Tunisian Revolution and the Middle East--And Now, The Withdrawal From Afghanistan (M.E.T.)

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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-terror-mali-20130115,0,4876209.story

U.S. moves to bolster French military campaign in Mali

The Obama administration is preparing to ferry hundreds of additional French troops to the North African country of Mali, bolstering a rapidly evolving military campaign in the latest conflict with Al Qaeda affiliates.

U.S. officials said they also were making plans to send drones or other surveillance aircraft and provide help with aerial refueling of French fighter jets, which bombed columns of Al Qaeda-allied militants in northern Mali for a fourth straight day Monday.

The Pentagon's moves reflect growing concern in Washington about rebel advances, and a decision by the Obama administration to back France's operation after months of inaction. French officials said they had halted the rebels' advance on Bamako, the capital, but insurgents later overran Malian forces in a town about 200 miles northeast of the capital.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/01/201311542640313525.html?utm_content=automate&utm_campaign=Trial6&utm_source=NewSocialFlow&utm_term=plustweets&utm_medium=MasterAccount

France had 'no choice' over Mali intervention

The French ambassador to the United Nations has said that his country launched a military intervention in Mali because it believed that the existence of the country was at stake.

Gerard Araud told a closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday that France was responding to calls for help from the government of the former French colony.

Hours earlier, rebel fighters in Mali responded to French airstrikes and military action with a counter-offensive, overrunning the town of Diabaly, French and Malian authorities confirmed.

Araud said France had "no other choice" but to help the Malian government.

"We will defend [the capital] Bamako. We will not let the southern part of the country, with its 13 million inhabitants, fall to terrorist groups," said Araud.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/01/2013114104752470169.html?utm_content=automate&utm_campaign=Trial6&utm_source=NewSocialFlow&utm_term=plustweets&utm_medium=MasterAccount

Don't make the same anti-terrorism mistakes in Mali

While it is abundantly clear that certain Islamist groups are calling the shots in the North, conversations with Malians in the south of the country suggest that many continue to make little or no distinction between three distinct assemblages in the North: Tuareg civilians who are just trying to live their lives; Tuareg rebels (largely represented by the MNLA) who initiated the rebellion to create an autonomous state; and Islamists who support sharia law and often have connections to groups outside the country. Many Malians blame the MNLA for initiating the rebellion and problematically conflate them with innocent Tuareg civilians and Islamist groups.

This failure to consistently distinguish between different groups in the North by multiple stakeholders (including the interim Malian government and its army backers, a significant proportion of the population in the south, and many international observers) portends longer term trouble for the significant military drive to push back the rebels begun by France this past weekend. Because of this unwillingness to differentiate, military initiatives - which must necessarily involve the Malian military in ground operations - stand a good probability of inflicting high levels of collateral damage, particularly on innocent Tuareg civilians who are likely to be unfairly associated with the Islamist rebels.

This potential collateral damage should be of deep concern for at least three reasons. First and foremost, the Malian government, the French military and the international community have an obligation to avoid clumping together the innocent with the guilty in order to avert the loss of life and human rights abuses amongst blameless civilians. Second, if there was no significant support amongst Tuaregs for an independent state known as Azawad before, collateral damage amongst innocent civilians will tend to foster this. Third, anti-terrorism efforts in other parts of the world involving an outside military component have only ever succeeded on the narrow grounds of disabling military capacity and have largely failed when it comes to building peaceful regions under democratic governance.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21023219

Mali conflict: France to increase troop numbers

Mr Hollande, visiting the United Arab Emirates, said new air strikes overnight had "achieved their goal".

West African military chiefs will meet in Mali on Tuesday to discuss how an alliance with the French will work.

France began its intervention on Friday with the aim of halting the Islamists' advance south towards the capital.

Late on Monday, the UN Security Council unanimously backed the intervention.

Mr Hollande, on a visit to the French regional military base known as Peace Camp in Abu Dhabi, said: "For now, we have 750 men and the number will increase. New strikes overnight achieved their goal."

He said that assembling an African military force to work with the French troops could take a "good week".

The French contingent is expected to rise to 2,500 in the coming weeks.

Some 30 French tanks and armoured troop transport vehicles crossed into Mali from Ivory Coast on Monday, with a helicopter escort, witnesses said.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/16/us-mali-france-mission-idUSBRE90F0EL20130116

Analysis - France digs in for long, uncertain stay in Mali

In five days, France's mercy dash to Mali to stop al Qaeda-linked Islamists seizing the capital has bounced it into a promise to keep troops there until its West African former colony is finally back on its feet.

Exactly how long that will take is hard to say. But Africa's latest war is likely to entail a long stay for France with an exit strategy that will depend largely on allies who have yet to prove they are ready for the fight.

"We should get used to the idea we are embarking on a major mission alongside Malian and African forces for the duration," Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said late on Tuesday.

