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French soldiers from the 2nd Navy Infantry Regiment shortly after deplaning at an air base near Bamako, Mali, on Monday.
France will send about 1,000 troops and armored vehicles to Mali over the next few days with the support of U.S military and intelligence operations, upping the ante in its effort to turn back Islamic militants threatening to topple the north African nation’s government, U.S. national security officials told NBC News on Monday.
French mechanized forces will join approximately 500 French troops already on the ground in the country, battling fighters from at least three Islamic militant groups, including al-Qaida in the Islamic Magreb (AQIM), according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Al Qaeda-linked Islamist rebels in Mali have promised to drag France into an Afghanistan-style war. They've launched a counteroffensive after four days of French air strikes on their northern strongholds. There are reports the Islamists have seized control of Diabaly a town 250 miles north of the capital Bamako. Jonathan Miller Channel Four Europe reports.
The military escalation follows intense bombardment over the weekend by French aircraft of Islamic militant positions in the country's north, where they effectively created an al-Qaida refuge late last year.
The French force will be aided by U.S. military and intelligence operations, the officials said. The U.S. will provide both transport and refueling capability for the operation as well as intelligence, including drones, the officials added. The U.S. Africa command, headquartered in Djibouti in East Africa, is coordinating the U.S. operation, said the officials.
The U.S. has been providing intelligence-gathering assistance — primarily spy satellites — to the French in their assault on Islamist extremists, which began with a series of aerial attacks that began on Friday and continued through Monday. But French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told the Associated Press that the rebels fought back on Monday, overrunning the garrison town of Diabaly, about 100 miles north of Segou, the administrative capital of central Mali.
French Mirage F1 CR fighter jets sit on the tarmac at a French air base near Bamako, Mali. France has been using the aircraft to pound hardline Islamist groups controlling northern Mali.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and other U.S. officials told the AP early Monday that they would not rule out having American aircraft land in the West African nation as part of future efforts to lend airlift and logistical support.
Separately, U.S. officials in Washington told NBC News that, while there are no current plans for the U.S. to provide direct combat support — American combat forces on the ground or aerial combat support from manned aircraft or unmanned drones — a small number of U.S. advisers could be tasked to work directly with French combat forces in non-combat roles.
Speaking to reporters traveling with him to Europe, Panetta said that while AQIM, and other affiliate groups in Mali may not pose an immediate threat to the United States, "ultimately that remains their objective."
For that reason, Panetta said, "We have to take steps now so that AQIM does not get that kind of traction."
The U.S. officials say France's big fear is that if they don't eliminate AQIM and other allied Islamic militant groups in Mali, it will become a terrorist safe haven, as Afghanistan and Yemen have been at various times over the past 20 years. Mali is a lot closer to Europe than either of those countries. Moreover, there are 200,000 Malians living in France, most of them in and around Paris. AQIM and other groups could, it is feared, recruit supporters from within that community to launch terrorist attacks in France. France is not alone either, say the U.S. officials. Britain, Portugal and Spain fear AQIM attacks from Islamic militants in the Sahel region of North Africa as well.
"The ease with which individuals can move from North Africa to Europe makes such attacks a real possibility and are clearly the principal motivation for French action," said Michael Leiter, former director of the National Counter Terrorism Center and now a consultant to NBC News.
How did it begin?
After U.S. and NATO forces helped topple Moammar Gadhafi in Libya, neighboring Mali imploded. First rebels in the north revolted, then the military carried out a coup against the government in Bamako. Amid the chaos, Islamic militants defeated breakaway rebels in northern Mali and last week began to advance on Bamako. That’s when the military-led government asked France to intervene.
On Monday the French continued bombing raids across Mali's north in an effort to root out fighters who seized control of a large chunk of the region starting nine months ago. French fighter jets bombed the airport, training camps, warehouses and other facilities used by the al-Qaida linked rebels.
"In some ways, this has been a long time coming," said Leiter. "The U.S. and France have been very focused on AQIM since at least … 2006. … Also, in 2007, its major attack on Algerian troops caused significant alarm in Washington and Paris, spurring significant investment in intelligence collection, cooperation and increased military and diplomatic efforts."
The AQIM, a Sunni extremist group, was previously headquartered in Algeria, where Islamic militants clashed with the government in a bloody war during the 1990s. The Algerians responded aggressively and pushed AQIM south to the border area with Mali.
Since 2008, the Obama administration has partnered with the French, whose deep roots in the region go back more than a century when the area was part of French West Africa.
"The French had capacity that was hard to come by in D.C.," added Leiter. "This path produced some useful gains, but the French were often caught up with their elections and the like."
Why French are taking on Mali extremists
In recent years, AQIM became "very much focused" on low-level kidnappings of Europeans in Africa, bringing in tens of millions of dollars in ransoms and giving it the ability to move quickly into the power vacuum in Mali.
AQIM is one of several Islamic extremist groups that have set up shop in northern and western Africa. U.S. officials point to recent cooperation between AQIM and Boko Haram, an al-Qaida operation in northern Nigeria, as another troubling development that pushed U.S.-French cooperation.
Roger Cressey, who worked as deputy director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council in both the Clinton administrations, said U.S. policy makers also are concerned that AQIM could form alliances with other groups.
"Key for U.S. policy makers is to provide support to the French that is consistent with our specific and limited interests in West Africa," he said. “The long- term concern has been that AQIM will interact with al-Shabab in Somalia and AQAP (al-Qaida on the Arab Peninsula) in Yemen and create a capability that threatens our interests beyond W Africa."
Although AQIM's links with al-Qaida's core in Pakistan have never been "especially operationally tight," noted Leiter, "It isn't clear that it matters much now. AQIM is basically operating independently." So far, he added, AQIM has been very limited outside the region.
