Letter From The President To Speaker Of The House and The President Pro Tempo of Senate

[Tx4obama]

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
December 22, 2013

Text Of A Letter From The President To The Speaker Of The House Of Representatives And The President Pro Tempore Of The Senate

December 22, 2013

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:
In my report to the Congress of December 19, 2013, I provided information on the deployment of U.S. forces to support the security of U.S. personnel and our Embassy in South Sudan. I am providing this additional report, consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148), to help ensure that the Congress is kept fully informed on U.S. military activities in South Sudan.

On December 21, 2013, approximately 46 additional U.S. military personnel deployed by military aircraft to the area of Bor, South Sudan, to conduct an operation to evacuate U.S. citizens and personnel. After the aircraft came under fire as they approached Bor, the operation was curtailed due to security considerations, and the aircraft and all military personnel onboard departed South Sudan without completing the evacuation.
The purpose of this operation was to protect U.S. citizens, personnel, and property. As I monitor the situation in South Sudan, I may take further action to support the security of U.S. citizens, personnel, and property, including our Embassy, in South Sudan.

This action has been directed consistent with my responsibility to protect U.S. citizens both at home and abroad, and in furtherance of U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct U.S. foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive.
I appreciate the support of the Congress in these actions.

Sincerely,
BARACK OBAMA

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/12/22/text-letter-president-speaker-house-representatives-and-president-pro-te

[Tx4obama]

1. 4 troops hurt in South Sudan rescue attempt

4 troops hurt in South Sudan rescue attempt

Four U.S. airmen were hurt Saturday when three CV-22 Ospreys took fire on a mission over strife-torn South Sudan, where military forces have been deployed to rescue American citizens and guard the embassy.

U.S. Africa Command said the three tilt-rotor aircraft — which can take off and land like a helicopter but rotate their engines to fly as an airplane — were approaching the town of Bor to pick up Americans when the Ospreys were hit by gunfire from “unknown forces” on the ground.

The Ospreys aborted their mission and flew to an airfield in Uganda, Africa Command said. The injured airmen were flown from there to Nairobi, Kenya, where all four were treated and said to be in stable condition.

The State Department had asked AfriCom to rescue U.S. citizens from Bor, which has fallen under the control of rebel groups, so commanders called upon Air Force Special Operations Command. All three Ospreys were hit, AfriCom said. It wasn’t immediately clear how badly they were damaged or whether they would make another rescue attempt.

-snip-

Full article here: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/12/us-military-aircraft-hit-in-south-sudan-101414.html?hp=r2_b1

[Tx4obama]

2. U.S. may act again in South Sudan

U.S. may act again in South Sudan

HONOLULU — President Barack Obama told Congress on Sunday that he may take further military action to protect Americans in violence-plagued South Sudan.

In a letter to Congress, Obama said that about 46 U.S. troops were deployed Saturday to help evacuate Americans. That’s in addition to 45 troops deployed to reinforce the U.S. Embassy in Juba.

-snip-

Four U.S. troops were injured in the evacuation mission Saturday when gunfire hit three military planes. All four are in stable condition, the White House said.

Obama is on his annual vacation in Hawaii, but he said in the letter to congressional leaders that he’s monitoring the situation. Earlier Sunday, Obama was briefed by advisers on events in South Sudan following a meeting that his national security adviser, Susan Rice, held with national security aides and U.S. personnel still in South

-snip-

Full article here: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/12/south-sudan-military-action-101459.html

[freshwest]

3. Cue Darryl in 4...3...2...1... Wait, we haven't heard from him since...

Have gravel, will howl, facts or no facts, the show must go on...

[MannyGoldstein]

4. Perhaps they're a little piqued about 17 wedding guests

getting droned into Freedom Mist™?

Who knows what goes through the heads of these people. Besides shrapnel, of course.

[joshcryer]

5. It's an ethnic conflict.

And it's been going on since South Sudan became a free state, even after South Sudan gave away half the oil after cost.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Sudan_internal_conflict_(2011–present)

Whether something should be done is of course always up for debate, but to frame it in the drone wars is a tad insensitive. Clooney wouldn't be personally invested if it wasn't for a good cause. The Colonials Forced Peoples to live within given boundaries, which were suitable to the colonials at the time. The ramifications for this is that Africa is a continent made up of false states. Normally ethnic boundaries followed geographic and cultural norms. Certain peoples might prefer to live in the desert, others might the tundra, etc. When the colonials forced them all to live together against their will it became untenable and has caused much of Africa's woes to this very day.