France threw crack troops and state-of-the-art hardware including Rafale and Mirage jets into Mali, quickly blocking the rebels' advance south and destroying many of their operating bases, fuel and munitions stocks with air strikes in the north.

Paris can rely on intelligence from its Harfang surveillance drones and 800 soldiers have been redeployed, some from missions in Chad and Ivory Coast. Others, including units hardened by battle in Afghanistan, will bring the total up to 2,500.

But France is adamant it wants to transfer leadership of the operation to troops promised by nations of the West African ECOWAS regional grouping and to Malian forces which the European Union has promised to train up to battleground standards.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/16/us-mali-rebels-town-idUSBRE90F0GK20130116

French, Malian troops encircle Islamist rebels in central Mali

French ground troops deployed around the central Malian town of Niono on Wednesday in a bid to halt any further advance by Islamist rebels who have seized the nearby village of Diabaly, Malian military sources said.

"French forces have secured Niono to stop the Islamists advancing to Segou while the Malian army is securing the border area with Mauritania," said one source. "They are now encircled and a final assault is only a matter of time."

In a sixth day of air assaults, French fighter jets also struck the headquarters of the Islamic police in Niafunke, near the ancient caravan town of Timbuktu, local residents said.

Edited January 16, 2013 by visionary

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/16/algeria-kidnap-idUSL6N0AL5LB20130116

Dozens held after Islamists attack Algerian gas field

Islamist militants attacked a gas field in Algeria on Wednesday, claiming to have kidnapped up to 41 foreigners including seven Americans in a dawn raid in retaliation for France's intervention in Mali, according to regional media reports.

The raiders were also reported to have killed three people, including a Briton and a French national.

An al Qaeda affiliated group said the raid had been carried out because of Algeria's decision to allow France to use its air space for attacks against Islamists in Mali, where French forces have been in action against al Qaeda-linked militants since last week.

The attack in southern Algeria also raised fears that the French action in Mali could prompt further Islamist revenge attacks on Western targets in Africa, where al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) operates across borders in the Sahara desert, and in Europe.

https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak

AFP: Kidnappers demand release of 100 Islamists held in Algeria in exchange for hostages

1:37 PM

https://twitter.com/FromJoanne

Algeria MoI Dahou said on Nat TV: Algeria-n authorities "will not meet the demands of terrorists and refuse any negotiation

1:58 PM

Egypt:

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/62660/Egypt/Politics-/Shura-Council-agrees-women-will-be-amongst-first-f.aspx

Shura Council agrees women will be amongst first four candidates on any given electoral list

The Shura Council approved in its Wednesday session an article in the elections law that stipulates that women must be included amongst the first four candidates on any given electoral list in the upcoming parliamentary elections expected in April, according to Ahram Arabic website.

The article stirred debate and disagreement within the legislative body as the Salafist El-Nour Party opposed it, considering it discriminatory. Others, however, argued for the law, considering it an instrument of positive discrimination that empowers women.

Edited January 16, 2013 by visionary

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/16/us-mali-rebels-towns-idUSBRE90F16P20130116

In northern Mali, civilians between hope and fear

In the far-flung desert cities of northern Mali, civilians weary of the violent rule of Islamist rebels hope French troops can rout them but fear being caught in crossfire as fighters try to melt into the local population.

Several residents contacted by telephone in Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu, towns that are each home to a few tens of thousands of people, told Reuters that militants were keeping out of sight of roving French assault aircraft but could still put up a fight.

Having put Mali's army to flight nine months ago and imposed a harsh form of Islamic law in oasis towns they occupied across thousands of miles of Sahara, al Qaeda's north African wing AQIM and its allies from Mali's MUJWA and Ansar Dine have some local sympathizers. But many residents say they wish them gone.

"There is a great hope," one man said from Timbuktu, the ancient trading city 700 km (450 miles) northeast of the Malian capital Bamako. "We hope that the city will be freed soon.

"People are eagerly awaiting the arrival of ground troops."

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/washington-scrambles-to-respond-to-us-hostage-situation-86289.html

Washington scrambles to respond to U.S. hostage situation

Military commanders and State Department officials were scrambling Wednesday to figure out what happened at an Algerian natural gas field after Islamist insurgents claimed to have taken American hostages there.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta confirmed to reporters traveling with him in Italy that there were Americans being held after what he described as a “terrorist attack,” and vowed the U.S. “will take all necessary and proper steps,” The Associated Press reported, but officials in Washington did not have much information beyond that.

https://twitter.com/HannahAllam

Senior US official stresses that hostage taking happened near Algeria's border with Libya, not Mali

2:40 PM

Sr US official: US continuing w/Mali support, to airlift in French forces, ECOWAS African troops, under UNSC resolution