Richard Engel is NBC News’ Chief Foreign Correspondent; Robert Windrem is a Senior Investigative Producer; NBC News’ Chief Pentagon Correspondent Jim Miklaszewski, Pentagon producer Courtney Kube and the Associated Press also contributed to this report.
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I wish all nations would make a coordinated effort to end the pest that the Islamo-terrorists have been on the world and freedom for the last 20 years. a WW3 of sorts. and I tap my heels three times.....
LOL! Let's decrease our dependence on Sunni oil, and let the middle east return to being the world's biggest exporter of sand.
Yes, our government needs to keep sticking its nose where it doesn't belong. That'll do a great job imporving international relations.
The french are so brave and altruistic. Mali although has gold and platinum that's not what the french want. And although Rwanda doesn't have anything that was not the reason why the french did not intervene in Rwanda.
LoL!!
Add to all this - that this report is being written by Richard Engel who interestingly was kidnapped and released by either himself or the syrian terrorists (oops rebels) as he claimed.
agreed Flatiron...if Dubya was still in there we would be in yet another endless war.............
OMG...That wouldnt be Obama helping the French fight Islamist? Well Ill be. It is.
Hello folks, while you have the sheeple that have been indoctrinated to hate a people, country or religion I hope cooler heads prevail when it comes to Africa, but don't hold your breath. If you think that the US attacks other countries to spread democracy you are an idiot. Countries that utilize Imperialism to gain control of a countries resources are no better than the Nazis. Here we go again, you would think we would learn by now.
The War On Terror Spreads to Africa: U.S. Sending Troops to 35 African Nations
Submitted by George Washington on 01/12/2013 16:40 -0500
The U.S. is sending troops to 35 African nations under the guise of fighting Al Qaeda and related terrorists.
Democracy Now notes:
U.S. Army teams will be deploying to as many as 35 African countries early next year for training programs and other operations as part of an increased Pentagon role in Africa. The move would see small teams of U.S. troops dispatched to countries with groups allegedly linked to al-Qaeda, such as Libya, Sudan, Algeria and Niger. The teams are from a U.S. brigade that has the capability to use drones for military operations in Africa if granted permission. The deployment could also potentially lay the groundwork for future U.S. military intervention in Africa.
Al Queda and Muslimists are the fake boogeyman while France and the US hoard control over African nations.
Yeah Trust because we certainly went into Iraq for oil huh? Thats why the Chinese and the Russians have ALL the drilling rights and refining contracts. We have none.
Africa is a hot bed of insurgencies, how else do you ensure they are not going to be AQ training ground than to train indigenous troops how to fight them?
All reports from the US officials are saying that there are no CURRENT plans. That can change very fast. Furthermore, we are already involved if we are in supporting role (even if we are not in combat...yet?) We need to stay out of this and let the UN and the rest of the European nations deal with this. Why do we always have to get involved? This country doesn't need to get involved in every Islamic Radical (terrorist) - Kill All Of Us - Conflict. We also need to stop sending money to these governments that allow themselves to become a terrorist - Extreme Islamic safety zone! When the Terrorist take over, we need to stop the funding!
Better to exterminate two or three thousand extremists over the next few months than put up with twenty years of terrorism from thirty thousand hardliners. They wish to be martyred; France with Western help should grant them their wish.
1. Use immediate substitutes for oil and send the inventors, funders, promoters and exporters of seventh century barbaric, beastly and bigoted Sunni rulers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE and other Sunni Arab League nations to desert days.
2. Start battling Islamic extremists by wiping out Saudi Arabia and Pakistan from the map. Declare them right away as terrorist nations.
3. Otherwise, the battle of fighting the Islamic extremists like in Mali are battling them from the wrong end.
From the Article:
The U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) is located at Germany. The Headquarters for this US Military Operation is Djibouti.
It is called Guilty Conscience, as it is due to President Obama assisting the "Libyan Rebels" consisting of Al Quada Saudi Arabia (AQ), Al Quada Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Al Quada Syria (AQS), Al Quada Yemen (AQY), Hezbollah, Al Quada Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), etc. that went to Libya to Overthrow and Kill US Ally President Gaddaffi the Collaborator to the Christians, Jews, Unbelievers, they become Ansar Al Shariah. That after seizing the weapons, ammunition, etc. from the Libyan Military Weapons Depot at Hight Razma Benghazi now have enough weapons, ammunition, etc. to last for decades of intense combat (centuries of asymmetric warfare) to take over the rest of Africa.
The Libyan Islamic Fighting Group were the Holy Warriors of Islam that were killing US Military at Iraq, they became the Government of Libya after the Overthrow and Murder of US Ally President Gaddaffi the Collaborator to the Christians, Jews, Unbelievers.
Presidential Candidate Romulan during the Presidential Debates mentioned Mali and President Obama had the "deer in the headlights" look (knew nothing blank stare). see 2012 Presidential Debates, youtube.com.
During the Presidential Campaign President Obama incited the over 1.5 Billion Islamic Believers Worldwide to Violence with is "Osama Bin Laden is Dead, GM is Alive".
The over 1.5 Billion Islamic Believers Worldwide responded to President Obama, with "Obama, Obama, We Are All Osama". As President Obama's Bragging is worse than the Pastor threatening to burn the Holy Koran, Worse than murdering the Pope and while still at Italy bragging, worse than cartoons of Mohammad, and is considered a Declaration of War Against Islam.
Ansar Al Shariah in response to President Obama's "Osama Bin Laden is Dead, GM is Alive" plans the attack of the US Consulate at Benghazi to coincide with the Greatest Defeat of the Great Satan (US) by their Superstar Holy Warrior of Islam, Osama Bin Laden, on 9/11.
