December 1961 White Paper
In 1961, President Kennedy sent a team to Vietnam to report on conditions in the South and to assess future American aid requirements. The report, now known as the "December 1961 White Paper," argued for an increase in military, technical, and economic aid, and the introduction of large-scale American "advisers" to help stabilize the Diem regime and crush the NLF. (We know where that went.)
October 2011
Now U.S. sends troops to Africa
In a letter to Congress, Obama said the troops will act as advisers in efforts to hunt down rebel leader Joseph Kony but will not engage in combat except in self-defence.
The aid included four small drones, body armour and night-vision and communications gear and is being used in the fight against al-Shabab, an al Qaeda-linked group that U.S. officials see as an increasing threat and that African peace-keeping troops in Somalia have been battling to suppress. (Wonder where the proof came from for this alleged "increasing threat". Guess the intell standards are much lower now than they were for Bush, huh?)
Pentagon officials said the bulk of the U.S. contingent will be special operations troops, who will provide security and combat training to African units. (We certainly don't know where this will go. Didn't liberals cry before that our military was stretched too thin? Likewise, there is no published exit strategy for this nobama-clown military action like that demanded by liberals, of Bush.)
Anyone else see any Deja Vu or double standards?
