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Issouf Sanogo / AFP - Getty Images
Armed Islamists gather on Sept. 21 in Gao, the biggest city in northern Mali, which is now under the control of armed Islamist groups.
By mentioning the West African state of Mali during Monday night’s presidential debate, former Gov. Mitt Romney was attempting to show that under President Barack Obama, al-Qaida has been able to flourish. While the death of Osama bin Laden and the thwarting of several major terrorist plots suggest that al-Qaida's strength is diminishing, the insurgency in Mali indicates that at least one franchise of the terror network has been able to grow stronger.
Mali Islamists bulldoze more tombs in Timbuktu
For many years, the landlocked state rarely bothered the international community. Its growing economy and relative social stability made it an example to some neighboring countries.
Top 10 foreign policy issues facing a new president
But that has changed over the past several months. Today, security officials frequently talk of Mali as being “the new Afghanistan.” They fear that deep inside the country’s northern desert, al-Qaida has carved out a new home -- not only a safe haven for terrorists, but a training ground for a new generation of Islamist militants.
The New York Times' Elisabeth Bumiller, former CIA officer Bruce Riedel and NBC's Richard Engel talk about the plethora of foreign policy topics that could be discussed during the final debate.
The fragile government has lost control of most of the country since President Amadou Toumani Toure was overthrown in a military coup in March, leaving a power vacuum that enabled Tuareg rebels, Mali's main rebel group, to seize two-thirds of the country. But Islamist extremists, some allied with al-Qaida, hijacked the revolt and then imposed harsh Islamic law in a desert region the size of France.
Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb have benefited from the remains of the Libyan regime, as guns and fighters from Libya have found their way into the country.
The conflict has exacerbated a deteriorating humanitarian and security situation in the turbulent Sahel area -- a belt of land spanning nearly a dozen of the world's poorest countries on the southern rim of the Sahara -- where millions are on the brink of starvation due to drought.
Mali al-Qaida-linked group stones couple to death over alleged adultery
The experience of other al-Qaida franchises may have taught the world to act early when faced with a growing threat on a new front. Consequently, military planners around the world are focusing their attention on Mali.
France is becoming increasingly involved behind the scenes, and foreign military intervention would likely follow the example of Somalia, where African forces provided soldiers, assisted by Western resources.
Top-level American and French military leaders and diplomats, including U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson, began two days of talks in Paris on Monday on intelligence-gathering and security in the Sahel region, diplomats from both sides told The Associated Press. In addition, France will move surveillance drones to West Africa, according to Intelligence Online, quoted by The AP.
Complete World coverage on NBCNews.com
One of France’s fears is that because of its history as a former colonial power, it could become a target of the militants.
Although France is likely to take the diplomatic lead among the Western powers, many other countries, including the U.S., appear to be growing more concerned about the terrifying prospect of a lawless Mali upon their domestic security.
Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said on Tuesday after talks in Berlin with the U.N.'s envoy to the Sahel, Romano Prodi, that he was extremely worried about the situation in northern Mali.
"From the north of Mali you need to cross only one international border and you are at the Mediterranean. If the north collapses, if terrorist training camps spring up and it becomes a haven for global terrorism, this won't just endanger Mali and North Africa, it will also threaten us in Europe."
"There will be support from Germany and Europe, it is not about fighting troops but support through the training of an African mission," Westerwelle added.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
We need to be strong at home before we can project strength abroad....Rombot: Obama has ruined the economy and put us in debt yadyadayada...
Obama Caused The Deficits???? Really????Bush came to Office in 2001 with a 5.6 trillion dollar SURPLUS projected between 2002-2011. Not only did he completely wipe out that projected surplus, he added 5 TRILLION DOLLARS TO THE NATIONAL DEBT WITH TAX CUTS AND WARS. Over a 10 TRILLION DOLLAR reversal in America's financial status!!! Where were all the tea party deficit warriors then!!!! HMMMM...where the heck were they!!! When Bush left office in January 2009, his last full year in office 2008, he ran a 1.5 TRILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT for that year alone!!! I never heard a word out right-wing, self-righteous republicans about that. Now they want to pretend it all happened in the last 4 years??? Really??? How stupid are the American voters??? Idiots can parrot that Fox Noise/Romney/Ryan BS all they want, but its just a pack of lies by a bunch of sanctimonious, irresponsible, finger-pointing HYPOCRITS who want to go back to those SAME FAILED POLICIES!
http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/UploadedPDF/1000562_TaxBreak_092203.pdf
Poor Obama can do nothing but attack. Let me ask you something. When you take your car in the shop to be painted, what do you want from the painter? ... to hear how terrible the rest of the painters are, or see some of his work?
Romney/Ryan 2012
Well you can see his work, see how god awful it is and be stuck with it for four years..........
I'd look at how he acquired his wealth; not by doing work, but by taking out huge loans only to put companies in huge debt as a way to get paid back and helping millionaires avoid taxes. A real American success story; he makes me sick.
Mitt Romney is a bad con-artist and I'm sure he'd like Mali to be the new Afghanistan; if he can find it.
You political nuts are off-topic.
If you close your mouths for a while, you'll hear the war drums beating.
War is good business and good for our economy. Not so good for the for the folks on the receiving end, and not good for our soldiers that actually have to fight, but good for big business.
War hasn't done anything for America lately. It used to bring home the jobs but no anymore.
Keep apologizing and demeaning this country Mr. President. We can see how helpful it has become.
Oh pipe down, folks. Not to worry.
The same neocons who pushed for, prosecuted and currently running this quagmire in Afghanistan already have their plans in place for the NEXT great military disaster and it's a TWO FOR ONE SPECIAL, FOLKS - SYRIA AND IRAN!
Won't that be a thrill, folks????
