Quote Originally Posted by Stan View Post
Hey Norfolk !

Indeed, K-Town is a ways from Northern Kivu. The (then) Zairian government operated in much the same manner however. After spending more than a decade teaching, working and reporting on them, I can safely say little has changed (other than the name of the country). As Nichols often says: You can take the man out of WAWA, but you can't take the WAWA out of the man. Well Said !

I have some real doubts about those numbers - just a gut feeling though.
I'd conclude that Nkunda has more than 6 or 7,000 (if not more standing at the ready 'somewhere else') and I sincerely doubt that the DRC ever sent more than 2 or 3,000 at any given time, anywhere.

Tom can cut in anytime with his appraisals that I most welcome, but we've watched those folks try to swindle barely a company of troops into an aircraft to 'asylum', and that had some very intriguing moments on the flight home !

The only time I ever witnessed 'military movement' was with the DSP or Guard Civil in the early 90's. All those maneuvers accomplished was a shift in area control, and then back to the artful task of screwin' folks out of whatever they happen to have.

If you get a chance, give Tom's chapter a quick read.

Regards, Stan
Thanks Stan, I got it. At this rate, I'm going to have a "Thomas P. Odom" shelf for books and articles.

Is it physically impossible for the DRC (not to mention some others in the region) to raise fighting forces that actually can and will fight (and win) aginst competent/semi-competent opponents, or is this pretty much a Tutsi monopoly in those parts?