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

[AWP]

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.

 

[Marauder06]

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."

 

[AWP]

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...

 

[Marauder06]

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.

 

[Kraut783]

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

 

[RackMaster]

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.

 

[Brill]

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.

 

[mike_cos]

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?..)