The Islamic Believers at Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, etc. start to support Ansar Al Shariah in response to President Obama's "Osama Bin Laden is Dead, GM is Alive" and hold large Demonstrations, and Rallies screaming "Obama, Obama, We Are All Osama" with this cohesive Islamic support Ansar Al Shariah moves into Mali.
That is because of President Obama's Failed Foreign Policies that got the US kicked out of Iraq after the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran placed pressure on the Islamic Shia Government of Iraq, as no more negotiations with President Obama nor SOS Clinton. Since the Ayatollahs of Iran saw President Obama's Foreign Policies as the US negotiating from a position of US Defeat, the Ayatollahs of Iran increased their Overt and Covert Activities against US and US Allies Worldwide. This did start with Iraq, as to get Iran out from being stuck between the US and US Allies Military Forces (Iraq, Afghanistan) and then Iran could concentrate on Pakistan, Afghanistan. Getting the Iraqis Oil for their Iranian Allies, the Chinese and Russian Federation was a strategic longterm goal. This made the Libyan Oil of Strategic Importance to the US European Allies, President Obama was already outsmarted as the Holy Warriors of Islam were already at (previous Overthrown US Ally) Egypt attacking US Ally Libya. This also benefited Iran as there would not be any US nor US Allies Military Interventions nor Interdictions of the Iranian Special Forces, Quds, training, arming, funding of millions of Holy Warriors of Islam at the Fundamentalist Islamic Autonomous Kurdistanis Region (Northern Iraq), these Holy Warriors of Islam trained in Asymmetric Warfare (Special Warfare, Insurgency) to fight the US and Overthrow US Allies Established Governments Worldwide. Their First Success was helping the Musilm Brotherhood (also trained by Iran's Special Forces) Overthrow US Ally Egypt, as Egypt was Strategic to Attack US Ally Libya.
After their success at Iraq, the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran pressured Pakistan to no longer allow US Military Logistics Support Bases, MQ/RQ (Drone) Bases at Pakistan to support the United Nations Mission at Landlocked Afghanistan. During the British Empire Era (Colonies), the British knew that the Pakistanis Sea Ports, Bases, Khyber Pass, etc. were absolutely mandatory for andy "British Adventures" at Landlocked Afghanistan. Without the US Military Logistics Support Bases at Pakistan the maximum that can be supported is 30,000 (including International Aid Workers); the unsupported UN, US, NATO Military Forces must withdraw by 2014 from US Ally Afghanistan to get massacred AGAIN, just like after the US Abandoned the 1980s US Ally Pro US Afghan Muhajeen to be massacred by the 1990s Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban fully supported by the USSR Backed Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran. Then without opposition from the deceased 1980s US Ally Pro US Afghan Muhajeen, the 1990s Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban massacred any "suspected" Collaborators to the Christians, Jews, Unbelievers in accordance with Islamic Laws Collaborators "Die a Horrible Murdering, to Dwell in that Firey Place". Then the 1990s Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban destroyed 20th Century Afghanistan as built up from the 1950s till 1979 by the US, destroying anything that was "Western", "Modern", "Non Islamic".
After the success with Pakistan, the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran tells the Afghans they will give the Mineral Resources of Afghanistan to the Ally of the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran, the Chinese, China Metallurgical Group. Immediately after getting the Mineral Rights for Afghanistan the Chinese placed Restrictions on the Shipments of Minerals to the US and US Allies, this made it so that anything manufactured requiring these minerals must be Made In China, this allows the Chinese to "adopt" (steal) any US and US Allies Technology and Innovations, as well as improving the Chinese Economy.
Yep, Do a Causative Timeline, then thank President Obama for his Failures, that resulted in the US and US Allies PERMANENT Losses of Strategic Resources Worldwide, losses of Strategic Locations Worldwide, losses of Strategic Vital US Allies Worldwide. These US And US Allies Losses are PERMANENT as the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran, China, and the Russian Federation are building up their 21st Century Militarises to protect their Gains from the US And US Allies Losses Worldwide.
It has been the Longtime Strategic Goal of the Chinese and Russian Federation to get the US And US Allies out of their Backyards (Resources). The Chinese and Russian Federation using the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran as their "Proxy Fighters" Worldwide, the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran using the Holy Warriors of Islam as their "Proxy Fighters" Worldwide as without these Strategic Resources the US cannot maintain the current US Standard of Living nor develope the future US Alternative Energy (as to why the US Oil Corporations spend Billions USDs in Advertising and Lobbying (Bribing) US Politicians to push Explosive Toxic Methane aka Natural Gas) and the use of Toxic Poisonous chemical Fracking poisoning the US drinking water. Oil based plastics mandatory for US and US Allies.
Since before the First Gulf War, Mexico, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, etc. have been "Oil Laundrying" Iraqis Oil by buying Iraqis Oil and selling for huge profits the Iraqis Oil as their own. After the losses of the Iraqis Oil, Mexico started High Risk Deep Water Oil Explorations (like BP Oil Spill Disaster), Canada started environmental disaster of strip mining to process tons of oil shale and oil sands for barrels of oil, Saudi Arabia started Deep Sand Desert Oil Exploration, Kuwait previously did diagonal ("slant") drilling into the Iraqis Oil Fields as an Act of War as to why the Iraqis Invaded Kuwait to stop the Kuwaitis Slant Drilling into the Iraqis Oil Fields and the US Military went in to Kuwait to "Liberate" (the greedy) Kuwaitis.
emilymdare,
Just so that you do not post anymore Uneducated posts, ANYTIME YOU HEAR "Support" that is just like the US Military Training Teams to US Ally Iraq during the Iran Iraq Wars, as we trained Iraqis Combat Units then lead them into Combat, just like after we were rotated to Operation Cyclone, we vetted, trained and organized the 1980s Pro US Afghan Muhajeen then lead them into Combat against the USSR 40th Army Occupation. During Dien Bien Phu, US Military Pilots were flying Fighter Aircraft conducting air to ground attacks (Close Air Support, CAS) and flying air transports into and out of the fighting at Dien Bien Phu, as some of the first unofficial US Military "Boots on the Ground" at French Indochina (aka Vietnam) after being shot down. Then there are President Obama's Secret Wars (outed by Senator Lieberman as Illegal (no US Laws) and Unfunded (no US Congressional Appropriations) with US Military Asymmetric Warfare (aka Special Warfare) "Boots on the Ground".