Can you also hear Cowboy III...... AHEM ......excuse me.........<cough>.....sorry about that........Mitt Romney, in the background????????
YEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!
From listening to the debate, I question whether Obama had ever heard of Mali before.
Only the dead have seen the end of war.
Plato
AQ central, which UBL ran, was essentially dead before the SEALS killed UBL. It was the Franchises that are the problem, and still are. Mali is a Franchise. These Franchises are also growing in Libya, Syria, Gaza and other places where despot strongmen have been or will be removed.
I am no fan of Obama, but he is playing that game with the hammer and where you hit one head and another pops up. Al Qaida will continue to pop up.
UBL had no control over these Franchises and in fact advised them to stop many of their acts against fellow Islamic people.
Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled UBL is dead, but his death, which resulted from information gathered in EIT's in Black locations, did not kill Al Qaida.
Romney is right, we have to find ways to convince the general Islamic people to stop supporting Islamists, and we have to be a leader not a follower like Obama.
The Middle East is ever changing, our friends one day are our enemies the next day. Strong Intelligence and Strong Leadership is what is needed. No apologies to people who kill us.
Blackbird You are correct, only the dead have seen the end of war....in the Middle East. By the way, Black Hawk Down was Saddam's favorite movie, guess why.
Romney/Ryan 2012
The West is just looking to grab the gold and uranium there. Its a rich mans world and there isn't anything we can do about it all politicians are greedy Democraps and Republicants. I just hope I don't have to go to this S#%T hole.
Politics 101
Republicans start a war= great. democrat stops a war=he's weak
republican goes into debt='deficits dont mater" democrat makes debt=wasted money
republican threatens to kill binladen=hero Democrat kills binlaaden=no big deal
terror attack under republicans=rally point. terror attack under a democrat= failure
see a pattern yet? lol
Stay out of there. Let them kill each other.
George: I could reverse everything you say. But I'm not going to waste my time on an obvious juvenile. Only to prove my point: Who raided and bankrupt the Social Security Trust Fund? Who started the Vietnam War which cost us far more money (real $) and lives than Iraq (1+2) and Afghanistan combined. Vietnam was a total waste.
Who can stop a private plane loaded with explosives from colliding into any high rise (you don't need much, look at the Oklahoma bombing, a van, did you hear about that one? How about the USS Cole, (a small boat) did you hear about that one?
Bin laden, the Chiefs of Staff said we found him (75% 25%) should we move. Any POTUS would have said "yes" -- there is no credit there. Carter made the same decision in the Iran hostage crisis and it failed. So what? One succeeded and one failed. S**T happens so does good luck. The are no "heros" here.
Obama stopped the war !!! That is the biggest lie. Obama promised to bring our troops home from IRAQ to their families. He did not !!! He transferred them to Afghanistan.
I'm done. If you cannot learn from history, bury your head and think before you speak.
"former Gov. Mitt Romney was attempting to show that under President Barack Obama, al-Qaida has been able to flourish."
Hope Mitt Romney and his advisors can locate Mali on the map.
These people are another bunch of Bushes, who dance as directed by Sunni Saudis, oil companies, Christian right and their lobbyists!
Only Bush, Jr and his team could go to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, one of the toughest battle zones in the world, at the same time!
Were "mission accomplished" in Iraq and Afghanistan?
At least, these Mitt Romneys, Bushes, McCains, Liebermanns, Netanyahus, some Christian right leaders should plan the evacuations of NATO forces from Afghanistan.
Or else, they will immediately get us into wars in Iran and Syria along with many places like Mali!
Problem is that Obama had little, if any idea, during the debate as to what or where Mali was. I'm sure he was brushed up by now. You have a tape of the debate -- replay it !!
george pauljohn,
Lets compare the actions of the last 8+POTUS...
DEMOCRAT POTUS -
Truman - dropped two atomic bombs while his Generals were stating that there was NO Military JUSTIFICATION...
LBJ - Lied about the Tonkin Gulf incident to ESCALATE the Vietnam operation...
Carter - Used the CIA/ISI to arm, fund, and train the radical Muslims in Afghanistan to trigger the USSR/Afghanistan War...
Clinton - A. Used these same radical Muslims during the Bosnia Conflict, to kill Christians...
B. Called for regeim change and bombed Baghdad 4+days in 1998...
Obama - A. Took-over the UN 'Nation Building' in Afghanistan (his 'Just War'), killing almost 1,500+US Troops and spending 2+Trillion+USD...
B. Took over the responsibility to supply CinC and then combat materials (when NATO ran-out), during Libya...
REPUBLICAN POTUS -
Nixon - Pulled the US Troops out of Vietnam and opened relations with China...
Bush,Sr - With the support of the UN & 50+Countries, pushed Iraq out of Kuwait, stopping @ the Iraq border...
George Bush - A. With the support of the UN & 50+Countries invaded Afghanistan after 9-11. Turning the Nation Building over to the UN & 52+countries, Dec 2001...
B. Invaded Iraq after Saddam; invaded Iran & gassed his own people (Kurds), tried to assassinate a former POTUS, and was paying successful terrorist bombers families - 10 to 25+thousand+USD. Remember; the USS Cole, Khobar Towers, 2+US Embassies, etc..
Now which party is promoting WARS & Terrorism???
The problem with Obama is...he's actually killing terrorists, not just using them as the boogeyman to keep the sheeple in fear and in line. Of course we will agree to spend X amount of GDP on defense...it's the BOOGEYMAN, for Christ's sakes!!! DON"T KILL OFF OUR EXCUSES! It's like Obama has never heard of money laundering. That's why we need Mitt's business experience. He knows how to make shady , nefarious deals.
Stuffing their pockets with war trophies and as much money as they could carry. That's the problem now, they know they will get caught and need Romney to cover for them. It isn't going to happen.
a new place to grow opium poppies?
