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US begins transporting French troops to Mali
AP via Charter ^ | Tuesday, January 22, 2013 12:59 PM EST | KRISTA LARSON and BABA AHMED Associated Press

Posted on 01/22/2013 10:48:34 AM PST by Pan_Yan

SEGOU, Mali (AP) — American planes transported French troops and equipment to Mali, a U.S. military spokesman said Tuesday, as Malian and French forces pushed into the Islamist-held north.

Douentza had been held by Islamist rebels for four months, located 190 kilometers (120 miles) northeast of Mopti, the previous line-of-control held by the Malian military in Mali's narrow central belt. The Islamist fighters have controlled the vast desert stretches of northern Mali, with the weak government clinging to the south, since a military coup in the capital in March last year unleashed chaos.

French and Malian troops arrived in Douentza Monday to find that the Islamists had retreated from the town, said a resident, Sali Maiga.

...

The U.S. Air Force has flown five C-17 flights into Bamako, delivering more than 80 French troops and 124 tons of equipment thus far in an ongoing airlift operation, Pentagon press secretary George Little said Tuesday. He said the U.S. is still considering a French request for U.S. aerial refueling support.

(Excerpt) Read more at charter.net ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: africa; france; mali; maliwar
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1 posted on 01/22/2013 10:48:44 AM PST by Pan_Yan
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To: Pan_Yan

Why not use one of them there Airbuses?


2 posted on 01/22/2013 10:49:42 AM PST by Paladin2
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To: Pan_Yan

How many wars will we get into because of the french?


3 posted on 01/22/2013 10:51:55 AM PST by Ellendra (http://www.ustrendy.com/ellendra-nauriel/portfolio/18423/concealed-couture/)
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To: Pan_Yan

If we spend a bunch of money, then AQ will leave Mali.

And then Mali will be a really great place.

I’m sure of it.

Uh-huh.


4 posted on 01/22/2013 10:58:14 AM PST by gaijin
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To: Pan_Yan

Zero will be letting the Islamic brotherhood know how many, where/when, and how they’re armed.


5 posted on 01/22/2013 10:59:19 AM PST by Slump Tester (What if I'm pregnant Teddy? Errr-ahh -Calm down Mary Jo, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it)
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To: Pan_Yan

Will Hillary cancel tomorrow’s hearing so she can go to Mali?


6 posted on 01/22/2013 11:04:47 AM PST by FES0844
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To: Paladin2

I agree. I mean what if the U.S. said no? What would they do? No choice but to rely on Air France to ferry troops and supplies into Mali?


7 posted on 01/22/2013 11:06:49 AM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: Paladin2
The French military lacks heavy-lift military transports like the C-17. All they have are light or medium ones. Hence why they asked the British and Canadians to loan their C-17s to the effort in Mali, and had to lease Antonov-124s from Russia.

some_text

http://www.janes.com/products/janes/defence-security-report.aspx?ID=1065975360&channel=defence

8 posted on 01/22/2013 11:08:06 AM PST by JerseyanExile
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To: Paladin2; MinorityRepublican
Why not use one of them there Airbuses?

Sun Tse might have said "The wise general does not have to depend on a third country to carry his troops to battle while fighting someone else's civil war. This is a sign that he works for an incompetent ruler."

9 posted on 01/22/2013 11:16:26 AM PST by Pan_Yan
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To: Pan_Yan

The usual Congressional catalepsy.


10 posted on 01/22/2013 11:33:34 AM PST by onedoug
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To: Pan_Yan

We’re taking them there, because all their equipment only works in reverse.....


11 posted on 01/22/2013 11:34:29 AM PST by ALASKA (CHANGE'n it back !!!!!!!)
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To: Pan_Yan

We’re taking them there, because all their equipment only works in reverse.....


12 posted on 01/22/2013 11:34:29 AM PST by ALASKA (CHANGE'n it back !!!!!!!)
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To: JerseyanExile

There aren’t trucks already there that can be commandeered?


13 posted on 01/22/2013 11:42:04 AM PST by Paladin2
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To: Pan_Yan
The Left was critical of George W. Bush, claiming "he got us into a war without paying for it..."

Well, Mr. Obama, how are we paying for this mission?

14 posted on 01/22/2013 11:50:12 AM PST by Lou L (Health "insurance" is NOT the same as health "care")
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To: Pan_Yan

Another beach front for the islamic terrorists?


15 posted on 01/22/2013 11:52:54 AM PST by existentially_kuffer
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To: ALASKA

The French have spent eleven years in Afghanistan and lost 86 men fighting our war by our side. Feel free to question their judgement in getting involved in African wars but I think it’s time to retire the “French = chicken” jokes.


16 posted on 01/22/2013 12:00:28 PM PST by Pan_Yan
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To: Lou L

That would be part of the ‘WOT’. The never ending bill and ‘war’. And, we still haven’t paid for it yet.


17 posted on 01/22/2013 12:01:27 PM PST by Theoria
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To: Pan_Yan

Notice how smart AQ is... the tend to stir up trouble in landlocked countries..


18 posted on 01/22/2013 12:05:14 PM PST by 11th Commandment (http://www.thirty-thousand.org/)
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To: Pan_Yan

Notice how smart AQ is... the tend to stir up trouble in landlocked countries..


19 posted on 01/22/2013 12:05:38 PM PST by 11th Commandment (http://www.thirty-thousand.org/)
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To: Ellendra
How many wars will we get into because of the french?

How many so far, and what do you call involved?

20 posted on 01/22/2013 12:10:55 PM PST by ansel12 (Cruz said "conservatives trust Sarah Palin that if she says this guy is a conservative, that he is")
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