Uh, huh, sure be ignorant just like what President Obama DID (past tense). As US Ally President Mubarak warned the US of "Increased Al Quada Like Activities at Egypt", with President Obama ignoring US Ally President Mubarak as the Fundamentalist Islamic Muslim Brotherhood previously trained, armed and funded by the Iranian Special Forces, Quds, to Overthrow US Ally's Established Governments. Then Ansar Al Shariah of Al Quada Saudi Arabia (AQ), Al Quada Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Al Quada Syria (AQS), Al Quada Yemen (AQY), Hezbollah, Al Quada Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), etc. joined the Muslim Brotherhood and moved south from Alexandria Egypt. Then President Obama cut off all US Aid, US Support, and US Funding, with President Obama calling US Ally President Mubarak a "Dictator".
After the Overthrow of US Ally Egypt Ansar Al Shariah starts attacking US Ally Libya, to seize the Libyan Military Weapons Depots at Benghazi, free the President Obama Guantanamo Prisoners transfered to President Gaddaffi's Prisons, seize 20,000 portable shoulder launched SA-7 anti aircraft missiles to shoot down US Airlines "to cripple the US Economy". US Ally President Gaddaffi starts to report thru US Diplomatic channels previously established by SOS Condoleezza Rice, of "Increased Al Quada Activities" and sends his Libyan Military to start fighting the Al Quada with President Obama then calling US Ally President Gaddaffi "Dictator Killing His Own People", and immediately cutting all US Aid, US Funding and US Support.
http://money.msn.com/investing/11-things-wrong-with-congress
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.
IT IS THEIR ACTIONS THAT DETERMINE IF THEY ARE FUNDAMENTALIST ISLAM, NOT THEIR NATION OF ORIGIN.
Watch the foot tapping "save the environment", that's caused the ending of more than one career.
America will become involved in any conflict it can find. It's all about money. If all the wars stopped, there would be unimaginable poverty for the majority of people. But, the rich providing the industry for the war machine, will only get richer. It's hard to believe people fall for the war cry,"they just want democracy",or "he's killing his own people." America can take out a leader who is "killing his own people", but instead choose to spend years destroying the entire country and killing 100's of thousands of people. A quick end to these conflicts is not in the cards; to make money the conflicts must last for years and they will.
One is amazed that there still idiots like davids who post some nonsense without knowing much about anything.
These half-educated or uneducated make tall claims.
No wonder Jews were most hated and without a homeland for a long time.
Yep. Hear that sucking sound? It's that of the United States being vacuumed into yet another pointless, asinine and pathetic quagmire in yet ANOTHER prehistoric rathole where we have NO business being in.
You see, our leaders KNOW they can't sell us any more wars- no one's buying the bullsh1t "it's for our national security" mantra - so they use anti-Constitutional, backhanded and illegal means to get us into them. War is about the only thing we export now, you know.
Excellent post, Trust. Thanks.
"Mexican soldiers be in Mexico. Mexican soldiers live Mexico, be Mexico." Where all brains?
I'm sure the nations of the world would be sending troops to help king George crush American 'terrorists' if that fight for independence happened today.
Hello Riley, really? When you spout MSM presstitute rhetoric instead of doing you own research you end up with inane comments. You said:
"Yeah Trust because we certainly went into Iraq for oil huh? Thats why the Chinese and the Russians have ALL the drilling rights and refining contracts. We have none."
I usually don't do the research for those children that were left behind but I occasionally do volunteer work for the mentally handicapped so here you go!
Six months before the invasion of Iraq the administration brought in a group of oil executives to advise them on Iraqi oil policy. They also set up a consulting group under the "Future of Iraq Project" called the "Oil and Energy Working Group". The consensus was that Iraq should open its oil fields to international oil companies. They then created and enacted laws to privatize the Iraqi oil industry. This was the crafty way they have stolen Iraq's oil.
Essentially the United States crafted a new oil law for Iraq that provides for production sharing agreements [PSAs], which are contractual terms between a government and a foreign corporation to explore for, produce and market oil. Production sharing agreements are not used by any country in the Middle East, or in fact by any country that's truly wealthy in oil. They're used to entice investors into an area where the oil is expensive to produce or there isn't a lot of oil.
But Iraq has potentially the largest oil reserves in the world and they're very easy and cheap to get to -- in Iraq, you essentially just stick a pipe in the ground and you get oil. There's absolutely no reason for Iraq to enter into PSAs, but there's every reason for Western oil companies to want them -- they provide the best terms short of full privatization of the oil. The oil executives are who wrote these laws and with the help of the military forced Iraq to sign them into their countries laws.
Iraq has eighty known oil fields. Seventeen of them have been discovered. Under the new oil law -- written into the constitution -- those seventeen will be under the control of the Iraqi national oil company.
All undiscovered oil fields are now open to the PSAs. That means, depending on how much oil there is in Iraq, foreign companies will have control over at least 64 percent of Iraq's oil and as much as 84 percent.
Riley, the above explanation probably wasn't enough for you so here's some additional information. I apologize for being a little crass above but if you would have asked nicely I would have replied in kind.