2:43 PM

Sr US official: we're working thru legal issues bec can't directly aid Malian govt because of coup. Considering renting planes for airlift. Sr US official: dealt w/same legal issues in Somalia. Nigeria, S Africa have airlift capacity, we'd pay for fuel/airtime to lift forces

2:46 PM

Sr US official: US not giving lethal aid to Mali [ECOWAS African forces], looking at flashlights, body armor, canteens, uniforms, malaria meds, first aid kits

2:48 PM

US official: French working with EU to bring 250 military trainers to help get Malian military in fighting shape

2:51 PM

Edited January 16, 2013 by visionary

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http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/01/201311715639188977.html

US to recognise Somali government

The United States will recognise the Somali government in Mogadishu, ending a diplomatic hiatus that has lasted more than 20 years, a senior US official said.

US secretary of state Hillary Clinton will announce the shift during a meeting on Thursday with visiting Somali president Hassan Sheikkh Mohamud, whose election last year marked the first vote of its kind since warlords toppled military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, assistant secretary of state Johnnie Carson told reporters on Wednesday.

"When the secretary meets with Hassan Sheikh tomorrow, she will exchange diplomatic notes with him and recognise the Somali government in Mogadishu for the first time in 20 years," Carson told a news briefing.

The US never formally severed diplomatic ties with Somalia, whose slide into anarchy was highlighted by the 1993 "Black Hawk Down" incident which saw militia fighters shoot down two US military helicopters over Mogadishu.

In subsequent years, Al Qaeda-linked Al Shabab insurgents seized control of large areas in the south and central parts of the country before Ethiopian, Kenyan and African peacekeeping (AMISOM) troops began a long, US-supported counter-offensive aimed at restoring order.

The formation of the new government, led by Mohamud, is the culmination of a regionally brokered, UN-backed effort to end close to two decades of fighting that has killed tens of thousands of people.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/17/world/africa/us-sees-hazy-threat-from-mali-militants.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0

U.S. Sees Hazy Threat From Mali Militants

As Islamic militants methodically carved out a base in the desert of northern Mali over the past year, officials in Washington, Paris and African capitals struggling with military plans to drive the Islamists out of the country agreed on one principle: African troops, not European or American soldiers, would fight the battle of Mali.

But the surprise French assault last Friday to blunt the Islamists’ advance upended those plans and set off a cascading series of events, culminating in a raid on Wednesday by militants on a foreign-run gas field in Algeria. That attack threatens to widen the violence in an impoverished region and drag Western governments deeper into combating an incipient insurgency.

And yet the rush of events has masked the fact that officials in Washington still have only an impressionistic understanding of the militant groups that have established a safe haven in Mali, and they are deeply divided about whether some of these groups even pose a threat to the United States.

Moreover, the hostage situation in Algeria has only heightened concerns that a Western military intervention could transform militant groups that once had only a regional focus into avowed enemies of the United States — in other words, that the backlash might end up being worse than the original threat.

Largely for these reasons, the Obama administration adopted a strategy over the past year to contain the Islamists in Mali until African troops were ready to confront them, rather than to challenge them directly with an American military campaign of drone strikes or commando raids.

https://twitter.com/weddady

Although the French military is at a disadvantage in Mali they are arguably the best force out there to fight this..

5:58 PM

France military was re-designed for these kind of ops. Their main weakness is their inadequate logistical support capabilities

6:01 PM

France has an important decision to make: either front the whole op to score a decisive win, or risk waiting for subpar ECOWAS troops..

6:03 PM

If Hollande decides that France cannot afford 2 get bogged down indefinitely in Mali then he'll have to commit at least another Division

6:06 PM

France already committed troops in Mali include some of their best units: marines, foreign legion, paras. all are elite units.

6:08 PM

Edited January 17, 2013 by visionary

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http://www.todayszaman.com/news-304296-algeria-mulls-intl-force-to-free-desert-hostages.html

Algeria mulls intl force to free desert hostages

Algerian officials scrambled Thursday for a way to end an armed standoff deep in the Sahara desert with Islamic militants who have taken dozens of foreigners hostage, turning to tribal Algerian Tuareg leaders for talks and contemplating an international force.

The government was in talks throughout the night with the United States and France over whether they could help against the militants, who say they attacked the natural gas plant in retaliation for France's military intervention against al-Qaida-linked rebels in neighboring Mali.

