Gurkhas to rescue Britons from Ivory Coast

The Telegraph, UK ^ | November 12: | Anonymous

[Cronos]

Around 300 Gurkha troops are being sent to Ivory Coast to help take Britons fleeing the strife-torn West African country to safety.

Members of the Army's Spearhead Lead Company, drawn from the Royal Gurkha Regiment, flew to the Ghanaian capital Accra last night where they were put on "immediate notice" to move into Ivory Coast.

Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, announced the deployment in a written statement to the Commons.

He added that the assault ship HMS Albion, which can carry up to 700 troops and 60 vehicles, had been redirected towards the region as an "additional contingency".

Mr Hoon said about 400 Britons in Ivory Coast were entitled to protection from British forces.

"We would expect the operation to last days, not weeks," he said.

At least 27 people have been killed and hundreds injured in a wave of anti-French violence sparked by France using air strikes to destroy Ivory Coast's newly created airforce.

The strikes were made in retaliation for an Ivory Coast bombing raid on the rebel-held north of the country at the weekend in which nine French peacekeepers and an American aid worker were killed.

Several hundred foreigners have already fled the former French colony while pro-government gangs armed with machetes and iron bars have roamed the capital Yamoussoukro.

Convoys sent out from the American embassy have gathered up foreigners as appeals on state television alternate from appealing for calm to demanding a mass uprising against the French.

[Cronos]

From the Guardian:

The UK government has deployed 300 soldiers, including a company of Gurkhas, to evacuate British nationals from the Ivory Coast.

British defence secretary, Geoff Hoon, made this announcement in parliament yesterday. About 100 Gurkhas have flown to Ghana on “immediate notice’’ to help with the evacuation, he told MPs. A British military reconnaissance team has been deployed in Abidjan to evacuate the 400 UK nationals and others who are entitled to British protection, Hoon said.

The operation will also involve RAF transport aircraft; and in what the defence secretary called an “additional contingency.’’

[Army Air Corps]

Ayo Gurkhali!

I like what they did in the Falklands...

[SaltyJoe]

A story that I heard about Gurkhas was of their reputation in the Falkland Is War. Argentinians were faced with British soldiers on one flank and Gurkas on the other.

They surrendered to the Brits.

[Lijahsbubbe]

Will they be bringing these?

[okie01]

uhoh gurkhas..u dont want gurkhas

When briefed on a WW II operational plan that required them to make a night jump from the plane at an altitude of 500 ft, the Gurkha sergeant asked the British officer if the plan also called for them to wear parachutes.

[jocon307]

You know they will be, they kick butt!

[plushaye]

Gurkhas have a rep as being one of THE toughest troops in the world. Maybe they should try them in Iraq. It would be something like Gurkhas 10,000 Terrorists 0 . You don't ever want to get on the bad side of a Gurkha.

[flashbunny]

Yes they will. They don't go anywhere without them.

Pretty much as soon as they learn to walk they learn to use a khukri in everyday life.

[TheCrusader]

"Around 300 Gurkha troops are being sent to Ivory Coast to help take Britons fleeing the strife-torn West African country to safety."

They're sending pickles to help???

sorry, couldn't help it

[SuziQ]

Gurkhas have a rep as being one of THE toughest troops in the world. Maybe they should try them in Iraq.

I like it!!

[GeronL]

300 UK soldiers will do what 6,000 French and 4,000 UN 'peacekeepers' will not do.

[injin]

" Gurkhas have a rep as being one of THE toughest troops in the world."

This certainly has been the case , but I have to wonder why ;
when Gurkhas hail from Nepal , the nation of Nepal cannot seem to come even close to beating their own Maoist insurgency?
The Maoist seem to own a large part of the country and the Nepalese Army , which has it's onw Gurkhas and should certainly be able to appeal to the retired and retiring UK Gurkhas for assistance , they are hardly winning at all.

If Britain wants to do a truly good deed , it should send
every Gurkha it commands back home with order to save their own homeland . And soon! before it's too late...
The loss of Nepal would be a huge tragedy.

[TheSpottedOwl]

Awesome! Just as long as they safely remove the civilians, and not help the French troops.

[RebelTex]

"Gurkhas have a rep as being one of THE toughest troops in the world. Maybe they should try them in Iraq."

Can't - they are not PC. (which is one reason why they are feared).

[Petronski]

Whoops, I misread that. Nevermind.