While the US military has formally ended its occupation of Iraq, some of the largest western oil companies, ExxonMobil, BP and Shell, remain.
On November 27, 38 months after Royal Dutch Shell announced its pursuit of a massive gas deal in southern Iraq, the oil giant had its contract signed for a $17bn flared gas deal.
Three days later, the US-based energy firm Emerson submitted a bid for a contract to operate at Iraq's giant Zubair oil field, which reportedly holds some eight million barrels of oil.
Earlier this year, Emerson was awarded a contract to provide crude oil metering systems and other technology for a new oil terminal in Basra, currently under construction in the Persian Gulf, and the company is installing control systems in the power stations in Hilla and Kerbala.
Iraq's supergiant Rumaila oil field is already being developed by BP, and the other supergiant reserve, Majnoon oil field, is being developed by Royal Dutch Shell. Both fields are in southern Iraq.
According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), Iraq's oil reserves of 112 billion barrels ranks second in the world, only behind Saudi Arabia. The EIA also estimates that up to 90 per cent of the country remains unexplored, due to decades of US-led wars and economic sanctions.
"Prior to the 2003 invasion and occupation of Iraq, US and other western oil companies were all but completely shut out of Iraq's oil market," oil industry analyst Antonia Juhasz told Al Jazeera. "But thanks to the invasion and occupation, the companies are now back inside Iraq and producing oil there for the first time since being forced out of the country in 1973."
David 475 = Psycho !
Our next Vietnam? Why do the French even try fighting a war? The last war they won was the French Revolution, and that's just because they were fighting against the French.
Hopefully we'll keep our nose out of it.
Ah ah, good one Heinrich.
I certainly hope not as far as the Vietnam scenario.
I think we should terrorize the terrorists. Use intelligence, drones, small teams all over the place, strike them whenever there is a sizable target and equipment, increase com/web work and definitely not put 100,000 soldiers on any ground unless really called for. Also share the burden of this fight with mainly Europe taking care of Africa, men and money. I don't know where China, Russia and all other countries stand but they need to pull their weight as well. I know China is not exactly fighting terrorism while in Africa, mostly taking care of protecting their economic interests, and that is not sufficient, mostly if making economic and arms deals with the terrorists.
save-
China is stealing and what are France and the US doing ???????????????????? The same d thing.
Terrorists ? Are you that stupid and do you walk around scared of your shadow ALL OF THE TIME ???????
It's baloney. Islamists terrorists - No !!!!!!
US terrorists is more like it !!!!!!!
No, the last war the French fought and won was in Libya 2011. Just to make it clear that it was the French and British jets that did most of the job and fighting there. The US only launched cruise missiles on the first 2 days and did not fly any missions there. Of course, if it all goes well in Mali, the US will take the credit for support even if they've hardly been there. And if everything fails in Mali, well, that would be the rest of the world to blame...
The U S flew many missions there.
If I recall we even had a plane shot down.
Gusto, I'm aware that was the impression you've been given by the US media, as if you're the main part of the mission (once it all went well). But I can assure your there were hardly hardly any US jets flying there. 99% French and British + some Italian and Arabs. The US did contribute with the cruise missiles at the beginning.
Most of the French, British and German "interventions"/battles start with right dances and dramas.
You can substitute the photos here to the previous ones.
US starts just "helping" them ending up as US battling and French and co doing all sorts of dances and dramas on how to run.
Just recall Iraq and Afghan war!
When one enters into battles, one should win and not end up as another one to the long list of jokes on wars.
The French Commandos have been covering my south for quite a while now, previously the Deutsche Bundeswehr Commandos were at northeastern Afghanistan.
The US Military Forces of US AFRICOM (USARAF, USN, USAF Italy) are already at Mali; just like the US Military "Boots on the Ground" prior to the start of the "Libyan Civil War".
China and the Russian Federation are laughing at the US and US Allies.
It has been the Longtime Strategic Goal of the Chinese and Russian Federation to get the US And US Allies out of their Backyards (Resources). The Chinese and Russian Federation using the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran as their "Proxy Fighters" Worldwide, the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran using the Holy Warriors of Islam as their "Proxy Fighters" Worldwide as without these Strategic Resources the US cannot maintain the current US Standard of Living nor develope the future US Alternative Energy (as to why the US Oil Corporations spend Billions USDs in Advertising and Lobbying (Bribing) US Politicians to push Explosive Toxic Methane aka Natural Gas) and the use of Toxic Poisonous chemical Fracking poisoning the US drinking water. Oil based plastics mandatory for US and US Allies.
Alant98 - No, the last war the French fought and won was in Libya 2011. Just to make it clear that it was the French and British jets that did most of the job and fighting there. The US only launched cruise missiles on the first 2 days and did not fly any missions there.
WRONG, Alant98, so FOS (Full Of Sh!t). Do you even know who paid for all of that, including the bombs, fuel, etc. for the NATO Military Forces, can you say US Taxpayers. At the very beginning US Military Asymmetric Warfare Forces (aka Special Warfare) went into Libya. The US Military of US AFRICOM as President Obama as Commander In Chief Ordered the Attack of US Ally Libya in violation of US Law that Restricts and Limits the President's War Powers, 1973 War Powers Resolution. USN Ships and USN Boats (Submarines) launched Cruise Missile Attacks with Terminal Guidance provided by US Military Asymmetric Warfare Forces as "Boots on the Ground" with targets identified by the CIA's SAD/SOG, then the USAF conducts Airstrikes. The USN starts blockades of shipping to Libya. Finally, NATO gets involved, and runs out of bombs and fuel, so the US provides "Support" to NATO.