As an old intelligence analyst, I can tell you that wars from Vietnam to Mali show you just one thing: Our opponents in the world are learning the lessons of war much faster than we are.
1) We lost in Vietnam for a number of reasons, but the chief one was that we were unwilling to suffer more than the 180,000+ casualties that occurred. We lost our moral high ground when we broke our 1953 word. And we chose to fight a country that had successfully fought the Chinese, the Japanese, and the French. And we lost as a result. (And Vietnam kicked some serious Chinese butt after kicking ours.)
2) We initially won (the First Gulf War) and then lost in Iraq. Just as predicted by Colin Powell and GHW Bush's National Security advisers, Iraq has fragmented into three countries --- a insurrectionist Kurdish north, an insurgent Sunni west, and a pro-Iran Shiite majority with control of both the military and the oil. Iraq is 90% of the way to becoming an Iranian puppet state. We lost there as well.
3) We initially won in Afghanistan by mobilizing and arming the Northern Alliance against the Taliban. But we threw it all away to pursue Iraq as the falsely supposed 9/11 villains. The Taliban combined their CIA training and equipment with the disaffected Islamists and now control most of the country and have set themselves up so that there will never again be a Northern Alliance. Didja know that Abrams tanks are being withdrawn from Afghanistan because it has been determined that their lightly armored flat bottoms are extremely vulnerable to IEDs? Or that the Taliban has destroyed more Abrams than the Iraqi Army did? We are losing badly in Afghanistan just like the Russians and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.
4) We have tried to limit our direct involvement (boots on the ground) in areas such as Libya and Syria while trying to direct low-grade only weapons to the "good guys". Unfortunately, the "bad guys" are better at co-opting these revolutions than we are at directing the direction of these local civil wars. Most of this is hype about the CIA (which has only minimal combat training and capability and no combat mission) and Special Operations folks (who lack indigenous knowledge and the heavy weaponry that could make for significant victories.)
You can see a clear trend here. The US is becoming more and more casualty-averse. We do not have the national will to put our young men and women (no longer draftees representative of the American people as a whole) at risk. But at the same time our opponents are becoming more and more willing to follow the Vietnamese model and continue to fight and harass at close range regardless of casualties.
Bombs are not particularly effective against dispersed enemies and air power can only hit them after they have been located and "fixed" by ground troops. And we continually substitute high-tech toys such as advanced aircraft, drones, and tanks against enemies who are perfecting the very asymmetric force necessary to defeat high-tech toys. You cannot win wars with air power. Winning wars requires boots on the ground and a will to win. We have neither.
And add to that the fact that our troops have now been deployed (some soldiers are on their 12th combat deployment) so many times that they are literally worn beyond human endurance and their equipment is sadly in need of refurbishment, upgrade, or replacement. And the liklihood is that the size of the military will be cut in order to help balance the budget (which is out of balance partly because of losing credit card wars) and will be under even more pressure to carry a load for which they are unprepared.
It's not a pretty picture. More like a whack-a-mole game than what most people think is warfare. But that's where the world is these days.
Hey, Stupid Democrats and Republicans!! Both your parties suck!! It's all about, we did this and we're Democrats or we did this we're Republicans. Then when something goes wrong, point the finger at each other. Neither party can agree on anything! personally, I think both parties should be dismantled, and we can all go back to being Americans! Thats right, Americans! Something that both parties fail to remember in times of hardship or crisis. You want to know who is responsible for the defecit? Both parties!! Want to know who is resposible for all of the wars? Congress! filled with Democrats and Republicans! the U.S. capitol could be on fire, and both parties would argue about which open door to go out!! Morons!!!!
Stick with your old outdated "stale" intelligence.
The Vietnam War was lost due to the US Politicians. With the US Military winning most Battles.
We lost Iraq (got KICKED OUT) due to President Obama's Policies. With Iraq becoming a Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran puppet.
Don't say "We" you were NOT there, I saw Redacted % of us die during the fierce Urban Warfare at Qala I Janghi, Mazar I Sharif, etc.. And unlike President Obama's LIE "Bayonets and Horses", we were using bayonets after we ran out of ammunition and handgrenades; and before being wiped out the other Group and the Northern Alliance came to our rescue as literally Cavalry on Horseback.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arxKhJIjIiY
President Obama as Commander In Chief is out of touch with reality. We continually used horses, pack horses, pack mules, as to use helicopters just compromises your location to get swarmed and massacred. Using vehicles on the limited numbers of roads is just asking to get blown up by an remote detonated IED, or ambushed in a massive RPG attack (what continuely happens to the US Conventional Warfare Forces).
The other President Obama Lie: We went to Iraq for no reason.
We (survivors) went into Iraq as Operation Viking Hammer to eliminate the Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban, Fundamentalist Islamic Al Quada, Islamic Jihadists that had escaped us at Afghanistan thru the Old Silk Road. They combined together with the Fundamentalist Islamic Kurdistanis PKK, HPG, KGK and became Ansar Al Islam.
The CIA NEVER Trained the 1990s Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban NOT even during Operation Cyclone. The Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran's Special Forces, Quds, have been and are doing that. And we (NOT YOU) that participated in Operation Cyclone know that we only trained the 1980s Pro US Afghan Muhajeen that were later massacred by the 1990s Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban as Collaborators to the Christians, Jews, Unbelievers. We also know from extensive Vetting of the Afghans to prevent USSR Counter Intelligence, USSR Spetsnaz, USSR Intelligence Assets (Infiltrators Afghans), that Osama Bin Laden was NOT there; he was still living with his Rich Relatives at Saudi Arabia forming his Fundamentalist Islamic (Shia, Sharia) Al Quada to overthrow the US Ally Sunnis Saudi Arabian Government. There were so many Osamas, Mohammads, Husseins, etc. just like the numbers of Jones, Smiths at the US, that we had to note every detail to make sure we identified each individual.
