U.S. to airlift supplies to Darfur

[unhappycamper]

U.S. to airlift supplies to Darfur
By Michael Hoffman - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jan 6, 2009 16:43:38 EST

U.S. Africa Command is planning its first major airlift, one day after President Bush announced the Air Force will fly humanitarian aid from Rwanda into Darfur.

Two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft will fly 75 tons of heavy equipment, including water tankers, fuel tank trucks, forklifts and other oversized cargo, from Kigali, Rwanda, to support Africa Union and U.N. peacekeepers, said Eric Elliot, an Africom spokesman.

It’s unclear exactly when the airlift will start, but Bush waived the standard 15-day congressional notification requirements to allow the flights to start immediately. A delay “would pose a substantial risk to human health and welfare,” National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley said in a statement.

“I have provided a waiver to the State Department so they can begin to move 240 containers worth of heavy equipment into Darfur, and that the Defense Department will be flying Rwandan equipment into Darfur to help facilitate the peacekeeping missions there,” Bush said on Jan. 5.

An Africom official said he expects the airlift to start “within the next several weeks,” Elliot said.


Africom propaganda at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/01/airforce_sudan_airlift_010609w/%2e