USAF Strike Eagle F-15 (bomber/fighter) gets shot down, crew rescued by USAF STT "Boots on the Ground" of US Military Asymmetric Warfare Forces attached to the CIA's SAD/SOG call in a USAF Recovery Helicopter.
Because President Obama helped the "Libyan Rebels" of Al Quada Saudi Arabia (AQ), Al Quada Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Al Quada Syria (AQS), Al Quada Yemen (AQY), Hezbollah, Al Quada Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), etc. that were trained by the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran's Special Forces, Quds, to Overthrow and Kill US Ally President Gaddaffi the Collaborator to the Christians, Jews, Unbelievers, the US European Allies LOST the Strategic Libyan Oil to the Ally of the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran, the Chinese; after the US And US Allies already lost the Strategic Iraqis Oil that could have paid for the US And US Allies Military Liberation of Iraq with Decades to Centuries of Iraqis Oil to the Allies of the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran, the Chinese and Russian Federation.
The US Ally, France won NOTHING.
War aren't fought to win or lose; they are fought to make money for a select few. Haven't you noticed, America and its NATO yes men, are powerful enough to win any military conflict, but they never do. They go into a country, stay for 10 years or so destroying it and its people, make a few trillion dollars for the select few, then pull out and start over somewhere else.
French can't run a small business let alone a country.
Heinrich Kroll
Even if it is true that the French didn't have much luck in their wars between 1939 and 1954, they nevertheless never suffered a military defeat in Algeria (1954-62) or during Suez intervention (1956), and their small contingent fighting in Korea (1950-53) did a pretty good job and came back highly praised.
They also have a pretty good record in smaller conflicts, especially in Africa: Madagascar, Kameroun, numerous Tchad wars, Kolwezi in 1978, etc. And they also did pretty well in First Gulf War (1990-91) and in Afghanistan from 2002 to 2012. Last but not least, let's not forget Libya War in 2011 - they, together with the British, were the ones who began the intervention...
If you go a little bit further, they also had their good moments in World War II - you can check the battles of Kufra, Bir Hakeim, landing on Elba Island, liberation of Corsica or the saga of fighter pilots from "Normandie-Niemen" air group.
If you go even a little bit further, you can see that France was the leading power amongst the victors in World War I - but the price paid for that victory was so high that it greatly cooled their enthusiasm for wars ever since... And it can be understood - just think what would be the state of mind of Ameicans about war, if during a four years conflict USA lost 1.500.000 KIA and 3.500.000 wounded
Finally, to go even further in time (but still well after French Revolution), you could check the names of battles like Marengo, Austerlitz, Iena-Auerstadt, Eylau, Friedland, Wagram, Borodino, Lutzen, Bautzen, Magenta and Solferino - you could have a surprise...
So do not count the French completely out of the war business - especially when smaller local conflicts are concerned...
Best regards
There will never be peace between the west and islam. We might as well face it, settle it, and go on to something better. Right now we are in a death-grip with them, cannot loosen our grip, and would be stupid not to finish the problem here and now. Besides, we would do the world a favor in eliminating them.
Several years before 9/11 I was telling my friends to pay attention because almost every single armed conflict taking place on the planet was muslim against somebody else. Every single one. That said to me the world had a problem on its hands, and the problem was islam.
Like doing what? Nuke 'em. We can't do that because it's wrong. I could only see that happening if they were attempting to strike first.
Islam is a religion with people behind it. Mostly good people. There are near 2 billion followers of the Islamic faith. Do you believe all 2 billions are evil? I don't. Yet if only 1 is terrorism-prone out of each 1000 , that is still 2 million terrorists. That is a lot to kill. I think only Islam can truly extinguish Islamic terrorism. I don't know if there is a strategy there. We can only truly protect our borders without cooperation, if that.
alsophia theophilos is right.
Guess what, they would nuke us, and will if they ever get the bomb, and a way to deploy it.
Hi Rocky,
I don't doubt that some of "they" seriously want that. But we have plenty more (a few thousands of warheads, that we know of) and plenty of ways to deliver them. So if they launch just one they lose, all their main cities go poof. Some fireworks. We can go that far. Those who complain, they can go poof too. I hope they(and we) are not that suicidal. Of course that would be bad for the environment.
First mistake, save the environment, using the limiting western term "Religion" for the Islamic Belief. As for most Fundamentalist Islamic Believers Islam is All, All Politics, All Religion, All Ways of Life, All Culture, All History, All Laws, etc. that supersede the politics, religions, ways of life, cultures, history, laws, etc. of all other nations.
Second mistake, the majority of the over 1.5 Billion Islamic Believers Worldwide are Fundamentalist Islamic Believers (already killed off most of the moderate peaceful Islamic Believers), the Fundamentalist Islamic Belief in the Holy Koran as current Islamic Law, especially the 109 Suras of the 114 Suras of the Holy Koran (Quran) Calls to All Islamic Believers to War Against the Christians, Jews, Unbelievers; Islamic Law of the "Murdering to Die a Horrible Death" of all Collaborators to the Christians, Jews, Unbelievers to "Dwell in that Firey Place".
Third mistake, the almost 1.8 Million Islamic Believers living at the US do NOT determine what Islam is or is not for the Majority of over 1.5 Billion Islamic Believers Worldwide (mostly Fundamentalist Islamic Believers).
Fourth mistake, the over 1.5 Billion Islamic Believers Worldwide must by current Islamic Laws provide support for the Holy Warriors of Islam as Mandatory Islamic Tithes of Trillions USDs per year. These Mandatory Islamic Tithes are not only monetary, but include Political Endorsements, Legalization of Islamic Holy Warriors of Islam (aka Terrorism), Taqiya (Lies to Advance Islam, including posting on the Internet like Jonathan-1982062 posting to fight against or stop supporting US Ally Saudi Arabia or US Ally Pakistan, while not telling the entire truth, see post#1.14 ), providing Islamic Sanctuary to Holy Warriors of Islam (aka Islamic Terrorists), etc. and finally when a Islamic Believer runs out of things as Mandatory Islamic Tithes they join the Holy Warriors of Islam in the Islamic Jihad (Holy Koran (Quran) Calls to All Islamic Believers to War Against the Christians, Jews, Unbelievers).