You don't even know who the Northern Alliance was (Hint: many still exist and still have an extreme hatred the Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban).
Shows just how much you do NOT know about the President's Own Executive Intelligence Agency's CIA SAD (Special Activities Division (Directorate)), or the CIA SOG (Special Operations Group).
Again don't know what you are talking about. Unlike Conventional Warfare Forces, it is no unusual for Special Operations Forces to have lived for years of consecutive tours in their Area(s) of Operation(s) as well as college level local languages, and cultures. Special Operation is NOT a Conventional Warfare Force requiring "Heavy weaponry" as Direct Actions are a LAST Resort, our Main method is to get the population to fight for us with us leading them into combat to earn their respect as basic leadership, this requires a detailed knowledge from experience (not in books, by living with the locals) of the "indigenous people".
That is because only 1% of US Citizens are currently Serving in the US Military while 92% have Never Served (yet the 92% fling so much manure, like a virgin writing a book on what it feels like to have sex with the opposite sex). By the way we don't count tours, like the US Military Conventional Warfare Forces, we count the numbers of years of consecutive tours.
This current 1% is being chopped by President Obama as Commander In Chief Ordered Reduction In Forces of 90,000 US Military Personnel thrown on Unemployment further straining the Veteran's Affairs (Administration), and the Unemployment of 108,000 US Civilians employed by the US Military. Meaning for those remaining in the US Military MORE deployments with longer tours. In 2013 a further chop of 11% of the remaining not previously RIF'ed US Military will occur, including the US Military Asymmetric Warfare Forces (so of the 3% of the 1% of US Citizens of the US Military, the 3% will be chopped by 11%, with a significant irreplaceable loss of experience, expertise and capabilities that took about 20 years of training and experience to create, not including the required college level language(s) and culture(s) for their Area(s) of Operation(s).).
Not even close. President Obama spent $2.1 Trillion that was not previously Budgeted for, requiring the current and future Budget Cuts to previously Budgeted for Programs, Projects, Agencies, including the entitlements and benefits of the "47%".
I told all of you before that Egypt was Strategic for the Islamic Jihadists to attack Libya, and Libya was Strategic to attack the rest of Africa. And just like President Obama refusing to listen to his experts most of you don't listen either (to experience aka survivors).
Oh wow, its 90% now? In a thread last week you were claiming Iraq was already gone to the Iranians.
Keep up your rambling you silly old man.
We need a businessman to fix our problems.--Mitt Romney......Yuppers, Bush and Cheney were both "businessmen" too and said the same thing....yea they sure fixed the economy all right.... Just like Harding, Coolidge and Hoover did in the 20's & 30's.
These Mitt Romney and co will ruin whatever is left and make us crippled from all sides.
Look at what Iraqi wars and oil price manipulations have done!
Followers of Islamic cult, especially Sunni Saudi inspired Islamic radicals and militants (al-Qaida, Salaffi, Wahhabi, MB, Taliban and other label ones), are fast marching backwards to their seventh century desert tribal days.
They are indulging in rapings, lootings, killings and genocides of non-Muslims (Darfur, S. Sudan, Nigeria and spreading like wild fire in many regions and Muslims (Libya, Yemen, Mali, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other places).
Sunni Saudi backed Salaffi and MB new chapters are opening up in Egypt. Just watch the fate of Christians, women and Israel as the time goes by.
Even in Syria, if Assad is overthrown by Sunni Islamic religious Nazis like al-Qaida, MB, the conditions of Christians will be unbearable just like Iraq.
Pakis and Sunni Saudis and co are responsible for 80 percent of world problems including economic ones. Examine the devastations with Iraqi wars and now sanctions on Iranian oil and the resultant oil price manipulations.
They are making the lives of their own people also miserable by their Islamic religious madness to the intolerable levels.
Who with little sense impose sanctions on Iranian oil and manipulate oil prices, which $40 in 2009 to more than $110 now?
They are making the lives of their own people also miserable by their Islamic religious madness to the intolerable levels.
Are we not committing hara-kiri by supporting our enemies and killers?
And this President's big claim is that the unemployment levels are back down to the level they were right after he took office (that is, if you leave out California's numbers, as they did in the report indicating 7.8% unemployment). However, the broad number shows the actual unemployment level at at least 14.7%.
So, how has the community organizer done?
@mel,
Nice spin --- if you're a top! The unemployment numbers started in mid-year 2007, not in Jan 2009 as you try to indicate. And they continued to increase until October 2009 and have been declining ever since. So what you are really complaining about is 28 months of increasing unemployment due to the Bush Depression versus 27 months of improving unemployment numbers under Obama.
They DID NOT leave the California numbers out of the BLS report. That is a GOP lie! (BTW people who repeat lies are generally called liars.) Here is a link to the October State-by-state report so you can read it for yourself: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm Any idiot, except perhaps you, can see that California is covered there as well as in the national number.
Citing the "actual unemployment" number is specious unless you take that too back to the Bush Depression so you can see that it is actually improving as well. Comparing one to the other is sheer stupidity,
And the "community organizer" thing is so dumb. While Obama was a community organizer (working on jobs programs with limited funding) and earing $7200 a year, he was also a full-time Constitutional Law instructor in a lily-white conservative law school making over $100k a year. Another stupid allegation. Methinks you're jealous that Obama was a highly-recruited lawyer right out of law school, theurning down $300k jobs to do what he wanted, so you have to lie about it.
How's your etch-a-sketch doing these days? 538 gives Romney less than a 1-in-3 chance of winning the election.
