Posted on 01/20/2013 4:16:11 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
There are now some 2,000 French troops in Mali
France's military aim in Mali is its "total reconquest", French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has said.
"We will not leave any pockets" of resistance, he told French television.
France has sent in 2,000 troops to help Malian forces fight Islamist militants who now control the northern half of the country.
Mr Le Drian said the former Islamist stronghold of Diabaly had not yet been retaken, even though the militants withdrew from the town two days ago.
However, he added that "everything points to a favourable evolution of the situation in Diabaly in the coming hours".
Mr Le Drian also said during his interview that seven French citizens who have been taken hostage in Niger and Mali in recent years "are alive", and there have been "contacts with hostage-takers".
There had been concerns for their fate following France's decision to send troops into Mali earlier this month. 'Confused situation'
French troops have been pushing northwards and are now in the town of Niono, 50km (30 miles) south of Diabaly.
Last week French forces carried out air strikes on Diabaly, which had fallen to the Islamists on 14 January.
Diabaly's mayor told the BBC that Malian and French forces have been patrolling the outskirts of the town, which is believed to be the base for the largest concentration of Islamists in central Mali.
The BBC's Mark Doyle, in Niono, says military patrols are being sent from there into Diabaly.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
How is that post-colonialism working out for Africa, huh?
SO, how come you Frenchmen did not want to give us a hand in Iraq???/s;)
But....I thought the French Socialists were against ‘those evil colonialists’? (Heavy sarcasm.)
When does the liberal media start calling this a quagmire?
But, they didn’t get UN permission first.
Then they’ll have to be prepared to kill every jihadi in the middle east.
And the muslims in gay PA-ree are going to do nothing while the French slaughter muslims in Mali?
I think not.
Total conquest? Leaving no pockets of resistance? The French are clearly amateurs, unskilled in such matters. They should consult with our vaunted experts like McChrystol, Petraeus, Allen, Dempsey, Mullen, and the Tampa housewives.
First, their military leaders should release warm Eid greetings in flawless Arabic so good that if you closed your eyes, you’d think it was Obama talking.
Then immediately form a coalition with the political wing of the moslem insurgents. They should then start arming the enemy and let them guard their soldiers as they sleep.
They should strictly prohibit the use of any weapon like artillery or close air support.
France should immediately buy the local government light attack aircraft and be sure not to exclude moslems from the opportunity to fly them.
The French soldiers in the field should have a full day stand down to have training about homosexuality.
Any criticism of the enemy cause or of their love for pedophilia must be harshly punished.
And last, the assault force must include lots of women who are encouraged to wear islamic headrags.
I'd be impressed with the French if there were only 2,000 Muslim males in Mali, then they'd be gettin' something done.
That's the only thing that would really work: have something that would attract Jihadis from all over, and then kill them.
We really should have been on Gaddafi's side in Libya, and Assad's side in Syria, or at least not opposing them. Lots of al Qaeda members were getting killed.
If they sent the Legion, I like the odds. Those boys are really mean.
How ‘bout they reconquer the areas of France overrun by the Islamacist hordes ?
Are there any French regular army troops or are they all Foreign Legion?
Now thats an idea. And France is weird. They can do this in Mali, and the moslems at home won’t even care. There’s a real disconnect between France at home and France abroad.
Like in the 90s. Everyone at home was anti nuke weapon, etc,, and France did above ground testing in French Polynesia and sank the rainbow warrior. Nobody at home gave a damn.
We even told them it was bad and they shouldnt do it. They flipped us the bird and pushed the button.
I don’t think the Legion was sent in.
French troops need practice before neutralizing the banlieues.
“And the muslims in gay PA-ree are going to do nothing while the French slaughter muslims in Mali?”
Probably time for the French to “man up” and clean out their own house too while they are at it. Paris, outside of the area immediately adjacent to the Seine, is a crap hole.
“have something that would attract Jihadis from all over, and then kill them.”
Maybe the French can roast a pig!
I was in a hotel bar in N’Djamena, Chad, many years ago. A young Legionnaire took an open space next to me in the bar and he laid his kepi on the bar and I figured the only way I’d ever get a Legionnaire’s kepi would be to take it and dare him to take it back, or join the Legion myself. Not good options. I had a couple of years of French in college so I started a conversation with him while drinking that excellent Chadian beer, Gala. He came up with his unit from Bangui, CAR. These guys have some of the toughest training in the world. There a few foreigners, but most of the ones I spoke with were French. Met a Brit who had been a Brit para who found garrison life in the UK a little too tame, so he headed for Marseille and joined up.
I was in Mali in the early 1990’s. While I was taking with a Malian, he asked me, “Do you what this country needs?”
“No”, I replied.
He answered firmly, “Re-colonization!”
Liberals moan and pretend they are pacifists but when they get power they get all wee-wee'd up and end up getting into war quagmires.
“How ‘bout they reconquer the areas of France overrun by the Islamacist hordes ?”
Perhaps Mali is training/trial run for that?
Naaa.
All troops sent so far have been special forces and topline infantry: paras, marine commandos, para commandos.
Its a rather silly idea that the French have to get the FL to fight for them. The French have some superb SF’s and infantry units. Their best are a match for the best anywhere. As all the top armies in the world (US,UK etc) all crosstrain.
Good for them! If you’re going to fight a war, don’t play “pattycakes” like the 0bama regime makes us do! Go in there and kill them all - prove war is hell, and make anyone else who may be thinking about messing around with you rethink the situation!
On top of the Kaaba in Mecca.
Ok, that’s the first war, but what did they do in the war that started in 2003?
Here’s hoping the French will rediscover their military glory personified in Turenne, Gallieni, and Leclerc—but I’m not holding my breath.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.