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
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