French troops rescue Americans in Liberia

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | 6/10/03 | Ellen Knickmeyer

[hungry_caterpillar]

French troops rescue Americans in Liberia

June 10, 2003

BY ELLEN KNICKMEYER

MONROVIA, Liberia--With rebel forces bearing down on the Liberian capital, French helicopters swooped in Monday to rescue more than 500 Americans, Europeans and other foreigners.

Insurgents battling President Charles Taylor's weakened government pushed several miles inside Monrovia's western outskirts. American officials renewed calls for a cease-fire.

''We were going to stick it out, but it's time to go,'' Iddo Yodder, a gray-bearded Mennonite missionary from Lott, Texas, said as he was evacuated.

''It's a very heavy feeling leaving all our Liberian friends behind, knowing what they have to endure,'' said his wife, Viola Yodder. ''All you can do is cry.''

Officials prepared for the evacuation over the weekend, when rebels fighting Taylor since 1999 made two pushes into the capital, the only part of the West African nation he controls.

The French military provided much of the manpower and might for the evacuation from Liberia, a nation founded in the 19th century by freed American slaves.

France has a heavy presence in West Africa, where there are many former French colonies. It took a lead role in Liberia in part because a French warship was off shore, American officials said.

Liberians came out of their shacks and watched silently as the helicopters flew back and forth. Some headed to the U.S. Embassy, pleading for rescue from the United States, which many Liberians still see as their country's big brother.

''When will you be helping us? We are terrified,'' Marcus Kollie said.

[Principled]

Some headed to the U.S. Embassy, pleading for rescue from the United States, which many Liberians still see as their country's big brother.

We need to give the UN a dozen or so years to sort this out.

[y2k_free_radical]

For this,i thank FRANCE.SAD,VERY SAD.

[sirshackleton]

Well, then I guess we're even for purging the Nazis from France?

[mikenola]

Liberia has a fascinating history:

In 1816, a group made up mostly of Quakers and slaveholders in Washington, D.C., formed the American Colonization Society (ACS). The Quakers opposed slavery, and the slaveholders opposed the freedom of Blacks, but they agreed on one thing: that Black Americans should be repatriated to Africa. The Quakers felt that freeborn Blacks and former slaves would face better chances for freedom in Africa than in the United States. They also saw repatriation as a way of spreading Christianity through Africa. The slaveholders' motives were less charitable: They viewed repatriation of Blacks as a way of avoiding a slave rebellion like the one that had taken place on the island of Santo Domingo, today's Haiti.

Despite opposition from many Blacks and from white abolitionists, the repatriation program, funded by ACS member subscriptions and a number of state legislatures, moved forward. In 1822, the first 86 voluntary, Black emigrants landed on Cape Montserrado, on what was then known as the Grain Coast. They arrived with white agents of the ACS who would govern them for many years. Many others followed, settling on land sometimes purchased, sometimes obtained more forcefully, from indigenous chiefs.

The first years were a challenge: The settlers suffered from malaria and yellow fever, common in the area's coastal plains and mangrove swamps, and from attacks by the native populations who were, at various times, unhappy -- unhappy with the expansion of the settlements along the coast; with the settlers' efforts to put an end to the lucrative slave trading in which some ethnic groups were engaged; and at the settlers' attempts to Christianize their communities. Despite these difficulties, the Black settlers were determined to show the world that they could create, develop, and run their own country. And so they kept arriving.

In 1824, the settlement was named Monrovia, after the American president (and ACS member) James Monroe, and the colony became the Republic of Liberia. Over the next 40 years, 19,000 African American repatriates, sometimes known as Americo-Liberians, settled in Liberia, along with some 5,000 Africans recaptured from slave ships, and a small number of West Indian immigrants.

[xrp]

I heard that the French troops tossed their firearms to the Americans and shouted, "Here, we know you can use these better than us! SAVE US!"

[Chad Fairbanks]

My question is, do they call themselves "American-Africans"? ;0)

[Paradox]

Give credit where credit is due, I am sure that there are SOME Frenchmen out there who still have balls (what, 3% maybe?). Lets thank em when they show up!

[aynrandfreak]

They're not there because they care about us. They are involved in Africa so they can implement their new PC version of trying to take control there again.

[Paradox]

They're not there because they care about us. They are involved in Africa so they can implement their new PC version of trying to take control there again.

Oh, I have no love for the French Government, but surely there are some French soldiers who are worth a damn.. or perhaps these were members of the Foreign Legion?

[MoJo2001]

THE BTAM comes back to the forefront again. Marcus Garvey must be happy. Maybe not! The Back To Africa Movement obviously didn't expect fellow Africans to be brutal or insensitive, huh? Well, I'm sure they didn't expect Marcus Garvey to embezzle money from fellow blacks either.

[EricT.]

If so, I will try to carry the "with the exception of the French Foreign Legion," disclaimer whenever I ridicule France.

[RicocheT]

At one time Liberia was a happy land and had a working government that did not overly oppress its citizens.

Over the last 20 years, Liberia has had a series of unhappy events due to coups and counter coups, each more violent than the last.

Most of Africa, south of the Sahara, has had similar bad governments. Some sort of collective madness or infection by evil has mired Africa in violence, greed and hatreds over class or tribal backgrounds. What the solution may be is beyond me.

[thoughtomator]

Before we go that far, I think we need to ask ourselves what kind of Americans are in Liberia in the middle of a civil war.

I'll engage in some completely unfounded speculation and say that the Americans there were most likely helping one side or the other. Wherever there is a brutal dictator, there's a support lobby on the Left.

[foreshadowed at waco]

As a lifetime New York City dweller I can attest to the fact that no group or subgroup of people is completely of one mind...I would imagaine that there are a sizeable chunk of French people who are respectable members of the human race...

BTW Bill Kristol did say on FNC last night that his recent experience in Paris--talking to the elite intelligensia over there was like talking to junior high school girls--they are unable to sustain an intelligent political discussion without veering off into self-preoccupied notions of France's position on the world stage--I bet that French soldiers are different,however, just as our own soldiers are so very different from the liberal elite on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

[Gal.5:1]

When I was in Monrovia in 1988, we were just leaving (earlier than we planned, unfortunately) when the last installment of this ongoing civil war was just getting going: we left the day the coup started- that horrible war lasted at least 10 years. This government is so corrupt, but so was the one that preceeded it. So sad.

Maybe we will just have to forgive France and be friends with them again, for thier assistance...

[Gal.5:1]

My question is, do they call themselves "American-Africans"? ;0

Actually, the group that "founded" Monrovia and modern Liberia after the Civil War are called "Americo-Liberians"; they are the descendants of the freed American slaves. There are at least 5 other people groups there(the origional peoples) and they all fight with each other. Pelle, Mande, Gio, others.

[Gal.5:1]

What kind of people??


when I was there, I saw some peace corp people (remember that?). To answer your question: missionaries, docotors, nurses, teachers, pastors, nuns, etc. Just like in Afghanistan, and now in Iraq,
Christian missionaries are still there and serving the people of these nations.

[dfwgator]

What the solution may be is beyond me.

Simple. Re-colonization.

[Gal.5:1]

lol. doctors.