US u-turn on Ivorian peace force (Grrrrrr Oil ppl

[Florida_Geek]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3498743.stm

Last Updated: Wednesday, 18 February, 2004, 09:20 GMT

The United States has reversed its opposition to sending some 6,000 United Nations peacekeepers to Ivory Coast, says its UN ambassador John Negroponte.
He said that the administration had asked Congress to authorise the move.

..cut...

In I think yesterday's LBN was a piece on a new found Oil field in this area. Now Negroponte has changed his mind and wants to replace French troops with 6000 UN troops probably mainly US troops......

Am I missing anything here?

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. The new oil find was off The Gambia

see http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=369442

Ivory Coast does have some oil, but it was discovered in the early 70s ( http://countrystudies.us/ivory-coast/54.htm ) so I don't think you can particularly link the recent change of mind of the USA to it. After all, if they were really interested, they'd send US troops, not just agree to UN ones going there ( I would be surprised if they send US troops anywhere at the moment if they're not under direct US control - the US army is stretched, so they can afford to be good world citizens right now).

[Turley]

2. Mainly U.S. troops????

Where's you get that one?

[mobuto]

3. There would be no US troops

or certainly no significant numbers of them. I imagine we might provide some support or logistics help. US opposition was based of a couple of issues:

1. This Administration doesn't like the UN, especially here because even though we're not sending troops, we're going to pick up a big chunk of the price tag.

2. This Administration wants to shaft France. France has been more or less keeping the peace in Cote D'Ivoire on its own, with some help from neighboring West African states. France naturally wants the UN to take over the work so it can get out -- France feels it went in to stabalize the situation, not set up a long-term military presence.

[Florida_Geek]

4. The way I read it

was the US was against the UN doing this, now they are for it. That sounds like they want to be a major player here. IMHO.