Hundreds of French troops drive back Mali rebels

Yahoo News ^ | January 12, 2013 | Rukmini Callimachi

[JerseyanExile]

The battle to retake Mali's north from the al-Qaida-linked groups controlling it began in earnest Saturday, after hundreds of French forces deployed to the country and began aerial bombardments to drive back the Islamic extremists from a town seized earlier this week.

[Uncle Chip]

Turbaned fighters now control all the major northern cities, carrying out beatings, floggings and amputations in public squares just as the Taliban did.

Mali -- the next Afghanistan???

[PAR35]

If you are trading copters for pickup trucks, you aren’t using enough firepower.

[Mr. Jeeves]

The Islamist insurrection in Mali is a direct consequence of Obama's decision to overthrow Muammar Gaddafi.

[aimhigh]

The Ring of Fire = where ever Islam borders the sane world.

[Tzimisce]

So the French are getting tough even as we surrender?

Never thought I’d see the day...

[stboz]

Nous vous saluons, la France!

[Owl558]

“So the French are getting tough even as we surrender?”

The French have been getting tough in Africa for decades. It’s part of their colonial legacy and happen mostly in their old colonies to which they have banking and trade interests. Remember the French interventions in Ivory Coast, Chad, Djibouti and libya, not to mention Algeria, which is a different kind of animal. I think they’ve also rescued hostages in Somalia.

What makes this Mali intervention interesting to me is that it mirrors the fight against Al-Shabaab in Somalia on the other side of the continent, except that the French are intervening directly instead of supporting proxies. Things were crumbling pretty badly.

[Southack]

It’s worth noting that the militia in Mali that is fighting the French obtained some of their weapons from the Steven’s operation at Benghazi.

[codder too]

What does Hillary know, and when did she know it?

[Eleutheria5]

Now to take back suburban Paris.

[Eleutheria5]

I wonder what will be the direct consequences of whatever idiotic decision he makes with regards to Syria. Either way, it’ll be idiotic, and you’ll watch it on TV or the Internet. I’ll hear the explosions’ vibrations through the ground.

[BlackVeil]

It is also a strange contrast to France’s role in Syria, where they are supporting Islamist rebels to overthrow a government.

[BlackVeil]

MrJ, they told us that the overthrow of Gaddafi was for freedom and democracy ... would they lie??? Those rebels aren’t murdering scum are they? ...

[Truth29]

"It’s worth noting that the militia in Mali that is fighting the French obtained some of their weapons from the Steven’s operation at Benghazi."

That's my suspicion, as well. So, in a sense, the French are fighting Obama's effort to spread transnational Islamist rule throughout North Africa.

[Southack]

Not just *any* French...Hollande is a socialist.

[1010RD]

Driving them back doesn’t cure the problem. They need the French version of the Roach Motel - Islamists go in, but they don’t come out.

[1010RD]

And all the gun-control talk has driven Benghazi, along with all of Obama’s failures, out of the news cycle and out of the minds of the voters.

[dynachrome]

Send in the FFL if France wants to win.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks JerseyanExile.

African states ready troops as France bombs Mali rebels
By Bate Felix and John Irish
http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/bre90912q-us-mali-rebels/

France continues Mali strikes, sends troops to Bamako
By John Irish
http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/bre90b08n-us-mali-rebels-ledrian/

West Africa’s ECOWAS to send troops to retake north Mali
http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/bre90b06w-us-mali-rebels-ecowas/

sidebars:

France believes hostage killed in Somalia rescue bid
By John Irish and Abdi Sheikh
http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/bre90b06h-us-somalia-france-hostage/

Central African Republic signs peace deal with rebels
By Jean Rovys Dabany
http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/bre90a0nr-us-car-rebels/