The group claiming responsibility - called Katibat Moulathamine or the Masked Brigade - says it has captured 41 foreigners, including seven Americans, in the surprise attack Wednesday on the Ain Amenas gas plant.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/17/us-algeria-violence-escape-idUSBRE90G0DL20130117

30 Algerian workers escape desert gas facility: APS

Thirty Algerian workers have managed to escape from the desert gas facility where dozens of hostages are being held hostage by an al Qaeda-affiliated group, Algeria's official APS news agency said on Thursday.

https://twitter.com/AP

BREAKING: Algerian official: 20 foreign hostages, including Americans, escape from their captors

6:47 AM

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/17/us-algeria-hostages-attack-idUSBRE90G0KI20130117

Algerian helicopters attack plant, two Japanese hostages hurt: ANI

Two Algerian army helicopters attacked the gas complex where Islamists have seized dozens of foreigners and Algerians, injuring two of the Japanese hostages, Mauritania's ANI news agency reported, citing one of the kidnappers.

Edited January 17, 2013 by visionary

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https://twitter.com/natlsecuritycnn

Algeria operation led by Algerian Special Forces, a "land action" that freed nearly 600 workers and foreign nationals-state media

3:50 PM

Holy ****! 600 hostages?

http://www.todayszaman.com/news-304380-turkey-says-it-backs-mali-intervention-to-restore-democracy.html

Turkey says it backs Mali intervention to restore democracy

Following a long silence on the French-led intervention in Mali backed by its African neighbors, Turkey finally threw weight behind the military operation against rebels in the country’s north and said it believes in the benefit of the implementation of UN Security Council resolution in this regard.

A Foreign Ministry statement on Thursday said Ankara is closely monitoring developments in Mali and it will continue supporting international efforts to restore national reconciliation and democracy through free elections as fighting raged on the seventh day of the French-led military intervention to wrest back Mali's north from al Qaeda-linked groups.

Northern Mali fell under rebel control after a March military coup in Bamako triggered a Tuareg-led rebel offensive that seized the north and split the West African nation in two.

France, which has poured hundreds of troops into the Malian capital Bamako in recent days, carried out increased air raids this week in the vast desert area seized last year by an alliance grouping al Qaeda's north African wing, AQIM, alongside Mali's home-grown MUJWA and Ansar Dine militant groups.

Stressing the importance Turkey attaches to the territorial integrity of Mali, Ankara said it hopes Mali will embrace peace in the shortest period possible.

The statement noted that Turkey believes in the benefit of rapid implementation of UN Security Council resolution 2085 and supports decisions of the African Union and (ECOWAS).

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/17/us-sahara-crisis-idUSBRE90F1JJ20130117

Some foreign hostages said killed in Algeria assault

Algeria said several hostages were killed on Thursday when its forces stormed a remote desert gas plant occupied by Islamist militants in retaliation for French intervention in Mali, and local sources said six foreigners were among the dead.

Amid reports of many more casualties in one of the biggest international hostage crises in decades, Western leaders expressed anger they had not been consulted before the operation and scrambled for word of their citizens. Some eight hours after the army assault began, Algerian state media said it was over.

Americans, Britons, Norwegians, French, Romanians and an Austrian, were among those taken, their countries said.

Algeria said its troops had been forced to act to free them due to the "diehard" attitude of their captors.

"When the terrorist group insisted on leaving the facility, taking the foreign hostages with them to neighboring states, the order was issued to special units to attack the position where the terrorists were entrenched," the government spokesman, Communication Minister, Mohamed Said told the state news agency.

Breaking News: Among dead hostages are 8 Algerians, 2 Japanese, 2 Britons and one French national: Algerian security source

https://twitter.com/MahirZeynalov

Latest Algeria hostage crisis death toll: 11 militants, 30 hostages, including seven foreigners killed.

4:11 PM

Edited January 17, 2013 by visionary

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/19/us-mali-crisis-lynching-idUSBRE90I0IM20130119

Residents in northern Malian town lynch Islamist: sources

Residents in the northern Malian town of Gao on Saturday lynched a prominent Islamist leader in retaliation for the killing of a local journalist earlier in the day, residents and the office of Mali's president said.

Residents in Gao, a northern Malian town under Islamist rebel control since mid-2012, have previously protested against the strict imposition of Islamic law but, if confirmed, the lynching would be a first of a fighter by civilians.

The incident comes after over a week of French air strikes on Islamist positions sought to break the grip of al Qaeda-linked fighters on northern Mali.

Gao journalist Kader Toure was killed for having been suspected of working with foreign radio stations, according to Issa Idrissa Toure, a former colleague.

"Islamic police commissioner Aliou Toure was killed by the youth in revenge," Mazou Toure, a Gao resident added.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21108527

Mali crisis: Civilians flee Islamist takeover and French bombs

Since Monday, few civilians had managed to escape from Diabaly.

The Islamists had cut off the road south and the population - in effect held hostage inside the town - was preoccupied with staying out of trouble and hunkering down in their homes to avoid the daily air strikes from the French military against the Islamists positions.

But the convoy told a different story. No-one was sure if all the Islamists had left town. But it seemed that way.

Most of them had just fled a few hours earlier, heading north - perhaps towards Mauritania - leaving vehicles and equipment behind.

