[Chapter 800: A Collective Absence in the Western World]
"Max, is the situation really that bad?"
Max didn't know how to respond. By his calculations, at least a hundred thousand lives had been lost.
"Sir, it's no longer just a problem in Rwanda. The French's Turquoise operation is utterly useless. This is troublesome; Uganda will likely join the war as well."
"Is it really that way?" William White was astonished. Wasn't this fellow's situation looking bad too?
"Max, does their army have any food?"
"Sir, rather than talk about how the two races are doing, it's really about what the Europeans intend to do."
"Does Belgium still have plans? I thought they had given up. What era is this that they dare to think about colonies?"
Max shrugged, indicating he was also at a loss. They all wanted to maintain a certain degree of balance but ended up capsizing the ship.
"Max, if I remember correctly, don't these guys have the French funding their operations? What do they intend to do?"
"Sir, no matter what they intended beforehand, they've completely messed it up now. No one dares take the blame; it's all too terrifying."
"Okay, you take a rest. I'll go see what Pentagon is up to."
"Okay, I'll head out now."
...
The outcome of his inquiries was quite predictable: the US had no intention of intervening. People were still bashing Clinton for Somalia; he surely wouldn't get involved in this.
Aidid was a bastard, and the Americans intended to deal with him in Somalia.
But it didn't matter.
The black folks weren't seeing it that way. They evidently didn't like the Americans very much.
The Americans chose to ignore it; Pentagon described the incident as a civil war.
Haha, that term was quite nice. Since you all like to fight and don't want us to interfere, go right ahead.
What? Did the media say it was a massacre?
Suppress it; do not allow any reporting.
This was the American attitude, and their cousin naturally followed suit. After all, the British had no interests at stake.
The Russians were still in shock and could only express they saw nothing. Africa was too far away; over ninety percent of the country's populace claimed they didn't know where Rwanda was or why they were fighting.
At most, they offered to mediate; if that didn't work, they could send a bit of food.
That was all they could do, and regarding anything else, sorry, they couldn't help.
In fact, if the Americans didn't care, why should anyone else? You've always loved to meddle, but this time you're being such a coward.
Cough, cough, there was something unusual in this.
The French was feeling quite awkward. They realized they seemed to have been tricked. This present situation was not the balance they desired.
Conflicted? No fear; the big guy would take care of it. Who listens well will get the candy.
Unfortunately, the continental balance policy they wholesale borrowed from the British clearly wasn't reliable.
It must be said that since Waterloo, the French policies hadn't been correct. Making mistakes isn't scary; everyone makes mistakes. Cough, you keep making mistakes; what does that mean? Could it be this is the fabled guiding light?
The French was also going crazy. The side they supported originally had a great advantage. The right approach should have been to apply a little pressure.
...
"Max, I've asked; this time, the US will definitely not intervene. Somalia's influence is secondary; Sarajevo is the real concern."
Max was taken aback. As a military man, he was naturally more sensitive than William White. The moment those words were said, it hit him -- no matter how strong the Americans were, they wouldn't dare to engage in a two-front war.
It wasn't that their military strength wouldn't allow it; it was that isolationism was prevailing at home. Unless another little mustachio popped up in this world, don't expect the public to support your actions.
"Alright, sir, if a large number of refugees appear, we may need to retreat once again."
"No retreat. If it comes to that, we'll just avoid the spotlight for now. Once they settle down, we can go back. Are you suggesting that Uganda might win?"
"Sir, it's not just a possibility. If the French don't intervene, they will be resolved quickly. But if they continue to mimic the style of the previous situation, it will lead to a massive disaster."
"That won't happen, Max; you're overthinking it. Let's put it this way, if I were in charge and really couldn't win, I would choose to flee."
Max gave a bitter smile; that was exactly what he was worried about. You kill me, I kill you; when would it end?
"Sir, the greatest probability is that after this group suffers defeat, they'll flee to Zaire. At that point, the Congo River will become lively."
Sigh, William White let out a long breath. It was unclear if he was sighing for his earnings or for the war.
"Max, I believe this. Once the Rwandan issue is over, they will actually not have any further disputes.
Those fleeing will be the biggest trouble. Zaire could be the most problematic place. Don't expect international society to intervene; no one wants to wade into murky waters."
William White had not revealed everything he thought. A chaotic Africa suited the interest of the Americans far better.
"Sir, so it seems Zaire won't be returning temporarily?"
"Not necessarily. My judgment is that this will be a long-term chaotic region. Once all sides are relatively balanced, we'll have a say. What's wrong, is Namibia too boring for you?"
Those used to a hail of bullets suddenly fell silent certainly would be uncomfortable. Max was worried about the chaos, which wasn't regarding the military; his concern was over the refugees.
"Sir, can we touch base now? We've been too idle lately."
"Geez, seeing you so sympathetic, I thought you'd changed."
"Ha-ha, I'm simply bored to death. You know, these boys can't stay idle; I don't dare let them go out."
"Yeah, you can reach out. In fact, whether it's the CIA or our partners in Europe, they've been left stunned. Over a million lives lost; they certainly won't get involved with Africa again."
Max not quite understanding all the twists, could only express his speechlessness. Have you really thought through what you're selling?
What does it count for? Creating such a huge mess and then leaving as if nothing happened?
Surely, the Americans and Europeans knew what the consequence of this would be, right?
William White was skeptical; from any angle, they were all too pleased with the current situation.
Go ahead and act tough. If you were a whole, it wouldn't be so easy to deal with. The situation in Somalia was dire, and if it broke into an actual fight, the Americans wouldn't fare well against those semi-professional black folks.
A one-hundred-to-one exchange ratio was still too much for the Americans to bear. Just look at how a million people disappeared in Rwanda in mere months.
If they plunged into this, cough, the Americans would likely fare worse than the Russians.
Max left; he hadn't returned home in quite a while, so he needed to stay for a bit. Tanner thought the boss might give up on Africa, which was clearly a misunderstanding.
Chaos? That was acceptable as long as it wasn't too outrageous. Situations like Rwanda were absolutely untouchable. Don't even talk about individuals; nations would struggle over this.
The French hadn't maintained a good relationship with Rwanda ever since. Even if you technically weren't responsible, you couldn't be completely detached. At least, the local black folks thought so.
Did you see that? The French Turquoise operation was initially intended to stabilize the situation. To facilitate this operation, they even rented many planes from the Russians.
What's this? Aren't you Americans their good friends?
When it comes to logistics and deployment capabilities, no nation is as good as you.
No thanks.
Y'all can go ahead; I'm so tired of this. Do as you please.
*****
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