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| Africa North | |
| French anti-terror judge says 'no choice' but war in Mali | |
| 2013-01-16 | |
[FRANCE24] France's top anti-terrorist investigating judge has warned that an Islamist-controlled northern Mali is a dangerous potential training ground for jihadists wanting to launch attacks against France
Marc Trévidic, 47, told left-leaning daily Libération on Tuesday that while taking the fight to al Qaeda-linked Malian extremists made France an "ever more obvious target" for terror attacks, "we don't have any choice but to go to war". France launched Operation Serval on Friday against the Islamists now controlling northern Mali; its main aim to stop the rebels moving south towards the capital Bamako. As Libération published excerpts from his book "Terrorists: the seven pillars of folly", Trévidic explained that Mali, a former French colony, was the most easily accessible and attractive destination for would-be terrorists with their eyes on French targets. "I'm not a warmonger, but if 2,000 or 3,000 jihadists were able to install themselves in Bamako there would be very little we could do to be able to dislodge them," he said. "Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) wants to paint France as aggressors -- but the group have nevertheless been central to a number of kidnappings of French citizens and is constantly making threats against France. They have to be stopped." | |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Likudniks! |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2013-01-16 00:32 |