"Maybe there are 30 of them left," said Mamadou Coulibaliy, who was bringing his cousin and her baby daughter - fast asleep and covered in dust - out on his motorbike.

---------- Post added January-20th-2013 at 02:01 PM ----------

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/21/world/africa/mali-france-intervention.html?_r=0

Africa Must Take Lead in Mali, France Says

With French officials saying confidently on Saturday that an advance by Islamist militants on Bamako, Mali’s capital, had been halted, France’s foreign minister told African leaders that “our African friends need to take the lead” in a multilateral military intervention in Mali.

The foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, spoke in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, at a summit meeting to discuss how to accelerate the involvement of West African troops in Mali, although he acknowledged that it could be weeks before they were there in force.

“Step by step, I think it’s a question from what I heard this morning of some days, some weeks,” said Mr. Fabius, referring to the time frame when the bulk of troops from the Economic Community of West African States, the regional group known as Ecowas, would arrive.

On Sunday, Mr. Fabius told Europe 1 radio that Russia, which has previously remained on the sidelines of the conflict, had suggested helping France transport soldiers and equipment to Mali. He did not say whether France had accepted the offer.

French officials conceded, however, that there were disputes over how African participation would be financed and about the best way to transport troops to Mali. In Paris, French officials said the United States, while willing to help ferry African troops, wanted to bill France for the use of transport aircraft, which officials said would not go down well with the French. The Pentagon favors providing rapid help with transport and even with air-to-air refueling, but the White House is more reluctant, the officials said.

But the officials said France and that the United States were sharing intelligence about Mali and the Sahel region of North Africa that was garnered from drones and other means, and that discussions with Washington continued amicably.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/20/us-iraq-protests-idUSBRE90J0IC20130120

Iraq protester sets himself ablaze in anti-government rally

An Iraqi protester set himself on fire on Sunday in the northern city of Mosul in a dramatic turn after more than three weeks of Sunni Muslim rallies that are challenging Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government.

Thousands of Sunni demonstrators have rallied since late December against a Shi'ite-led government they say has marginalized their minority sect, raising fears the OPEC country may slide again into widespread sectarian confrontation.

During protests by around 2,000 people in the northern city of Mosul, one man set himself on fire before others quickly stamped out the flames with their jackets, police said. He was sent to hospital with minor burns to his face and hands.

"We don't want people to hang themselves or burn themselves, this would be against Islam," said Ghanim al-Abid, a protest organizer in Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad. "But he reached such a state of despair he set himself on fire."

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/22/us-mali-usa-idUSBRE90L0DR20130122?feedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DtopNews

U.S. begins transporting French troops, equipment to Mali

The United States has started transporting French soldiers and equipment to Mali as part of its logistical aid to French forces fighting Islamist militants in the north of the country, a U.S. official said on Tuesday.

Paris has launched a military campaign against Islamist fighters in Mali at the request of the Malian government, amid fears the vast desert country could become a launchpad for international attacks.

"We have started air lifting French army personnel and equipment to Bamako from Istres," said Benjamin Benson, a spokesman for U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).

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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/23/world/africa/some-algeria-attackers-are-placed-at-benghazi.html?smid=tw-nytimesworld&seid=auto&_r=0

Some Algeria Attackers Are Placed at Benghazi

Several Egyptian members of the squad of militants that lay bloody siege to an Algerian gas complex last week also took part in the deadly attack on the United States Mission in Libya in September, a senior Algerian official said Tuesday.

The Egyptians involved in both attacks were killed by Algerian forces during the four-day ordeal that ended in the deaths of at least 38 hostages and 29 kidnappers, the official said. But three of the militants were captured alive, and one of them described the Egyptians’ role in both assaults under interrogation by the Algerian security services, the official said.

If confirmed, the link between two of the most brazen assaults in recent memory would reinforce the transborder character of the jihadist groups now striking across the Sahara. American officials have long warned that the region’s volatile mix of porous borders, turbulent states, weapons and ranks of fighters with similar ideologies creates a dangerous landscape in which extremists are trying to collaborate across vast distances.

[visionary]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/22/us-mali-idUSBRE90L0GK20130122

Chadians advance in Mali troop moves against Islamists

Chadian forces advanced towards the Mali border on Tuesday as an African troop deployment and a U.S. military airlift swelled international support for French operations against Islamist rebels occupying the north of Mali.

Military experts say the swift and effective deployment of African forces is crucial to sustain the momentum of a French air campaign against the Islamists and prevent them melting away into empty desert or rugged mountains near the Algerian border.

An armored column of Chadian troops, experienced in desert operations, rumbled north from the Niger capital Niamey on the road to Ouallam, some 100 km (60 miles) from Mali's frontier, where Nigerien units are already poised to cross.