Corporatism is Fascism, Chris-749391,
What were the names of the US Laws that made Illegal the Causes of previous Depressions that were eliminated Resulting in the current $60 Trillion to $100 Trillion Global Economic Crisis consisting of the Mortgage Crisis, Wall Street Crisis, Financial Crisis, Banking Crisis, Credit Crisis, etc..
And who eliminated those US Laws.
YOU HAVE 30 MINUTES TO POST THE CORRECT ANSWER BELOW. NO LAME EXCUSES.
Jonathan-1982062,
*********************************STOP SPAMMING. TAQIYA*****************************
Shia: Fundamentalist Islamic Interpretation of the Holy Koran Only. Fundamentalist Islamic Shia (Sharia) Laws, Holy Koran as Law and Ancient Islamic Customs (Hadith) as Law. Belief in the Holy Koran (Quran) Calls to All Islamic Believers to War Against the Christians, Jews, Unbelivers. The majority of Islam is Fundamentalist Islamic Believers, as they kill off all others.
example: The Fundamentalist Islamic Al Quada was originally created by Fundamentalist Islamic Osama Bin Laden to Overthrow the Sunnis US Ally Saudi Arabian Government.
Sunnis: Moderate Liberal Interpretation of the Holy Koran. Fiqh (Logic) as Law. Belief in negotiations, political solutions, the use of armed force last. Usually, killed by the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia as shot in the face during Sunnis negotiations ("empty words"), as the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia believe in "The Dead Do Not Complain". The minority of Islamic Believers after centuries of being killed off by the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia.
Corporatism is Fascism, Chris-749391,
Times up:
*****************************YOUR GRADE: F MINUS****************************************
YOU ARE AN IDIOT, AND THIS QUOTE IS ALSO BULL**IT "(Quran) Calls to All Islamic Believers to War Against the Christians, Jews, Unbelievers. The majority of Islam is Fundamentalist Islamic Believers, as they kill off all others." This is not the entire quote. Yes It is in Quran, When the Jews and Qurayish and some Christian where trying to assassinate the Prophet Mohamed, God told him to solve the issue peacefully, if that didn't work, then make a treaty with them, if that don't work, the move away, if that don't work then fight them and kill them. Now any human being with half a brain can see that makes a lot of sense, and Mohamed followed Gods advise and avoided them, untill they chased hi to "Madinah" and tried to wage War on him and the Muslims there. And you are hearing this from the horses mouth, I'm an American Muslim, and I know Islam. And just an FYI for a Moron sheep like you, Muslim are required to believe in the Christianity and Jewish religions, We believe that the Lord will come back and save us. And an Infidel is a None believer in God, not a christian or a Jew yah idiot. So stop talking about things you have no idea what it is. Stop watching Fox news and it's hell breathing b.s.
The " Hadeeth" is the saying of Mohamed, and the Sharee'ah" is Islamic law, and when you think about it, it makes sense, but an idiot like you sees things his way. Sharee'ah works, But you get idiot muslims with a peanut brain like your's who destroy everything.
Here is some Facts for you.
1- Christian killed 1000 times more than muslims did.
2- Almost every major war was started by Christian.
3- Christian nuked people.
4-Christian countries are infested with Drugs, immorality, porn, men marrying men, invading and oppressing others including invading and stealing their resources.
5- Muslims are the only civilization that allowed the Jews to live and prosper among them, and gave them the same rights like anyone else.
6- The Indian fought the white because he invaded his land, not because he is a Christian. THe Arabs hate the Israelies for the same reason not because they are Jews. But an Idiot like you will not see that.
7- Israel did more damage to the USA more than any other country in the world, more than Russia. Ask the CIA they will tell you.
8- USA and England been abusing the Muslims and Arabs for over a 100 years, been Fuc**ing Palistine since 1932. and the Arabs are the only ones who allowed the Jews exiled from Europe after WW2 to settle in Palistine, where the whole world rejected them.
9- The Jews Killed Jesus and do not recognize Christian and consider them beneath them.
So shut the hell up about Islam and radical Islam and all that crap and look at your own self and you own doing. Don't blame the cat for scratching you after you beat it up and abuse it, stop this bull@!$%# that the world is abused by Muslims and Islam. You are blind, fox watching brain washed idiot.
---
You'll find truth in the middle of a rush hour freeway; run there before its too late.
This is bad news for Romney. Mali is where he planned on creating 12,000,000,000 jobs
Obama Biden 2012
"This is bad news for Romney. Mali is where he planned on creating 12,000,000,000 jobs"
12 billion jobs? Really!!! Your math doesn't work either.
I wasn't aware the World population was that high much less the US population.... Classic Obama supporter
*Don't Vote 2012*
When Dick Cheney told Bush that "one hundred Brazilian troops would join the coalition, Bush asked "which is more a Million or a Brazilian
Mitt Romney is another Bush! He and his bunch will take us into more wars and cripple us for decades.
Only Bush could have the backstabbing Gen Mush as a friend. Now his frind and criminal and ungrateful Gen Mush is hiding in UK and his son is in US.
In Afghanistan, Pakis have backstabbed the US and NATO forces big time. Half of NATO forces deaths are due to ungrateful and backstabbing Pakis.
When the NATO forces were entering Kandahar in 2001, Pakis airlifted key al-Qaida, Taliban, ISI and others militants by back door from Kandahar.
This includes Mullah Omar, Osama and many including Paki Haqqani militant network leaders.
Hope people remember about Pakis sheltering Osama.
These Paki Islamic religious Nazis don't bother about their people and they are into reckless killing games in the name of jihad.
Drone attacks are not enough. To reduce NATO forces losses, carpet bomb Paki militant areas just like 1991 Iraqi war.
Or else just get out right now
Thomas your using Mitt Math. The number don't add up!
