Obama to Send 3,000 troops to Tackle Ebola

I don't think sending troops to do the job that Specialized doctors couldn't do is going to work.

Hopefully the troops are given access to those special serums (if safe) that will prevent exposure.

I think this is a case where the president should go and personally help. Without protection.

I'm all for the UK sending 3000 soldiers over there instead of the USA. They can bring it home to the UK so they can study it there.

Some of the replies on this thread are a bit confusing to me-since this outbreak started getting out of control,I have been reading American members' replies on all the Ebola threads-"Something must be done! These poor people in the affected areas should receive help'. The developed nations should help" etc etc etc. Now that help IS apparently being organised,many seem to think it's an idiotic,almost criminally irresponsible idea..what gives? reply to: soficrow

I think we should form a committee to study the problem.

a reply to: JHumm
I don't think they are going to 'help with the disease'' they are going to close the borders IMO.

originally posted by: JHumm
I don't think sending troops to do the job that Specialized doctors couldn't do is going to work.

These are NOT just troop but Specialized unit and Specialized doctors with the latest equipment.

The reason these "Specialized doctors" working for doctors without borders have been failing is because they cant even get basic rubber gloves and disinfectants.

originally posted by: rickymouse
I'm all for the UK sending 3000 soldiers over there instead of the USA. They can bring it home to the UK so they can study it there.

You that blind and short sighted?


You cant see that ignoring it and pretending its "Africa problem" will mean it will end up on YOUR doorstep?

Why cant you see it cheaper and better to fight it in Africa rather than wait for it to turn up in a city near you?

Dam people are short sighted on ATS!

a reply to: JHumm

There weren't any doctors to speak of - less than 1 per 1,000,000 people. That's the main problem. Fortunately, Cuba and China are (and have been) sending doctors. That's a big help. Another big problem is the lack of coordination and logistics control. In case you missed it....

"The goal here is to search American expertise, including our military, logistics and command and control expertise, to try and control this outbreak at its source in west Africa," Lisa Monaco, Obama's White House counter-terrorism adviser, told MSNBC television on Tuesday ahead of the announcement.

Why is it always the US who has to do these things? Why doesn't Europe or Asia or Russia or South America step in?

I'm sick to death of it always being the US in harm's way.

originally posted by: Restricted
Why is it always the US who has to do these things? Why doesn't Europe or Asia or Russia or South America step in?

I'm sick to death of it always being the US in harm's way.

I guess you have not been reading up on Ebola lately?

Kindest respects

Rodinus

originally posted by: Rodinus

originally posted by: Restricted
Why is it always the US who has to do these things? Why doesn't Europe or Asia or Russia or South America step in?

I'm sick to death of it always being the US in harm's way.

I guess you have not been reading up on Ebola lately?

Kindest respects

Rodinus

Instead of being snotty why don't you show me where 3000 warm bodies have come from any other country.

Does he think Ebola are a jihadist group?

a reply to: crazyewok

fyi - Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has NOT been losing doctors to Ebola - it's the other charities like SIM who don't have the expertise. ...MSF is good at this, and knows their limits as well as their 'stuff.' That's why they've been screaming for help for the past SIX months. 'Bout time someone started to listen. Hopefully, it's not too late.

The 2014 Ebola outbreak is the worst since the disease was discovered in the mid-1970s.

Geneva - The Ebola outbreak in West Africa has killed 2,461 people, half of the 4,985 infected by the virus, World Health Organization Assistant Director General Bruce Aylward said on Tuesday.

“Quite frankly, ladies and gentlemen, this health crisis we're facing is unparalleled in modern times,” Aylward told a news conference in Geneva.

“We don't know where the numbers are going on this.”

He said previous forecast that the number of cases could reach 20,000 no longer seemed a lot, but the number could be kept within the tens of thousands with “a much faster response”.

originally posted by: Restricted

originally posted by: Rodinus

originally posted by: Restricted
Why is it always the US who has to do these things? Why doesn't Europe or Asia or Russia or South America step in?

I'm sick to death of it always being the US in harm's way.

I guess you have not been reading up on Ebola lately?

Kindest respects

Rodinus

Instead of being snotty why don't you show me where 3000 warm bodies have come from any other country.

UK and France

Source

UK I thinking are sending about 300 personal. Seeing as our Army is 1/10 the size of the USA that's a contribution equal to our capability.

France is sending the same I believe.

So no its not JUST the USA.

originally posted by: Restricted
Why is it always the US who has to do these things? Why doesn't Europe or Asia or Russia or South America step in?

I'm sick to death of it always being the US in harm's way.

UK AND FRANCE AND EVEN CUBA ARE INVOLVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

READ THE FREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!

a reply to: Restricted

Guess you missed it. The US is still choking on providing medical expertise and working with Ebola patients - the American focus is coordination and logistics. [Much-needed, but still no US commitment for medical personnel - or did I miss something?]

So far Cuba and China have said they will send medical staff to Sierra Leone. Cuba will deploy 165 people in October while China is sending a mobile laboratory with 59 staff to speed up testing for the disease. It already has 115 staff and a Chinese-funded hospital there.

But Liberia is where the disease appears to be running amok. The WHO has not issued any estimate of cases or deaths in the country since Sept 5 and its Director-General Margaret Chan has said there is not a single bed available for Ebola patients there.

Liberia, a nation founded by descendants of freed American slaves, appealed for U.S. help last week.

"The goal here is to search American expertise, including our military, logistics and command and control expertise, to try and control this outbreak at its source in west Africa," Lisa Monaco, Obama's White House counter-terrorism adviser, told MSNBC television on Tuesday ahead of the announcement.

There are 3000 people from a specific country working in Africa? I don't think so.

Other countries may have sent people, but not as many as we have. Typical.

originally posted by: soficrow
a reply to: kalunom

Aside from the fact that USAMRIID and Fort Dettrick have a long, long history working with dangerous diseases, including Ebola - our military is arguably the best coordinator in the world. If anyone can pull the whole effort into shape, and get all the partners working together on the same page, it's the US Military who can do the job.

While I wish them the best of luck, I still think it's a horrible idea. Foreign armed forces (the U.S.) coordinating this effort along with Chinese and Cuban doctors and I don't know who else - hell, lets get as many people from around the globe in there - will only make those affected in Africa more fearful, by and large. It's likely to keep more infected people from coming forward.

Would you be more willing to approach a red cross shelter (for example) or a military outpost? I just don't see this as the military's job. As someone else pointed out, this is nature we are fighting. Not an enemy foreign or domestic.