[visionary]

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE90M1HR20130123?irpc=932

Army seals off Mali town after reports of ethnic reprisals

SEGOU, Mali (Reuters) - Mali's army sealed off the central town of Sevare to journalists on Wednesday following allegations by residents and human rights groups that government soldiers had executed Tuaregs and Arabs accused of collaborating with Islamist rebels.

The allegations, which have been denied by the Malian army, threatened to cast a shadow over a French-led operation to drive Islamist fighters allied to al Qaeda from northern Mali.

They also pointed to a risk the internationally backed military campaign could trigger further racially motivated killings in Mali's desert north, home to complex mix of ethnic groups.

A Reuters reporter saw at least six bodies in two areas of the Walirdi district of Sevare. Three of them were lying, partly covered in sand, near a bus station and showed signs of having been burned. Three more had been thrown into a nearby well.

[visionary]

http://www.unhcr.org/510289b56.html

UNHCR calls anew on international community to help Mali as war expands

BAMAKO, Mali, January 25 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency on Friday renewed its call for increased international aid for hundreds of thousands of forcibly displaced Malian civilians, warning that stepped up aid was vital to prevent a worsening of the humanitarian situation across the Sahel region.

Since the start of the conflict in northern Mali a year ago, more than 150,000 refugees have fled to neighbouring Mauritania, Niger and Burkina Faso, while nearly 230,000 have sought safety in other areas inside Mali. In Bamako, Mali's capital, the number of internally displaced people (IDP) is now estimated at close to 50,000. Most are living in poor neighbourhoods with little or no access to housing or vital services such as clean water, education and health.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/25/us-mali-rebels-idUSBRE90O0C720130125

French-backed Mali forces push towards rebel-held Gao

French-backed government forces advanced into northern Mali on Friday towards the Islamist rebel stronghold of Gao, recapturing the town of Hombori, as they followed up on relentless French air strikes against the rebels.

Two weeks after France sent troops and aircraft into its West African former colony to block an offensive south by al Qaeda-allied Islamists occupying the north, Mali's army was now on the move as Islamist fighters pulled back from towns.

Malian officials, who said an offensive against Gao could take place in the next few days, said government forces entered Hombori, about 160 km (100 miles) from Gao, late on Thursday.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/25/us-egypt-anniversary-idUSBRE90N1E620130125

Violence flares on anniversary of Egypt uprising

Protesters clashed with police across Egypt on Friday on the second anniversary of the revolt that toppled Hosni Mubarak, taking to the streets against the elected Islamist president who they accuse of betraying the revolution.

At least 91 civilians and 42 security personnel were hurt in violence across the country, officials said. Street battles erupted in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and Port Said, where the Muslim Brotherhood's political party offices were torched.

Thousands of opponents of President Mohamed Mursi and his Muslim Brotherhood allies massed in Cairo's Tahrir Square - the cradle of the uprising against Mubarak - to revive the demands of a revolution they say has been hijacked by the Islamists.

The January 25 anniversary showcased the divide between the Islamists and their secular foes that is hindering Mursi's efforts to revive an economy in crisis and reverse a plunge in Egypt's currency by enticing back investors and tourists.

[visionary]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21227053#TWEET561645

Mali crisis: French-led troops 'enter Timbuktu'

French-led troops in Mali have entered the historic city of Timbuktu encountering little resistance, French and Malian military sources.

But there are reports of thousands of ancient manuscripts being destroyed, with video footage of the library showing charred books and empty boxes.

French President Francois Hollande declared that the joint forces were "winning this battle".

They seized Gao, north Mali's biggest city, on Saturday.

Most militants appear to have moved out to desert hideouts, says the BBC's Thomas Fessy in the capital, Bamako.

The advance comes as African Union (AU) leaders are meeting to discuss sending more troops to Mali

[visionary]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/28/us-egypt-anniversary-idUSBRE90N1E620130128

Egypt protesters defy curfew after emergency rule imposed

Thousands of Egyptian protesters ignored a curfew on Monday to take to the streets in cities along the Suez canal, defying a state of emergency imposed by Islamist President Mohamed Mursi to end days of violence that has killed at least 51 people.

One man was killed in violence late on Monday in Port Said and another was shot dead earlier in Cairo as a wave of violence raged on, unleashed last week on the eve of the two-year anniversary of the popular revolt that brought down autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

Political opponents spurned a call by Mursi for talks to try to end the violence, with main opposition groups refusing to attend a meeting.

Instead, huge crowds of protesters took to the streets in the capital Cairo, Alexandria and in the three Suez Canal cities - Port Said, Ismailia and Suez - where Mursi imposed emergency rule and a curfew on Sunday.

MALI

https://twitter.com/jenanmoussa

I found a driver and fixer. We go on. Buckle up. The road to timbuktu was never easy.

1:00 PM

I passed thru a little village. Children show victory sign. they scream 'merci france'.