And, as was not stated, this Mali situation a direct result of our intervention in Libya. The people who siezed this area were largely Libyan, and absolutely Jihadists. The overthrow of Ghaddaffi resulted in vast amounts of weapons floating around, and of course the so called current government of Libya is a toothless joke which cannot and will not control the militias which are actually in power. Ditto the extensive reports of Libyan Jihadis in Syria. So - ill thought out/considered foreign policy, whatever one's views of Ghaddafi were, and the consequences show it.
"And as the UN and a number of African states make plans to take military action against these militants in northern Mali, there's a Canadian who knows more than he ever wanted to about them: Robert Fowler, who spent three months as their captive in 2008."
2008..hmmm...well before our intervention in libya.
and al quada was actively recruiting from parts of libya not controlled by ghaddafi before our intervention.
so "doing nothing" wasn't effective either.
vermontguy: Sorry, the violent annexation of half of Mali occured after our intervention with Ghaddaffi. As for Al Quaida recruiting in Libya before our intervention, certainly. But then they are doing exactly that just about anywhere in the world ( UK elsewhere ). The difference is, they now own real estate - in Mali, in areas in Libya and they are trying to setup so called 'liberated' areas in Syria which they own - and can thus operate out of. They never prior to this had this opportunity, even in Afghanistan they were only there so long as the Taliban tolerated it. Now they have a finite geographical basis. That is seriously bad and underlines the failure of policy which has lead up to this.
Typical republican, people fight for democracy and they are a "toothless joke". maybe they should have fought to be a republic like , republic of china republic of North Korea, republic of russia, republic of cuba, And lets not forget the REPUBLIC OF IRAN.
I pledge allegiance tot he flag
of the United States of America
and to the PEOPLE for witch it sands
one nation
under god
with liberty and justice for some.
I don't believe it's a policy failure, increasingly AQ is attempting conventional warfare for territory, starting in Yemen Franchise Arabian Peninsula) and now Mali (franchise Islamic Magreb). Insurgent guerilla tactics are traditionally their strategy and continues to be applied successfully like Sept. 11, 12 in Bengazi, another surprise attack. Now they want to organize training camps in the deserts they're really easy to spot, isolate, watch who comes and goes, surround with special forces and wipe 'em out. They are so brazen now flying their flag like a corporate logo lets target them where they control the hinterlands.
It need not be US special forces doing the job, we've trained special warfare units in most of our allies militaries. You won't hear about the excellent results the Saudi special operations unit are obtaining in Yeman. Northern Mali is a good chance for the French Foreign Legion to demonstrate their anti-terrorism skills.
@Puck - I agree. Given the history between Mali and France, history may have taught them (and may teach us) a valuable lesson on dealing with terrorism.
The Ansar Al-Sharia (as Al Qaeda seems to go by nowadays) might gain followers by means of a "honey-scented flytrap" tactic - make 'em the promise that their women and children will be protected if they join, only to send them on suicide bomb missions - and whilst the naive and gullible sap(s) are dead, Al-Sharia enslaves the women and children, committing so many dishonorable acts in one go (slavery, backstabbing the dead, pedophilia, tyranny) that ultimately it may not be long before human pressure forces the old saying to come true: "Hell hath no fury like a woman's wrath scorned."
Trust me, women aren't weak in the slightest. All it takes is one woman to energize the rest, and soon the men of Ansar Al-Sharia will learn why a wise man once said "women are demons".
That said, given the Euro Crisis, I wonder if France may be in a financial position to take on this threat. The nature of war and its finances eludes me, since I am not educated in such things, so I'm merely grasping with this here. All the same....
France, bon appetite. We leave this in your hands.
george pauljohn,
*********************************STILL GRADE OF: F MINUS************************************
Previously, you could not answer two basic US Citizen Test Questions for Legal Immigrants to become US Citizens.
This has been just one more result of President Obama Policy Failures.
Just like Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Pakistan, Redacted, Afghanistan, Redacted, etc..
Go ask blabber mouth Senator Lieberman about President Obama's Secret Wars.
By the way say US Special Operations, not US special forces (US Army), as due to previous President Obama Defense Budget Cuts and RIFs since April 2009, no single entity has enough assets to accomplish anything anymore. The same goes with most of the US European Allies that have some of their units as paper only (phantom units).
Time to send in the drones!
Those poor Republicans! So many nukes and nowhere to drop them. Romney wants to nuke Iran so bad, he was actually sweating, almost pre-orgasmic in appearance. My God, he looked like Nixon at the 1960 Debates. History does repeat itself.
Terry- Where did Josh mention Republicans? Again a classic case of an Obama supporter mentioning Republicans for no reason your a genius.
Oh, great.... the US military industrial complex is drooling at the prospects of US intervention in yet another Buttfukistan... here goes another 200 billions a year flushed down the toilet...
Yes Rombot, it is the nation of MALI not "North Mali".....and apparently it's where you want to start the war after the one in Iran....super.
LOL. President Obama "deer in the headlights" , during the 3rd Presidential Debate, Obama huh, duh, ahhaaa, huh ah what shopping mall are you talking about.
Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Bang
Let them blow each other up.
Wow those two dozen extremists that the lefties always refer to , really get around don't they ?( the rest being all peaceful and moderate of course)
which "lefties" say there are only two dozen extremists? oh, no one, you mean your post is stupid? lol.
No but you guys do usually say it's "just a few " which is complete and utter bull@!$%# .
vermontguy,
Don't LIE. Do you want me to post all of your previous posts with your name calling when I explained about the hundreds of thousands of Holy Warriors of Islam, why the joined, how they are funded, and even the very long list of the Islamic Jihadist Organizations as Funded by Trillions USDs per year of Mandatory Islamic Tithes.
