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Africa North
France Launches Airstrikes in Mali to Support Government
2013-01-12
[VOA News] La Belle France has carried out Arclight airstrikes in Mali to support government forces trying to stem advances by Islamist bully boys.

La Belle France's foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, confirmed the air raids Friday, but declined to give more details about the military operation.

La Belle France announced earlier Friday that it had deployed troops to Mali at the request of the government. Troops from Nigeria and Senegal
... a nation of about 14 million on the west coast of Africa bordering Mauretania to the north, Mali to the east, and a pair of Guineas to the south, one of them Bissau. It is 90 percent Mohammedan and has more than 80 political parties. Its primary purpose seems to be absorbing refugees...
also are in Mali to help government forces.

Malian military officials say the attacks have stopped the offensive by beturbanned fascisti. The rebels, who control all of the north of the country, had pushed south this week, taking the town of Konna. A Malian army officer, Colonel Oumar Dao, told news hounds that the troops from Nigeria, Senegal and La Belle France are in the central town of Sevare, not far from the town of Konna.
Posted by:Fred

#3  There are small units of French troops in most of their former colonies.
Posted by: Pappy   2013-01-12 11:33  

#2  Just a guess mind you, but my money is on Chad being their Point of Origin. The French are very feisty about the goings on in that neighborhood.
Posted by: Besoeker   2013-01-12 08:28  

#1  Unlikely the aircraft are based in metro France.
So they're based in the neighborhood. That means the French either had a logistics arrangement and pre-positioned supplies someplace around there, or they could put one together most PDQ and with the full cooperation of the government in question, whichever one that was.
So, either the French have a butt-kicking, speed-of-light planning staff and the loggy stuff ready to go, or it was all done in good time with something like this anticipated.
I would really, really like to know why, if it's the latter case, they figured they needed to be ready like this.
If it's the first case, I need to start drinking again.
Posted by: Richard Aubrey   2013-01-12 07:48  

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