The fighting in Syria has killed close to 65,000 people in the last year and a half. Now, a new battle in the North Africa is joining Syria as a place for mass death. The nation of Mali is in North Africa, just south of Algeria and west of Niger. It is home to about 15 million people, 90% of whom are Muslims. In the last year, an insurgency led by al Qaeda affiliates has taken control of the northern half of the country. It is a desolate area, large in size but with only a few million people. Indeed, it is the location of Timbuktu, the city whose very name gives rise to being in the middle of nowhere. Nevertheless, northern Mali is now being governed by the strictures of intolerant Islam as practiced by al Qaeda. Further, the al Qaeda forces are moving on the southern half of the country.
Over the weekend, France sent armed forces to confront the terrorists moving south. French fighter jets bombed terrorist positions and French helicopters also attacked. The French government sent about 500 troops to bolster the defense of the southern half of Mali. The UK is also sending armed assistance and there is talk that American drones will also be joining the battle. In response, al Qaeda has announced that it will be attacking targets in France and elsewhere.
It is more than interesting that the West is intervening in an African civil war but was unwilling to do so in one in Syria. Why is Mali of more strategic value than Syria? The simple answer is that Syria is much more important than Mali. In Mali, however, there are no countries that see a gain from backing the terrorists, while in Syria, there are many who hope to profit from backing the Assad regime including, among others, Russia, China and Iran.
If it turns out that American forces are being deployed into Mali, even if those forces are just to carry out drone strikes, then we deserve to get an explanation from president Obama as to why Mali is now to be another area in which US lives are to be placed at risk. One can only imagine the outcry had George Bush sent drones to participate in a war in Mali. I realize that the press will not push to hard to oppose this involvement, but at least we ought to get an explanation as to what is being done and why.
Over the weekend, France sent armed forces to confront the terrorists moving south. French fighter jets bombed terrorist positions and French helicopters also attacked. The French government sent about 500 troops to bolster the defense of the southern half of Mali. The UK is also sending armed assistance and there is talk that American drones will also be joining the battle. In response, al Qaeda has announced that it will be attacking targets in France and elsewhere.
It is more than interesting that the West is intervening in an African civil war but was unwilling to do so in one in Syria. Why is Mali of more strategic value than Syria? The simple answer is that Syria is much more important than Mali. In Mali, however, there are no countries that see a gain from backing the terrorists, while in Syria, there are many who hope to profit from backing the Assad regime including, among others, Russia, China and Iran.
If it turns out that American forces are being deployed into Mali, even if those forces are just to carry out drone strikes, then we deserve to get an explanation from president Obama as to why Mali is now to be another area in which US lives are to be placed at risk. One can only imagine the outcry had George Bush sent drones to participate in a war in Mali. I realize that the press will not push to hard to oppose this involvement, but at least we ought to get an explanation as to what is being done and why.
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