The best bet since none of our so called polatitions want to bring back the draft is to stay out of the area or any place else that there is a chance of a war.... BRING BACK THE DRAFT
Diplomatic action seems to be ahead of this problem. I am very concerned that Romney is using confidential information for political gain. The Mali situation did not appear to be public knowledge. Not at all Presidential!
Mali has been in the news quiet a bit since the Coup a few months ago I guess you just didn't notice but go ahead turn this on Romney for some stupid reason because he "pays" attention to world events.
LOL. President Obama "deer in the headlights" , during the 3rd Presidential Debate, Obama huh, duh, ahhaaa, huh ah what shopping mall are you talking about.
"Not at all Presidential!"
FLMN,
Cnjeff is going to wait until President Obama tells him a year later, about Mali.
In combating a surging religious idea carried by the minds of Islamic fundamentalists, any suggestion that spending U.S. blood and treasure is the "answer" to its virulent spread is ridiculous and dangerous. It represents a total misallocation of resolve and a failure of American imagination.
Ironically, the West's petulant historic meddling with arc of Islamist jihadism is itself itself like a vitamin supplement to the movement.
Jeebus! Didn't we at least take a lesson or two away from "Operation Iraqi Freedom"?
Based on your post you seem not to know Operation Iraqi Freedom was a completely different situation. With both President Clinton's H.R. 4655 "Iraqis Liberation Act of 1998" Justification Section 2 Weapons of Mass Destruction, Section 3 US Policy Overthrow of President Hussein; and President Obama's Libya being completely ignorant of the actual Facts and Longterm Consequences.
@Cnjeff...for those of us with connections in Mali, this was public knowledge....Canadians have been watching now for several months...the invasion took place early summer of this year. But yes, Romney is an idiot.
i am not a war monger and was against the Iraq war, but this is a different animal. The fabled city of Timbuktu is part of the region overtaken by these extremists. This area has a very important historical and cultural significance and should NOT be allowed to be ruined by foreign jihadists. And the people themselves are being terrorized...Sharia Law is no joke. They deserve some serious, well thought out intervention.
serious, well thought out intervention: chances are 10%. Not looking good.
I think I could point out another 100 or more places on the map where you war hungy folks here could intervene. The US is not the master of the world! Time to stop interventions all over the map. Why is it that you feel that every conflict, no matter where, is your business...
Timbuktu is an extraordinary city...well worth conserving.
Both steaming piles of sh!t during the Presidential Debates in so many words said that we are, and Owe this to the rest of the World.
Not going to happen until the US gets out of the United Nations, then at least the Chinese and Russian Federation will stop laughing at the US being the World Police.
leigh08, Lary9,
Go for it. You just volunteered. Or is it the disease of Chickenhawkitis, symptom: demand to have others do harsh life threatening things and killings; as to what you would refuse to do yourself.
Instead of fostering economic stability at home, the American Big Government has created a series of boom-and-bust that has bankrupted the nation. Instead of guarding the reserve currency, America exploits it and exports inflationary forces abroad that has devastated the economy of weak nations. Instead of being the world leader for peace, America's Big Government has been waging four wars for more than 11 years in Iraq, Yemen, AFghanistan, and Paksitan. Big Government has become the problem, not the solution.
For the past 70 years, special interest groups have hijacked the Federal Government turning it into a Big Govenment run by a military regime. No nation on earth has fought more wars, invaded more foreign nations, dropped more bombs, and killed more people than USA during the last 70 years. Millions of innocent children, women, and men have perished at the bloody hands of the American Military regime. It is not surprising that too many people from around the world are hostile to what they see as America's militarism.
When Big Government sees groups of foreigners at odds with US foreign policies, America labels them as Al Queda or Terrorist organisation requiring a military solution in the form of covert or overt assassinations. As America continues to wage the four wars, the number of and quality of foreign organization opposing US military missions have only increased. And consequently, America announces the finding more 'Al Queda' around the world. From today's Mali to Libya to Iraq to Yemen to Aghanistan to Pakistan, to tomorrow's beyond. It is only a matter of time before the Big Government finds 'Al Queda' at home.
Under the guise of War on Crime and War on Terrorism, the Big Government has created the largest domestic paramilitary forces in the world: combat troops called SWAT, armed with heavy machine guns, grenades, helicopter gunships, drones, and armored vehicles are poised to crush the last liberty and freedom guaranteed by the US Constitution.
America as the Founders had envisioned and created, is coming to an end.
you could not have said it better!
Very well thought out comment. How else do we win a war (on terror) other than kill as many enemy as possible and the dejected survivors surrender. .AQ started jihad against US and the West and they want to finish it just as much as we do, or realistically we must win to honor all the fine traditions of our really big government you described. A victory will take a big government to accomplish, unless you're surrendering.
There will be wars and you'll hear rumors of wars. Critical times hard to deal with, will be here.
Wow you sure are limited with the same bs slogan over and over hey george ?Must be some kind of mental tick ..
Let the French deal with it this time.
Tomorrow Romney will announce that "clear evidence of weapons of mass destruction" have been found in Mali and we should attack immediately".
Maybe if we sold it to them and they used it against another country(ie Iran) and against innocent people(ie Kurds).
@FLMN,
We did not sell weapons of mass destruction to Sadaam. Ronnie Reagan (using Don Rumsfeld as the messenger boy) gave two Bechtel-designed and built trailers to produce Musttard Gas and a binary nerve gas to Sadaam (along with a pair of solid gold spurs) as a "birthday present."
Those two trailers were the Bush/Cheney ace in the hole. Unfortunately in the intervening years, the Iraqis discovered that chemical warfare is a very corrosive business and that the two trailers had deteriorated far beyond their possible use. The mustard gas trailer had been converted to make hydrogen for weather balloons from hydroichloric acid and aluminum wrap and the nerve gas trailer was being used to store empty carboys and old personnel records.