Fifth mistake, and the biggest, the belief, that there are only a few "Extremists", "Radical" Islamic Believers; like President Obama's propaganda. You tell me (count them) how many are only at one Rally at Tunisia after President Obama incited them during his Presidential Campaign "Osama Bin Laden is Dead, GM is Alive":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udSEcQbM308
The Holy Warriors of Islam as supported by the over 1.5 Billion Islamic Believers Worldwide thru Mandatory Islamic Tithes (Reference US Department of State):
The International Al Quada Franchise (AQ, AQY, AQS, AQI, AQAP, AQIM, AQ Somalia, etc.), Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFGaka "the Libyan Rebels"), Army of Islam Pakistan (not the Pakistanis Military), Pakistanis Taliban, Army of Islam Gaza, Hezbollah (Party of Allah, Palestine, Lebanon, Gaza, Libya, South and Central Americas, etc.), HamasForeign Fighters (Palestine, Libya, Gaza, South and Central Americas, maybe Mexico, etc.), Islamic Chechen Foreign Fighters, Muslim Brotherhood (Alexandria Egypt), Kongra Gel/Kurdistan Worker's Party (KGK/PKK), Jemaah Islamiya (JI), Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), Fatah al-Islam (FAI), Ansar al-Islam (AI), Ansar al-Sunna (AS), Abu Nidal Organization (ANO), Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AAMS), Al-Shabaab, Ansar al-Islam (AAI), Asbat al-Ansar, Gama'a al-Islamiyya (Islamic Group), Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami/Bangladesh (HUJI-B), Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HUM), Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban of Afghanistan, Islamic Jihad Union (IJU), Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) (Army of Mohammed), Jemaah Islamiya organization (JI), Kata'ib Hezbollah (KH), Lashkar-e Tayyiba (LT) (Army of the Righteous), Lashkar i Jhangvi (LJ), Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group (GICM), Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK), Palestine Liberation Front (PLF), Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), PFLP-General Command (PFLP-GC), Harakat-ul Jihad Islami (HUJI), Jundallah, etc.. Add the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
2012, US Department of States Adds: Haqquini Network (Pakistan, Afghanistan), Ansar Al Shariah (Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Mali).
Yep, save the environment, keep believing the President Obama propaganda. Ever since the US Military Training Teams to US Ally Iraq during the Iran Iraq Wars, rotated to Operaton Cyclone, of the almost thousand of us, only a few dozen of us survived, we have been fighting against the Strategic Goals of the Chinese, Russian Federation, Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran; with President Obama permanently eliminating all our successes since 2009. Soon the few of us that survived will be going back on Retirement again and it will be all on Generation X and Generation Y to deal with all of President Obama's f**k ups Worldwide. And by the way it is TOO LATE to do anything about the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran as supported by their Allies, the Chinese, Russian Federation and North Korea; after President Obama ignored the pleas of US Ally Saudi Arabia to attack before the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran finished their under mountain (like US NORAD or the USSR Ural Mountain Complex, Nuclear Attack Proof) Facilities.
And NO you cannot "nuke" anyone unless you want to start World War III (Thermo Nuclear War, Earth Ending Event). However, if a "Rogue Nation" like the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran with their Allies of the Russian Federation and Chinese or North Korea "Nuke" the US or US Allies, our Politicians will talk them to death and add to Global Warming with their hot air coming out of both ends.
British invented Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, Islamic extremist Frankenstein monsters. They are inventors, funders, promoters, exporters of Islamic extremism.
US, British, French, and west have kept the ungrateful and backstabbing “strategic allies” alive on the map.
Most of the US and west foreign policy actions are determined by oil rich Sunni rulers of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar and others, oil companies and their lobbyists.
When they flash monies or favors most politicians, think tanks, UN and its agencies start dancing.
Where was the need to invent Bosnia, seventh century Wahhabi Muslim nation in Europe?
Where were the needs for Iraqi wars?
US and allies stationed NATO forces in Saudi Arabia to save the Sunni Islamic monsters, House of Saud and fixed the golden toilets of Kuwaiti ruler with 65 wives at one time.
Pakis have been backstabbing big NATO forces in Afghanistan and half of NATO forces deaths are due to them.
Still if anything happens to Pakis, US and west jump up and down.
US and West get worried when Syrian rebels supported by the same al Qaida, MB, Salaffi and other Sunni Islamic extremists get beaten by Assad and his forces.
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a front for the Sunni Islamic extremists is stationed in Britain and it starts counting in all directions. What do the seventh century Sunni Islamic extremist beasts know about “human rights”?
UN and its agencies get worried too much.
In short: are we not committing har-kari by supporting fountainheads of Islamic extremism, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan?
Declare these two as terrorist nations and wipe them out of the map.
As long as they don't follow our war philosophy, they'll be fine. We follow the "waste unlimited money and then give it back to them" philosophy. And the "we have no plan and no exit strategy" philosophy. If that don't work, there's always "maim and kill thousands of our kids for no reason" philosophy. Moreover the "our generals can bang whoever they want because they think they're a big deal" mantra. That's how we roll... Hoorah..
You may be right on some points, but our war philosophy is following the PC mentality. When we let politicians dictate terms of a war, and set parameters, and dictate rules of engagement, and get into nation building, then we are sure doomed. See current wars.