1:09 PM

Here we go again. I just passed another village. They scream 'vive le franbe'.

1:15 PM

We'll take a break now. Stopped at village, took permission from town chief to stay w/ them for night. He gave us key 2 a house 2 sleep in.

4:33 PM

Mali: people here are so nice and friendly. I am so lucky to be at this place. Good night for now.

4:35 PM

Edited January 28, 2013 by visionary

[visionary]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/30/us-mali-rebels-kidal-idUSBRE90T09120130130

French troops deploy to last of Mali rebel strongholds

French troops have taken control of the airport in the northern Malian town of Kidal, the last rebel stronghold in the north, the French army and a local official told Reuters on Wednesday.

Kidal would be the last of northern Mali's major towns to be retaken by French forces after they reached Gao and Timbuktu earlier this week in a campaign to drive al Qaeda-linked Islamists from Mali's north, which it has said had become a safe haven for extremists.

"They arrived late last night and they deployed in four planes and some helicopters," said Haminy Belco Maiga, president of the regional assembly of Kidal.

Maiga said there were no immediate reports of resistance.

French Armed Forces spokesman Thierry Burkhard confirmed that French troops were in Kidal and said they had taken control of the airport.

https://twitter.com/BreakingNews

French troops now control Kidal airport in Mali, French military spokesman confirms - @AP

3:20 AM

http://www.geographicguide.com/pictures/maps/mali-map.jpg

Edited January 30, 2013 by visionary

[visionary]

http://www.france24.com/en/20130130-timbuktu-ancient-manuscripts-safe-mali-france-troops-islamists?ns_campaign=editorial&ns_source=twitter&ns_mchannel=reseaux_sociaux&ns_fee=&ns_linkname=20130130_timbuktu_ancient_manuscripts_safe_mali_france&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Timbuktu ancient manuscripts 'safe and sound', experts say

The vast majority of Timbuktu's ancient manuscripts in state and private collections appear to be unharmed after the Malian Saharan city's 10-month occupation by Islamist rebel fighters, who burnt some of the scripts, experts said on Wednesday.

The news, based on information from persons directly involved with the conservation of the historic texts, came as a relief to the world's cultural community which had been dismayed by varying media reports of widespread destruction of the priceless manuscripts.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/al-jazeera-america-has-received-more-than-8000-ap?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=buzzfeed

Al Jazeera America Has Received More Than 8,000 Applications

Within 24 hours of posting openings for the majority of their new positions, Al Jazeera America received 5000 applications for open positions, a number that has grown to 8,063 over the past three days, a network source told BuzzFeed.

Al Jazeera caused a stir earlier this month when it was announced that the Qatar-based network had bought the struggling liberal channel Current from Al Gore for $500 million, and would use it to expand into American coverage.

It further stoked speculation in the media world when it posted 160 digital and editorial positions. The ads were placed on Al Jazeera.com and Current.com as well as other prominent job listing sites like the New York Times, Washington Post, and LinkedIn.

Edited January 30, 2013 by visionary

[visionary]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/01/world/africa/timbuktu-endured-terror-under-harsh-shariah-law.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytimesworld&_r=0

Timbuktu Endured Terror Under Harsh Shariah Law

When the Islamist militants came to town, Dr. Ibrahim Maiga made a reluctant deal. He would do whatever they asked — treat their wounded, heal their fevers, bandage up without complaint the women they thrashed in the street for failing to cover their heads and faces. In return, they would allow him to keep the hospital running as he wished.

Then, one day in October, the militants called him with some unusual instructions. Put together a team, they said, bring an ambulance and come to a sun-baked public square by sand dunes.

There, before a stunned crowd, the Islamist fighters carried out what they claimed was the only just sentence for theft: cutting off the thief’s hand. As one of the fighters hacked away at the wrist of a terrified, screaming young man strapped to a chair, Dr. Maiga, a veteran of grisly emergency room scenes, looked away.

“I was shocked,” he said, holding his head in his hands. “But I was powerless. My job is to heal people. What could I do?”

After nearly 10 months of occupation by Islamists fighters, many of them linked with Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the people of this ancient mud-walled city recounted how they survived the upending of their tranquil lives in a place so remote that its name has become a synonym for the middle of nowhere.

[visionary]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/03/us-iran-politics-idUSBRE91209W20130203?feedType=RSS&feedName=Iran&virtualBrandChannel=10209&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&dlvrit=59365

Iran president accuses parliament speaker's family of corruption

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday accused the parliament speaker's family of corruption, during an angry debate reflecting a struggle between the Iranian leader and rival factions in his final months in power.

The president used a speech defending a minister against impeachment to levy accusations of corruption against the family of speaker Ali Larijani, in a session marked by jeering and shouting.

