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U.S. MILITARY PLANNERS ARE
CONSIDERING EXPANDING THEIR EFFORTS TO CAPTURE THE LEADER OF AFRICA'S LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY,
JOSEPH KONY. THE LRA REBEL GROUP IS BEHIND ONE OF THE CONTINENT'S
LONGEST AND MOST BRUTAL ARMED CONFLICTS -- A CAMPAIGN OF MASS ***, KIDNAPPINGS, RAPES
AND CHILD SOLDIERS. THE LRA'S STATED GOAL: TO OVERTHROW THE UGANDAN
GOVERNMENT. BUT ITS REACH EXTENDS WAY BEYOND UGANDA. JOINING ME NOW IS VOA PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT
LUIS RAMIREZ. LUIS, TELL US MORE ABOUT JOSEPH KONY, AND WHY THE
U.S. IS CONSIDERING EXPANDING THESE EFFORTS. ALEX, JOSEPH KONY IS A SHADY AND MANY WOULD
AGREE A RATHER BIZARRE CHARACTER. HE HAS LED THIS QUASI-RELIGIOUS GROUP,
IT'S A CULT THAT HAS OPERATED THERE IN CENTRAL AFRICA FOR QUITE A NUMBER OF YEARS. HIS PHILOSOPHY
COMBINES OR RATHER MIXES UP ELEMENTS OF CHRISTIANITY, ISLAM AND
ANIMISM. AND THOSE WHO KNOW HIM SAY HE LEADS A RATHER STRANGE LIFE, SOMETHING LIKE 88 WIVES,
42 CHILDREN THAT HE'S FATHERED. HIS CAMPAIGN HAS DEPENDED ON
ABDUCTING CHILDREN, GIVING THEM WEAPONS, FORCING THEM TO FIGHT. THE REASON WHY THE UNITED STATES
IS CONCERNED ABOUT HIM IS NOT SO MUCH THAT HE POSES A THREAT TO
U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY. HE DOESN'T. BUT RATHER HE DOES POSE A THREAT TO THE STABILITY OF
FRIENDS OF THE U.S., NAMELY UGANDA. AND THAT'S SOMETHING INTERESTING
THAT YOU MENTION IS THAT THE FACT THAT HE'S NOT, AND THE LRA IS NOT, A NATIONAL SECURITY
THREAT HERE IN THE U.S. SO HOW DIFFICULT IS IT GOING TO BE FOR THE U.S.
TO GET AMERICANS TO SUPPORT THIS? IT'S BEEN INCREDIBLY EASY ACTUALLY. THE SUPPORT THAT
THIS HAS GOTTEN HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS. IN A RARE EXAMPLE OF BIPARTISAN
ACTION, DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO GO AFTER HIM, TO PUT U.S. RESOURCES AND
THE MIGHT OF THE U.S. MILITARY IN THIS EFFORT TO GO GET HIM. ADD TO
THAT A GRASSROOTS SUPPORT THAT'S MAINLY AMONG AMERICAN YOUNG PEOPLE. THERE WAS LAST YEAR
A VIDEO CALLED KONY 2012, PUT OUT BY AN NGO NAMED INVISIBLE CHILDREN.
THIS WENT VIRAL. HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF HITS. YOUNG PEOPLE BUYING BRACELETS, GETTING ON
BOARD AGAINST IT, AGAINST THIS GROUP, AND SO THIS PROVIDED THE
ADMINISTRATION WITH THE COVER IT NEEDED TO GO AHEAD AND SIGN THAT ORDER TO SEND 100 U.S.
SPECIAL FORCES. ALL RIGHT LUIS. WE WILL BE DEFINITELY FOLLOWING THIS
CLOSELY IN THE WEEKS AND MONTHS TO COME AND I KNOW WE WILL TOUCH BASE WITH YOU AGAIN TO
FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT THE U.S. IS DOING IN TERMS OF THESE EFFORTS. THANK
YOU AGAIN LUIS RAMIREZ OUR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT.