# Lot's going on in Mali, Somalia, and Algeria



## dknob (Jan 17, 2013)

But not much talk around SS on this.

Lot's of info coming in from Algeria, alleging an ALgerian air strike killed 34 hostages and a dozen militants.

Hope it's not true


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## Frank S. (Jan 17, 2013)

Early yet, but what I just read on French news (Figaro), the information is coming from both a hostage taker and another undefined source. Go figure.

http://fr.news.yahoo.com/prise-dotage-algérie-larmée-donne-lassaut-134300923.html

"Des hélicoptères algériens ont bombardé jeudi le complexe gazier, a affirmé un ravisseur à une agence de presse mauritanienne proche de leur groupe. Une information confirmée par une source au _Figaro_. Trente-quatre otages et quinze islamistes auraient péri dans les frappes, déclare ce média."


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## DasBoot (Jan 17, 2013)

I keep hearing how SOF will still be busy at war post-OEF. I guess this is the sort of thing everyone was talking about?


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## 21C (Jan 17, 2013)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-17/hostages-killed-in-strike-on-algeria-gas-field-reports/4470218

Article on the Operation that has allegedly resulted in the deaths of 30 of the 45 hostages and a few of the militants.


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## pardus (Jan 17, 2013)

Sadly Algeria has been fucked for years.

Gen Aussaresses must be amused by the irony. The Algerian regime came to power through terrorism.


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## AWP (Jan 17, 2013)

A Savage War of Peace is a good read, probably something policy makers in Africa should thumb through....


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## pardus (Jan 17, 2013)

Freefalling said:


> A Savage War of Peace is a good read, probably something policy makers in Africa should thumb through....


 
Ive not read it. I have read this though and very much enjoyed it and learned a lot.


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## AWP (Jan 17, 2013)

Yeah, you need to check out SWoP. It covers the whole thing from pre-WWII through to the end. I like De Gaulle less (not that I cared for him much before) and saw some interesting parallels between the French in Algeria and the French in Vietnam and the Americans in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan...


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## pardus (Jan 17, 2013)

You liked De Gaulle at some point???


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## AWP (Jan 17, 2013)

pardus said:


> You liked De Gaulle at some point???


 
I didn't want to see him burned at the stake, if that's what you mean. Now? I'll collect the firewood.


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## pardus (Jan 17, 2013)

Freefalling said:


> I didn't want to see him burned at the stake, if that's what you mean. Now? I'll collect the firewood.


 
OAS hates you...


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## Brill (Jan 18, 2013)

dknob said:


> But not much talk around SS on this.
> 
> Lot's of info coming in from Algeria...



Despite having/creating AFRICOM, the US really doesn't care about that continent.  Sure the Admin will pay lip service, but the Chinese have already beaten us to the punch for the strategic natural resources.  Outside of that, and that's even a stretch, why should we care?  Terrorism?  Failed States?  Human suffering?


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## EAL92 (Jan 18, 2013)

It's not just Algeria, the french are in Mali. Plus they fucked up the a hostage rescue in somalia and got another guy captured. It's all that they're talking about on the french news.


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## EAL92 (Jan 18, 2013)

Whoops, I restated info....


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## Marauder06 (Jan 18, 2013)

EAL92 said:


> Whoops, I restated info....


 
It was worth being said again.


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## AWP (Jan 18, 2013)

pardus said:


> OAS hates you...


 
Weren't they anti-De Gualle? Why would they hate me? Like I said I didn't care for the guy before, now I really dislike the guy. He was a turd.


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## pardus (Jan 18, 2013)

Freefalling said:


> Weren't they anti-De Gualle? Why would they hate me? Like I said I didn't care for the guy before, now I really dislike the guy. He was a turd.


 
Yeah, they were very anti him. Everyone hates you, just accept it...


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## AWP (Jan 18, 2013)

pardus said:


> Yeah, they were very anti him. Everyone hates you, just accept it...


 
Someone hating me because I'm anti-De Gualle is just douche-tastic, but someone hating me because I'm me? What else is new? I count my personal wealth in terms of who are my friends and who are my enemies.


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## Marauder06 (Jan 18, 2013)

lindy said:


> Despite having/creating AFRICOM, the US really doesn't care about that continent. Sure the Admin will pay lip service, but the Chinese have already beaten us to the punch for the strategic natural resources. Outside of that, and that's even a stretch, why should we care? Terrorism? Failed States? Human suffering?


 
We can care all we like, but we shouldn't do anything about it unless it's in our vital strategic national interests to do so.


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## pardus (Jan 18, 2013)

Africa is all about resources. Always has been, always will.


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## AWP (Jan 18, 2013)

Marauder06 said:


> We can care all we like, but we shouldn't do anything about it unless it's in our vital strategic national interests to do so.


 
But there's the rub...recently, even if we care we either won't do anything about it or if we do we'll totally dick it up. We've had some successes here and there, but those typically come in places where we've had a long term precense/ relationship and have been so far off the radar no one cares about them which means SOF organizations are taking point.

I'm really interested to see how the 1st ID's FID mission in Libya will go.


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## Marauder06 (Jan 18, 2013)

I thought this was an interesting article on Mali:

http://news.msn.com/world/how-islamist-groups-seized-control-in-mali



> "Al-Qaida never owned Afghanistan," former United Nations diplomat Robert Fowler, a Canadian kidnapped and held for 130 days by an al-Qaida chapter, told the AP. "They do own northern Mali."


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## AWP (Jan 18, 2013)

That is a good point. They were renting to own maybe, had some enclaves that were theirs, but they never owned it.

I'm sure nothing bad will come of this...


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## Marauder06 (Jan 18, 2013)

I agree.  They didn't need to own it, they had the Taliban take care of all the administrative overhead of (kind of) running a (kind of) country.  All they wanted was sanctuary to train and launch attacks, which they achieved.


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## Kraut783 (Jan 18, 2013)

Pfft....."TIA", things change for short periods of time, then slowly...or sometimes quickly....fails.


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## RackMaster (Jan 18, 2013)

As much of an expert on Africa, Robert Fowler is; he is completely biased in his opinion now.  He was kidnapped and held by the same group.  He's been pushing for Canada to roll in heavy handed since his release and current operations are making him more vocal.  I'm not saying those fuckers don't have a lead deficiency that needs fixed.


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## Brill (Jan 18, 2013)

Marauder06 said:


> We can care all we like, but we shouldn't do anything about it unless it's in our vital strategic national interests to do so.



With all due respect Sir, Grenada wouldn't be the peace lovely democratic country that it is today without our intervention to liberate them from the Cuban horde that was on our very doorstep!  Think of all those poor innocent med students!!!!

I'd rather our tax dollars (in the form of long term FID) go to the Sahel and HOA regions than sending those same dollars to Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, and Pakistan.

That being said, we should support the friendly governments of the region to destroy AQIM for if we do not act sooner, we will have to later after...we've been down this EXACT same road before with a spoiled little Saudi kid.

Regarding AQ "owning" northern Mali, total BS.  The local populace up there (northern Mali is WAY different than southern Mali) has never been a fan of extremism, sure they have supporters but when Ansar Dine started messing with the mud mosque and the ancient manuscripts in Timbuktu, they lost the hearts and minds of the average Joe.


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## mike_cos (Jan 18, 2013)

As you all know France has already messed up in Libya with Sarkonò... oops Sarkozy, those who think that Holland will do better does not know the french or does not know communists (uhm.. is there difference?..)


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