Thread: Blackwater USA Offers a Brigade

African soldiers with a professional officer corps and a small cadre of hard hitting well trained troops. That's the only way they can do this. The vast majority would be low pay dirt cheap African soldiers.

Originally Posted by Officer of Engineers

African soldiers with a professional officer corps and a small cadre of hard hitting well trained troops. That's the only way they can do this. The vast majority would be low pay dirt cheap African soldiers.

Very similar to the way the UN tends to run more and more peacekeeping operations.

Only in Africa. This force would've been killed in Yugoslavia.

Originally Posted by Officer of Engineers

The vast majority would be low pay dirt cheap African soldiers.

without any of the baggage associated with white troops, but backup when needed.

This definitely can work in Africa. It has worked once already.

There was a show on the History Channel talking about a mercenary outfit named Executive Outcome, based in South Africa, and their successful intervention to prevent a civil war from breaking out in Sierra Leone (or Angola? or some other African nation...can't remember well).

It was the same concept. They deployed 150 fighters supported by 150 logistic personnel to restore order and keep the peace, costing the neighboring nation who paid for the operation $20 million a year.

Then Kofi "the crook" Annan heard about it. He told "Free Willy" Billy Clinton about it and expressed his concern as to how UN would lose prestige if a small mercenary company can keep a civil war from happening. Billy put some pressure on and forced the withdrawal of the mercenary and replaced them with UN peacekeepers. Civil war broke out. UN was unable to keep the peace with 12,000 personnel at a cost of $1 billion a year.

There's got to be some perspective here. Executive Outcome had a localized conflict; that of the diamond mines. The rebels took the fight to the EO's home turf and resoundingly got trounced. When the UN took over, the rebels had access to diamonds once again (as part of the peace agreement) and rebuilt from there.

When the rebels launched their offensive, EO would not have been in a position to repel it. The best that can be said was that they prevented the rebels from getting the needed diamonds to become strong.

Originally Posted by parihaka

without any of the baggage associated with white troops, but backup when needed.

Just the tribal baggage that they bring along.

Originally Posted by Officer of Engineers

Just the tribal baggage that they bring along.

Yeah, but for some unfathomable reason that's acceptable.

Just like letting children starve to death is preferable to accepting human standard food supliments from a company that also makes dog food supliments.

I know it comes as no surpise to you given your experience, but killing children for political point scoring puposes still gobsmacks me.

Originally Posted by Officer of Engineers

There's got to be some perspective here. Executive Outcome had a localized conflict; that of the diamond mines. The rebels took the fight to the EO's home turf and resoundingly got trounced. When the UN took over, the rebels had access to diamonds once again (as part of the peace agreement) and rebuilt from there.

When the rebels launched their offensive, EO would not have been in a position to repel it. The best that can be said was that they prevented the rebels from getting the needed diamonds to become strong.

I did not know that part of the history. I don't recall the History Channel show mentioned anything about the diamonds. Strange they would skip over a good part of the story. It's not like they have a dog in the fight.

Originally Posted by gunnut

I did not know that part of the history. I don't recall the History Channel show mentioned anything about the diamonds. Strange they would skip over a good part of the story. It's not like they have a dog in the fight.

It's all about what makes for good television more than dealing with annoying like facts like the diamonds.

Just like the MSM. They aren't there to report the news. They are there to garner ratings for their parent companies.

Originally Posted by Officer of Engineers

There's got to be some perspective here. Executive Outcome had a localized conflict; that of the diamond mines. The rebels took the fight to the EO's home turf and resoundingly got trounced. When the UN took over, the rebels had access to diamonds once again (as part of the peace agreement) and rebuilt from there.

When the rebels launched their offensive, EO would not have been in a position to repel it. The best that can be said was that they prevented the rebels from getting the needed diamonds to become strong.

By prevented the rebels from controlling the diamonds they kept them in check.

Still this could work in certain cases, provided you can overcome the legal and political issues.

Of course but it has to be kept in perspective. There was no way 150 men could do the job of 2000 (the Indian and British battalions that finally destroyed the rebels in open combat) although there were 10,000+ African troops that ran.

OE kept the rebels in check. Indian and British soldiers killed them. There lies the big difference.

Originally Posted by Officer of Engineers

Of course but it has to be kept in perspective. There was no way 150 men could do the job of 2000 (the Indian and British battalions that finally destroyed the rebels in open combat) although there were 10,000+ African troops that ran.

OE kept the rebels in check. Indian and British soldiers killed them. There lies the big difference.

The big question is can African troops be expected to fight reliably solely for money? I suppose you'd be able to pick and choose the best from all over, but still the best troops in Africa, excluding South Africa, is pretty low speed compared to Western or Indian troops.

The Nigerians before the Brits left were on par with any in the British Empire. The Eygptians were the British main strength in that region. They both had since long declined since neither were willing to spend the money and effort as the British did in raising their regts.

All this says is that the people are capable but would a mercenary outfit spend that kind of money and effort in producing a real professional brigade? I highly doubt it.