Posted on 01/16/2013 7:28:53 PM PST by BlackVeil
A week after French aircraft rushed to the aid of a defeated and demoralised Malian army, French ground forces have begun fighting alongside the Malian army in Diabaly, a town 350 km north of capital Bamako.
Since last year, northern Mali has been overrun by Islamist rebels organised under the banners of the Ansar Dine, the Movement for Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
Last Friday, France sent in jets, helicopter gunships, and special forces to Central Mali as Islamist rebels advanced till 50 km from a major military base in Sevare, and captured the town of Konna. Since then, France has deployed 2,500 troops in its former colony and bombed targets as far north as Gao and Timbuktu, even as analysts warned of a prolonged and difficult mission. The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) has promised about 3,000 troops, expected to arrive by the weekend.
The fighting has proved hard, and progress slow. Over the weekend, the rebels opened a second front in Diabaly ...
(Excerpt) Read more at thehindu.com ...
What interests does France have there? Ivory? Chocolate? I seriously don’t know much about this.
Isn’t their own Homeland pretty much run over with Islamists these days? Why not fight them on their own turf?
What if WE had invaded Mali?
International outrage!
The French?
*crickets*
Go, Frogs!
Allons enfants de la patrie; see what you can do, having had no practice to speak of. Should be a piece of let them eat cake.
So the French Army is fighting Muslims in Mali... I hope they get lots of practice so they can go home and slaughter the Mohammedan scum that invaded France. The backlash will start in France.
Did each French soldier receive their government-issued surrender flag?
Gold
Third largest producer in Africa.
Also possibly large reserves.
Stopping Islam is what matters.
Try oil and uranium for starters.
I hope this doesn't end up like Dien Bien Phu, and us stepping in to finish the job; as we did in Viet Nam. -Tom
The French just now started looking for Dirk Pitt, Al Giordino and Rudi Gunn?
Gee, I wonder if they packed enough white surrender flags that they’re famous for using when the going gets tough?
What if there’s no quiche & wine available?
How long before stuff starts getting blown up in Paris?
France enabled an Islamic fundamentalist take over of Libya, and is also funding the al-Qaida linked rebels in Syria. So their interests are ... gloomy and complicated.
Then lets hope that is indeed their motive.
And that was the French Revolution (in which it fought itself.)
.
All joking aside, their Foreign Legion is not noted for surrendering.
They aren’t very terribly consistent in choosing to fight for or against the Muzzies are they?
I doubt it but once the African Union troops arrive they will petition for this to become a UN operation, meaning the US pays for 23% or so of the costs
I can wish, can't I?
5.56mm
Why do I feel that might end up being 230% of the costs?
When glooming about this, I had forgotten the finance aspect. But now you remind me ...
I am not french, but at least they are out there putting up a scrap. I wish we’d do that here in north america and stop letting the left walk all over us.
France? Offensive?
Pardon moi! Did someone spit into a souffle?
Hilarious! All kidding aside this action caused the hostage situation in Algiers. I know people are picking on the French but it is nice that we are getting help from allies in going after extremism. 4 African countries are sending troops as well. Algiers allowed air space to be used which is being used as an excuse to take hostages.
Majority of hostages are Dutch. Heard 3 US citizens. I do not know who will be on point but I would expect an assault in a couple of weeks without a resolution.
By the way book is so much better than the movie!
As I read the article, the French went in to the aid of the Mali Army and is fighting alongside it. Thus, one assumes, they were invited in to help the government forces against the rebels. That’s not an invasion.
Vive La France! In spite of that idiot, Hollande.
Ah, this is the first time I had heard it.
I wonder why Mali wanted the French?
Mali was a French colony until IIRC @ 1960 or so. So likely one of the French Speaking, probably Catholic-leaning countries in Africa that’s not happy with the Muslim rebels. It’s one thing to have them in Paris or Marseille, but Bamako?
I know, right?
I still don’t get it.
>>>What interests does France have there?
A welcome distraction from the constant bad news of their failed socialist economic policies.
Their interests there probably are related to Pakistani nuclear scientist A Q Khan’s interest there.
I think this will be like the French war in Algeria....they will torture everyone they can, destroy all possible coalition movements and then bug out when the French Gubermint loses it’s nerve, has another scandal and/or turns over leadership to another scum bucket.
Um. These are not regular continental troops. They are French Foreign Legion. Very tough hombres and their rules of engagement are very loose indeed. Watch the body count from this point on; going to be a lot of dead muzzies soon.
!
I observe that the entire country of Viet Nam is communist. I further observe that when, in 1975, North Viet Nam invaded South Viet Nam, the United States ...
Hmmm ... what was it that we did, again???
Oh, yes ... we abandoned and betrayed our allies ...
An act for which I will NEVER forgive the demonicRat Party.
WE have to guard against any more of these quagmires, especially now that we have rules of engagement that handicap our forces. We now have Generals who will implement these PC rules of engagement to the detriment of our fighting soldiers. - Tom
The oughta mail Mali males!
I agree with that ... One can argue that we had a compelling interest in Viet Nam. Indeed, I have made that argument. Much of the politics involved, however, was dreadful.
I don't see a compelling interest in Mali; and even if we did have one, fighting a war without fighting to WIN is morally reprehensible. IMO. The current ROE, under the current feckless, antiAmerican, demonicRat regime is certainly NOT fighting to win.
I look forward to their success!
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