The legislature voted 192 to 56 to remove labor minister Abdolreza Sheikholeslami over what lawmakers said was the illegal appointment of Saeed Mortazavi, a former prosecutor accused of links to the deaths of prisoners.

Ahmadinejad said he had a tape of a private conversation between Fazel Larijani, the speaker's brother, and Mortazavi, that proved the family had used the official prominence of the five Larijani brothers for economic gain.

[visionary]

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2013/02/201324105719238.html?utm_content=automate&utm_campaign=Trial6&utm_source=NewSocialFlow&utm_term=plustweets&utm_medium=MasterAccount

Are Afghan forces ready to take the reins?

David Cameron, the British prime minister, is hosting a key summit with Afghan and Pakistani leaders to discuss bringing peace to Afghanistan.

This is the third such meeting since last summer. But for the first time, army and intelligence chiefs from both sides will join the talks - and they have plenty on their plates.

NATO troops are scheduled to leave Afghanistan by the end of next year.

But a senior Afghan commander warns that withdrawing British troops could spark what he calls a global jihad.

Colonel Amin Jan said 2014 was too early to hand over security to the Afghan Army.

He said the army was too weak to defeat the Taliban, which could seize the chance to return to power.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/04/us-sudan-south-idUSBRE9130JS20130204

South Sudan fails to withdraw troops from Sudan border

South Sudan is not withdrawing troops from the border with Sudan to set up a buffer zone as it pledged it was last month, South Sudan's army said on Monday, in a setback to efforts to resume the oil exports vital to both economies.

The two countries came close to war last April in the worst border clashes since South Sudan seceded in 2011 under a peace deal that ended one of Africa's longest civil wars.

The African Union managed to broker a deal in September to defuse hostilities. But the nations have failed set up a buffer border zone and resume oil exports from the landlocked South Sudan through Sudanese pipelines as agreed in Addis Ababa.

In a sign of goodwill, South Sudan said three weeks ago it had started to unilaterally withdraw its troops from the border and would set up its side of the 10-km buffer zone by Feb 4.

Such a buffer zone is a pre-condition for Sudan to allow oil exports to restart. Juba shut down its output of 350,000 barrels day a year ago in a row with Khartoum over pipeline fees.

But South Sudan's military spokesman Philip Aguer told Reuters on Monday the army had not even started to pull out from the border, despite the government statement.

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2013/02/03/world/africa/20130204-timbuktu.html

Saving Timbuktu’s Priceless Artifacts

Residents of Timbuktu welcomed Malian Army soldiers on Saturday.

Credit: Tyler Hicks/The New York Times

Edited February 4, 2013 by visionary

[visionary]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/02/04/al-qaedas-world-a-fascinating-map-of-the-groups-shifting-global-network/

Al-Qaeda’s world: A fascinating map of the group’s shifting global network

After years of hardship and decline for al-Qaeda, which was rebuked by Iraqis and isolated by a U.S. campaign in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the group appears to be making some potentially significant inroads. It is exploiting the chaos and militancy in Syria and in the Western Sahel, a region of West Africa that includes Mali and Algeria that is difficult to govern.

The Washington Post’s Greg Miller and Joby Warrick reported Sunday on these larger changes, how they’re happening and what they might mean. They also worked with The Post’s graphics team on a map of al-Qaeda’s global network of alliances and proxies, indicating their best assessment of where the group’s reach is expanding and where it’s receding. Here’s the map:

Edited February 4, 2013 by visionary

[visionary]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/06/us-tunisia-politics-idUSBRE9150B820130206

Tunisia protests after government critic shot dead

A fierce critic of the Tunisian government's dealings with radical Islamists was shot dead on Wednesday, sending protesters onto the streets two years after their Jasmine Revolution sparked revolt across the Arab world.

The headquarters of the moderate Islamist Ennahda party, which rules in a fractious coalition with secularists, was set ablaze after Chokri Belaid, an outspoken, secular leader, was gunned down outside his home in the capital.

His party and others in the opposition parties said they would quit the assembly that is writing a new constitution and called a general strike for Thursday when Belaid will be buried.

Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali, who said the identity of the attacker was not known, condemned his killing as a political assassination and a strike against the "Arab Spring" revolution. Ennahda denied any involvement.

As Belaid's body was taken by ambulance through Tunis from the hospital where he died, police fired teargas towards about 20,000 protesters at the Interior Ministry chanting for the fall of the government.

http://www.france24.com/en/breaking/20130206-tunisian-government-be-dissolved-says-prime-minister?ns_campaign=breaking_news&ns_source=twitter&ns_mchannel=reseaux_sociaux&ns_fee=&ns_linkname=breaking_20130206_tunisian_government_be_dissolved_says_prime&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Tunisian government to be dissolved, prime minister announces

Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali announced Wednesday evening that the government will be dissolved and a national unity cabinet formed.