I hope the French clean up Mali of those AlQaida pests and move on quickly.
The U.S's role in support of France will surely cause the outcome to be AFU.
farideh,
I thought you grew up in Iran, listening to... oh, never mind.
Screw AQuIM. Fewer SUV's loaded with fewer armed-holes in Mali is a good thing.
Wasn't it France, who's fight in Vietnam against terrorists, drew the US into a Guerrilla war in the 60's? Here we go again, mark my words. People better wake up soon, before your kid is being drafted and sent off to die, or have his head twisted into permanent nightmare mode.
The war on terror is a farce. Designed to make a few industrialists even more insanely rich, at the expense of the many. Their is no real threat, except to the plans of a few gazillionaires. If we wanted to simply contain the problem, we could do it easily. But that wouldnt make anyone any money. Or thin the herd...
Ahh yes, the French...
Enough said.
French Foreign Legion, Joan of Arc, Napoleon, Gauls smashing Rome. The French have fought thousands of battles, and have won a large majority of them throughout history.
A lot of people talk smack about France.....why......because Germanys war machine, their ruthlessness, their new military tactics, their new ultra fast firing machine guns and their new tanks by 100 fold out gunned France who only had a few tanks at the time as they could not make them fast enough, and they were still reeling from WW I's heavy losses.
Ummmmmm, germany had 8,800 Panzer IV's, and 5,774 Panzer III's, and the The Luftwaffe's strength at this time stood at 373,000 personnel Aircraft strength was 4,201 operational aircraft including 1,191 bombers, 361 dive bombers, 788 fighters, 431 heavy fighters. And Germanys forces were fresh off a swift victory over Poland, and had received virtually no losses.
Would you stand in front of that ?
Ah, ah. Can I bring a knife to that fight?
Vive la France!!
VIVA Africa.
We need to keep to (*(*& out of this. The French can handle it on their own or get out on their own. Let the other UN countries help out for once. We are not the worlds keepers and have enough problems at home with an incompetent president and a failed government.
Don't let the French drag us into another war they started but can't finish. Remember Iraqi when the French refused to get involved. I see no reason to support the French in any way.
Like Vietnam?
the french told you there was no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, just like vietnam when they told you not to get involved, YOU DID NOT LISTEN !!! France refuses to engage in ILLEGAL WARS !!!
Educate yourself instead of spreading idiotic comments on the internet !
France does not fight illegal wars? What were they doing Vietnam? Trying to hang on to their failed Empire! Ho Che Minh was afreedom fighter, wanted his country to be free of outside gov- this was a result WWII ending the French tried to recover their old colony. WE got involved because idiots threw out the old stop commun isn BS. Further more what about Algeria? Or were you being sacastic?
Good luck with that nation building @ France . It has cost the USof A a few trillion . It does make the republicans happy though . Gotta have a war somewhere .
You mean like Bill Clintons Serbia war? U.S.Forces still there you know! Or Obamas slight of hand shell game, pull out of Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan...re-insert same into Africa. Can't talk about that, those guys are Democrats. Even Leon Panetta admitted he will put troops into 35 African countries. Whoops, he's a Democrat?
hmmm not good when the french military shows up on the scene -- they have a history of turning a situation into a big pile of sh*t and then just walking away -- thats when the US military then shows up --- to clean up their mess.....i am sure we have not heard the last of this --- Go Barry!!
I don't care what people say.
I want France to hit them as hard as they can.
Run them into the desert.
Kill every one of them they can find and burn every Holy Krayon they see.
Muslims fanatics will always hate us and want to kill us, even if we don't help the French.
Still I take my hat off to France on taking this initiative and on supporting Mali in its fight against this evil cult of Islam & I agree that we should help them us much as possibly.
Deja Vu, Dien Bien Phu,n'est-pas' Le'gion E'trangere must be bored."French are only concerned with eating pastry and making love with their faces." Last of the Mohicans
Hey ! lets throw a bunch of Canadians in the mix,POTUS likes them also.
nbc comments sections always seem to attract so many extreme viewpoints...maybe that's who's up when I am at four am.
Go froggies. Go in hard and turn it into a big carpark. These muslim pork munchers need to be wiped off the face of the earth quickly. ban all media coverage till after the show is over.
Viva la froggies.
Good for you France. Most countries would turn their back on former colonies. Think of Rhodesia. Will that country ever recover from being abandon by England.
the french told you there was no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, just like vietnam when they told you not to get involved, YOU DID NOT LISTEN !!! France refuses to engage in ILLEGAL WARS !!!
Educate yourself instead of spreading idiotic comments on the internet !
americanfools.. excellent post , kudos..
Hope they send 1,000 white flags as well, not to mention rubberized padding for 1,000 rifles hitting the ground.
I wish, tho, that France would address and get rid of the Muslim problem in their own country. I worry for them and Europe as a whole. Meanwhile, while they have small families, they send their soldiers to just one of many countries in Africa that Islam has or is trying to take over. I hope this is not (like one article on here yesterday suggested this is a dangerous trap) the final wiping out of the French people, as planned by Islam.
Eventually we will stop lying to ourselves and accept the fact that islam is not a peaceful religion.
Good grief. I love to read the comments here. Let me see, you have blamed Obama, GW Bush, Christianity, Islam, and Corperate greed. Wow we as a race (Human) realy suck! Mind you, most of the commentors wrote via thier Corporate sold iPads, while drinking thier cups of Mocha lattes. Oh also they voted in Obama and Bush, and use the oil, gold, platinum and other resouces found in Mali and other countries. Seems we can blame almost everyone but the true culprits. US!
For the love of God, why are we involved with this!!!! I swear our government is the worst we've ever had, we just can't stop sticking our nose in other people's business and, it seems, we never learn.