The American made trailers were actually an attempt to keep Iraq as a "close ally" against Iran and to try to make up for the massive illegal weapons sales to Iran in return for keeping Americans hostage until after the election. (They were released on Reagan's inauguration day.) It really didn't work. Both the Iraqis and the Iranians ended up hating us. And the Contras were too stupid to be able to buy cocaine with the money and sell it in the US for enough profit to keep their war going. Nicaraguans also hate us.
Chris-749391,
Without going into too much detail about the US Military Training Teams attached to the CIA's SAD/SOG sent to US Ally Iraq during the Iran Iraq Wars, rotated to Operation Cyclone; and everything since then that I was involved with.
There is more than what you believe about what FLMN posted. However, there is the matter of the Fundamentalist Islamic Kurdistanis as the Armed (men, women, children) Ally of the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran. So no FLMN the Fundamentalist Islamic Kurdistanis are NOT "innocent people" just like currently they are still fighting US Ally Turkey and now Syria as the "Syrian Rebels" along with the Fundamentalist Islamic Al Quada Syria Franchise.
The Iraqis Chemical Weapons were used to finally end the years of the Iran Iraq Wars, just like the US Use of Nuclear Weapons to end WWII and not have to Invade Japan.
This saved millions of lives on both sides. As after the Fall of the Shah of Iran, the Iranian Military Officers, NCOs, Enlisted that were suspected to be loyal to the Shah of Iran were "purged" (lined up against the nearest wall and shot). So because they had no idea about modern warfare the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran's Military (people grabbed off the streets) used Human Wave attacks of World War One against what we trained the US Ally Iraqis Military to do, as coodinated supporting fires, interlocking machinegun fires, etc..
I told you before about my previous cush desk job, that I was trained and experienced in Nuclear (Weapons) Physics, Chemical Weapons, Biological (Epidemiology), Missiles. Later rewarded afterwards with a temporary cush job pertaining to Operation Golden Python and Operation Steel Box. Also surviving the Use of Chemical Weapons by the USSR 40th Army Occupation during Operation Cyclone.
My later involvement with the attack, seizure, securing of the Iraqis Chemical Weapons Facility at Sargat Iraq.
Stick to those matters you have FIRSTHAND Experience with.
Romney is right, forget Russia, forget China, Mali is the new target for American Military Might. Mount your horses, grab your bayonets, the people of Mali plan to develop a nuclear weapon. Please mail donations for a school to be built in Mali, the new Mitt Romney School of Nuclear Science.
That is one of the main reasons that we would attack them, there deposits of Uranium, wouldn't you just love it if those same extremist did something with it.
Hey do I smell yellow cake in the oven? A better scenario would be Mormon missionaries held hostage by radical islamists in northern Mali to trade for a nuke. It would loads of time than developing WMD, do you know how many Mormon missionaries are in Iran?
Terry51025,
President Obama as Commander In Chief is out of Touch with Reality with his bullsh!t Bayonets and Horses.
President Obama's LIE "Bayonets and Horses", October 2001 Afghanistan. I saw Redacted % of us die during the fierce Urban Warfare at Qala I Janghi, Mazar I Sharif, etc.. we were using bayonets after we ran out of ammunition and handgrenades; and before being wiped out the other Group and the Northern Alliance came to our rescue as literally Cavalry on Horseback.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arxKhJIjIiY
We continually used horses, pack horses, pack mules, as to use helicopters just compromises your location to get swarmed and massacred. Using vehicles on the limited numbers of roads is just asking to get blown up by an remote detonated IED, or ambushed in a massive RPG attack (what continuely happens to the US Conventional Warfare Forces).
That is the kind of President Obama ignorance that gets people KILLED that YOU Voted for.
@David: One assumes you were also issued your M9?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M9_bayonet
...yes folks, the bayonet is probably the one battle implement the US has continuously issued since 1775...
WHAts going on here!! A war just about to end in Afghanistan and now these idiots in the white house want to risk more of the young men in America!?!?!? DO you want the middle east and Africa to hate you more??
THen you mourn over your loses wondering why so and so blew himself up in Manhattan? USE YOUR BRAINS!
Idiots in the White House? I think you mean Mitt Romney bringing Mali into the conversation during the debate. From all indications, talks between the US and France were taking place - maybe this is confidential information for the time being - perhaps Romney leaked this on purpose. I don't think anyone should trust this man. Mitt Romney, with all of his foreign policy experience, should really think before he speaks. For you people saying the president doesn't know where Mali is - you are all wrong. If anyone of you have ever listened to the news you would know about the infiltration of Al Queda in Africa. Have you heard of the kidnappings - the pirates, killings? Romney is probably the one who did not know of Mali or where it is located. His only knowledge is probably of rich celebrities adopting children there.
The Liberal's entire "lean forward" movement says it all.. We expect "leaning" to actually "move" us in a new direction. You can walk, run, or even crawl, but leaning never moves you anywhere... If we can somehow get paychecks, food, clothing, and anything else a person could want with no one working a real job (industrial/manufacturing) then let me know how this is sustainable and I'll jump right in.
Otherwise get your work clothes on and join the rest of us that want to "walk forward", into a place where we can bring the country together by hard work instead of thinking Politicians can somehow finance us to prosperity...
We're TIRED of the middle-east! OK?
Let those dirt-bags go back to herding camels, and if they do something stupid, show them again, who's boss.
The American public is just TIRED. History has tried to educate, we ignored, get a clue.
What does Mali have to do with the Middle East? It is in Western Africa obviously geography has failed to educate too.
*Don't Vote 2012*
This sounds like a great hunting ground for the drones. If they are bunched up nicely in camps so much the better.