The Mali situation

delft said:

You don't develop markets in an area by making war there. Of course just getting out the gold and uranium might have value but the protection costs are likely to be stiff. And if you choose uranium are you neglecting thorium?

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True, but there's more to it than that. French construction and engineering companies can exploit the building of infrastructures in Mali at their own terms. And those roads and railroads are needed to transport goods all across Africa, especially since Mali doesn't have a coast line for shipping.

Malian Islam supports the French intervention

For the High Islamic Council of Mali, this military intervention is not a crusade against Islam but rather a war to liberate a country that is more than 90% Muslim.

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Franklin said:

I fail to see what the French strategy is in Mali. If they want to retake the northern part of the country from the rebels then there are too few troops on the ground to do that. If they merely wants to protect the capital and prevent the government in Bamako from falling then this will be a long term commitment. Then this won't be the swift action of months that president François Hollande promised. But it will take years, because as soon as the French forces leave Mali the capital and the government there will be in danger again. And training up the Malian forces or their west African allies will take much time. Just look at Iraq and Afghanistan where the Americans and NATO tried to set up a indigenous force there for the past 8 to 10 years to replace their own forces and they still failed to achieve all their goals.

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Maybe more of something in the middle. The situation is still fluid and perhaps the French are merely trying to stabilize and hold the line first. Even retaking the northern part doesn't mean you won't need troops to occupy it. US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan could retake areas quickly but it's occupying and pacifying the area that has dragged on indefinitely.

George Little ‏@PentagonPresSec
#SecDef spoke to his French counterpart today. The US is adding US refueling missions to its support for French operations in Mali. #allies

George Little ‏@PentagonPresSec
The United States will continue to support the French mission in Mali, and we will provide airlift into Mali for African countries also.

Equation said:

True, but there's more to it than that. French construction and engineering companies can exploit the building of infrastructures in Mali at their own terms. And those roads and railroads are needed to transport goods all across Africa, especially since Mali doesn't have a coast line for shipping.

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Western countries don't build railroads in Africa, not since the end of the colonial regimes. Only the Chinese build them, the first was the TAZARA railway from Dar-es-Salaam to Zambia in the early '70's.

2e REP (Foreign Legion) paradrop on Timbuktu

Monday morning, a drop by 2 C-130 and 3 C-160 took place north of the city of Timbuktu to lock access. A Company of "very strengthened 2e REP" jumped successfully. It left from Abidjan where she had been prepositioned.

Simultaneously, Joint Task Force approaching from the west (left Niono on Friday) took control of the airport in Timbuktu. These ground forces (600 men) were supported by helicopters and airplanes Atlantique 2 and UAVs.

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[video=youtube;QZVvhuiXaBc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZVvhuiXaBc[/video]

at 0:26

French SF: "It's OK, Colonel, the city is yours"
Malian Colonel: "Ok but follow us"

speaks for itself

Firearms Blog Caught this odd Ak froma poster who took it from a screen capture of a video on the fighting in Mali

This Is a fighter from Chad Note his AK. It's An AKM, Now Normally When we see Costom Ak's in places like Africa they are the Dictators, Drug lords or Warlords and it's usually all about the Bling Bling...
Gold Plated with engravings and jem stones. I look at them as gun rack Queens and a waste of a good weapon. But this guy... He scares me.
That is One BA AK!
the stock is a M4 based unit made by CAA tactical ( if you think you have seen it before You may have It's standard on IDF M4's)
The Rail is Mako Group as is the Fore-grip, The Optic looks like a Eotech HWS I think a 557 model. the Rail Optic and grip are American.

The weapon has taken some damage. I have prepared the fallowing graphic with the Help of Dr. Noob
The lower unit is stock AKM the top is my guess at a restored version.

seems The fighter is a mamber the Forces Armées et de Sécurité. In other words a member of Chad's military

TerraN_EmpirE said:

Firearms Blog Caught this odd Ak froma poster who took it from a screen capture of a video on the fighting in Mali

This Is a fighter from Chad Note his AK. It's An AKM, Now Normally When we see Costom Ak's in places like Africa they are the Dictators, Drug lords or Warlords and it's usually all about the Bling Bling...
Gold Plated with engravings and jem stones. I look at them as gun rack Queens and a waste of a good weapon. But this guy... He scares me.
That is One BA AK!
the stock is a M4 based unit made by CAA tactical ( if you think you have seen it before You may have It's standard on IDF M4's)

The Rail is Mako Group as is the Fore-grip, The Optic looks like a Eotech HWS I think a 557 model. the Rail Optic and grip are American.

The weapon has taken some damage. I have prepared the fallowing graphic with the Help of Dr. Noob
The lower unit is stock AKM the top is my guess at a restored version.

seems The fighter is a mamber the Forces Armées et de Sécurité. In other words a member of Chad's military

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I guess he just unlocked the 'Bling' perk in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 - The Maghreb

Funny You should say that...

A good French blog especially for Mali