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Subscribe to RSSFrance is poised to join military action against al-Qaida-linked Islamists in the African state of Mali, President Francois Hollande said Friday.
Western soldiers and air force planes have already entered the country, local witnesses told Agence France Presse (AFP) and Reuters, but the French Defense Ministry has declined to comment.
France, which ruled Mali as a colonial power until 1960, has urged its citizens to leave the country.
In a speech, President Hollande said France was ready to intervene to stop armed groups that took control of parts of Mali in April and have recently been advancing toward the capital, Bamako.
Mali has pleaded for international help to repel the militia, who have enforced a strict interpretation of Islamic law.
A UN task force of 3,000 African troops is not to be deployed until September.
“We are faced with a blatant aggression that is threatening Mali’s very existence,” Hollande said in a speech early Friday to diplomats and journalists, according to France 24.
“I have decided that France will respond, alongside our African partners, to the request from the Malian authorities. We will do it strictly within the framework of the United Nations Security Council resolution. We will be ready to stop the terrorists’ offensive if it continues,” Hollande said.
Local residents and a Malian soldier based in Sevare told Reuters that military aircraft, including two cargo planes and four helicopters carrying Western soldiers and equipment, had landed at Sevare airport on Thursday night.
The French Defense Ministry declined to comment, Reuters said.
Meanwhile an un-named Mali government official told AFP a Mali army ground offensive was already being backed by French air force planes, although there were no details available.
The European Union’s foreign policy commissioner, Catherine Ashton, said moves to help train Mali’s impoverished army would be speeded up, Reuters reported.
France has hundreds of troops across western Africa, with bases or sites in places such as Senegal, Ivory Coast, Chad and Gabon, Al Jazeera said.
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I hope they have better luck helping Mali than they did helping Belgium and Holland in World War II.
Gmornin' Bill.
I'm still sticking with Freedom Fries and Freedom Toast.
Don't forget the ever popular Freedom Kiss!
The same thing can be said about the British Expeditionary Force in 1940.... The fact is, until 1943, nobody could compete with the German, nobody...
As long as they utilize the "Powell Doctrine", I'd vote for that!
you mean Poland- don't you? French troops are on the ground in Mali- arrived there while Pres.Hollande having a news conference.
French have already launched an airstrike in Mali against the Islamists. (this happened many hours ago at the same time as Pres.Hollande was speaking. Additional troops (to French) are arriving from Senegal and Nigeria. People are burning tires on the streets.
"France is poised to join military action against al-Qaida-linked Islamists in the African state of Mali, President Francois Hollande said Friday."
These days French, British, Germany and some western nations are best in the business of dancing while intervening in any Muslim nation.
They did it while while helping Libyan rebels.
When Muslims in many Muslim nations hit the streets on video on Mohammed, most of the embassy staff went into hiding.
If you can't solve problems at home, go to war!
Does All President's Men sound familiar?
So let me get this straight. The UN task force made up of African troops can't do anything until September. But the French military is able to act now?
I guess it will take till September to find 3000 non-islamic military to make up this task force.
Wait a minute!
For French, British, Germany and many in the US and so naturally UN, Syria's Assad's killing of children and women, human rights violations and Assad's possibility of using chemical weapons are becoming serious issues.
Also Israel and many Christian right are screaming that Iran is about to get WMDs.
All these serious issues need time up to September to be sorted out.
In Mali, only French dances in the beginning will be enough. Later British will join them in dances.
There will be enough time to build tents to hide when going gets tough!
By September the problem will be resolved. There will be no more citizens left in Mali.
Only to come back after Hollande, Starzokys, Camerons, Blairs, Markels are done with their star wars!
Hey, as long as they are killing al-Qaida Scum Bags they are good with me.....
I have three major problems.
1. Even while kiling al Qaida, they do half jobs and start running.
2. Supporting Saudis and Pakis, the inventors, funders, promoters and exporters of Sunni Islamic hater and killer fronts like al Qaida, Taliban, MB, Salaffi, Boko Haram and others.
3. NATO forces saved Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and some more oil rich Sunni rulers through Iraqi wars. Now Sunni Saudis and co, oil companies and their lobbyists have started their dances on Syria and Iran. Their pals in dances like French, British, Germans and NATO/US forces are about to put "boots on the ground" in Syria and Iran.
What are the objectives of the French, British, US, Germans and other Western war mongers?
They have already turned Northern sectors of Mali into a Jihadi wasteland. As is the case wherever Islamic jihadis attack, they fight to spread Islam and impose Islamic law. Islamic doctrine provides zero protection for believers of any other faith, including Christians and Jews, who are ‘People of the Book,’ if they do not surrender and submit to a dhimmi status under Shariah.
so under the terrorists rule in the north, if I have sex with women that like me, we both get stoned to death? Wouldn't that mean that I would have to be a ugly ugly guy to survive without being stoned to death?
In a modern society of today's standards, France need the american navy seals to wipe out all those cruel crude terrorists, good luck!!
Well, there is the "extreme" option of marriage. Islamic culture is hardly sexless (they just try way too hard to keep it out of the public eye).
I doubt Mali needs elite commandos to take on invading rebels; as in any insurrection, what will determine the results will ultimately be the level of popular support the militants get among the population they occupy. If the people want them out, then there will be no place for the militants to hide and smuggle weapons. If the people want them there, then France can look forward to a nice long struggle (maybe we can give them a few pointers on dealing with that, since we have so much experience now).
In less than six months ,we will have to go over there and bail out the Frenchies.
SF accountant, ignorant joe,
France has been fighting Islamic militants in North Africa way longer than the U.S. has.
Of course, France can stay 'poised' for years at a time without actually doing anything. We'll see how this shakes out when France actually gets their people on the ground in Mali -- or not.
actually, France already has ground troops engaged with the terrorists there, along with France's air support that are currently killing the terrosits. So much for your "poised for years without actually doing anything"
France is showing a lot of guts fighting Muslim terrorists in Mali. I fear it won't be long until the terrorists move into France to commit murder, though.
Homesick,
They are already in France and most of europe doing what you say and that is being a pain to the French culture with their demands to have things converted to the Muslim way,just like what they are and will do right here in the US.
"Mali has pleaded for international help to repel the militia, who have enforced a strict interpretation of Islamic law."
Followers of Islamic cult, especially House of Saud and other Sunni ME rulers inspired and funded Sunni 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).
In Egypt, the Sunni extremists with labels like Salaffi and MB (Muslim Blood hounds) are opening up new chapters of Islamic bigotry. Morsi is just a front for them.
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 rulers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE and other Sunni Arab League nations 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.
Are we not committing hara-kiri by supporting our enemies and killers in Syria, Iran and other places?
A teacher once told us "The Name of the Game is Money" That was in the 60's. However if you really think(it's not that hard) the real name of the game is Greed.
Can anyone see a trend here? Probably not.