something against France..maybe he doesn't get it...

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by GePap
This, of course, has escalated. The French appear to be taking control of the capital after pro-government mobs went thorugh the city trying to kill French citizens.

France's behaviour is especially bizarre in this regard. Two years ago, there was also anti-French unrest in Abidjan, and the Foreign Ministry officially called for the French residents in Ivory Coast to come back. About 25% of the residents did.

Today, instead of evacuating the French population and being content with controlling the airport, the French troops seem to want to control Abidjan. I wouldn't be suprised that our ministers are considering the removal Gbagbo. I sure hope not. Such a destabilization of Ivory Coast would be a huge blow in our continued influence there, and the ethnic hatreds will be horribly stirred.

Besides, it would pave the way to a full-fledged civil war, since we'd crown the "New Forces" (northern ethnical groups), and would "give" them power over a rebellous Abidjan

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by GePap
Those were French actions, not UN actions. What is silly is the president of Ivory Coast asking the UN to do something against France..maybe he doesn't get it...

The French soldiers there are under UN mandate.