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| International |
| Frenchies spring hostages in Ivory Coast... |
| 2002-09-25 |
| American schoolchildren were evacuated from a rebel-held city under French military escort Wednesday as U.S. special forces landed to help rescue Westerners caught in an uprising. A convoy of 10 to 12 cars left rebel-held Bouake for Yamoussoukro, 65 kilometers (40 miles) to the south, where U.S. special forces in C-130 cargo planes arrived hours earlier to receive them. The children swung American flags out windows of the cars as the convoy headed down the region's main road, after a new night of sporadic gunfire outside the International Christian Academy. Shooting up kiddies is a very rebellious thing to do, especially when they're unarmed... Some of the youngsters leaned out the windows to yell "Vive la France!" at a French convoy headed the other way, into Bouake. That's French for, "Hooray for the Frenchies!" About 100 American children attend the mission boarding school in Bouake, intended for sons and daughters of missionaries based across Africa. Another 60 children also attend the school, which has a staff of 40, most of whom are American. About 100 French troops moved into the whitewashed compound early Wednesday, securing the school after rebel forces breached the walls two days earlier to fire out from its grounds. French forces were evacuating as many Westerners in the school and surrounding neighborhood as chose to leave. The school appeared to be empty after the evacuation. Guess everybody wanted to leave — nobody wanted to have any limbs cut off... About 300 Americans live in the city. The United States deployed about 200 soldiers, mostly special forces, to Ghana overnight to aid in any rescue missions as Ivory Coast battles to put down the coup. Bouake and the northern opposition stronghold of Korhogo fell into rebel hands during a bloody coup attempt last Thursday. The rebellion centers on about 800 soldiers who were sacked for suspected subversive intentions. Guess sacking them was a good idea... |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #1 It appears the French Foreign Legion has retained the Gallic spine of the resistance and we should show them their due thanks. I remain unimpressed by the rest. It's a start though |
| Posted by: Frank G 2002-09-25 19:40:14 |