A map of the Sahel region showing where Al Qaeda operates (AFP/Graphic)
Posted on 05/23/2011 7:56:18 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Mali called Friday for a regional push to train up to 75,000 troops within the next 18 months to combat militants in the Sahel desert region, home to Al-Qaeda's north African offshoot.
"In the next 18 months our countries should train and mobilise 25,000 to 75,000 men in the fight against terrorism and transnational crime," Mali's Foreign Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga told regional counterparts.
He was addressing the opening of a regional meeting between Mali, Niger, Mauritania and Algeria in Bamako to discuss terrorism and transnational crime in the Sahel.
"More than ever our people and our countries are exposed to the threat of terrorism, heavy weapons in circulation, drug trafficking and hostage-taking," said Maiga.
He said it was vital the four countries, which share a military base in Algeria, acted together against terrorism...
A Malian delegate said other countries with more experience in fighting terrorism such as Morocco, Chad and Tunisia should be partners in the battle...
Niger's Foreign Minister Mohamed Bazoum denounced "the payment of ransom to terrorists which allows them to kill a greater number of people."
The ministers also discussed the unrest in Libya...
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI) has several bases in Mali from where it launches operations into the desert region, carrying out attacks, kidnappings of foreigners and drug trafficking.
AQIM is holding four French citizens abducted in northern Niger in September 2010 as well as an Italian kidnapped in southern Algeria in February.
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A map of the Sahel region showing where Al Qaeda operates (AFP/Graphic)
Don’t know much about Mali, but reading the CIA factbook page indicates that it is a stable representative democracy, even if it is 90% Moslem and dirt poor to boot. Since a representative democracy is incompatible with Al Qaeda’s beliefs, that must be why Al Qaeda operates there.
I wish the Malians success in stamping them out.
Kinda looks like a fallout pattern.
Whatever faults our pals in Mali have, it isn't in writing exciting ad copy. I wonder where they think they are going to get the money to recruit, train, arm, and field an army of "25,000 to 75,000," never mind house, feed, and transport them.
Sounds more like a job for the Foreign Legion, with a Malian gendarmerie of 5,000 to back them up. BTW, Mali is a Qadaffi "go-to" country for mercenaries.
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