Escobar on the Mali War

"The Tuareg-led NMLA (National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad), via one of its leaders, now says it's "ready to help" the former colonial power, billing itself as more knowledgeable about the culture and the terrain than future intervening forces from the CEDEAO (the acronym in French for the Economic Community of Western African States). Salafi-jihadis in Mali have got a huge problem: they chose the wrong battlefield. If this was Syria, they would have been showered by now with weapons, logistical bases, a London-based "observatory", hours of YouTube videos and all-out diplomatic support by the usual suspects of US, Britain, Turkey, the Gulf petromonarchies and - oui, monsieur - France itself."  Pepe Escobar

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An excellent and informative article.  I do not subscribe to the "knee jerk" Chomskyite economic determiist motivation that Escobar ascribes to the US and France, but, other than that, this is really "good stuff."  He also raises the question of why these particular Islamist revolutionaries are treated to a taste of the club while those in Syria are the heroes of Western elites.  The answer is simple.  Mali is far from Israel and the Israeli government foolishly wants Assad gone.  pl 

http://atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/OA19Dj02.html

Comments

[Pirouz]

The truth has set you free, heh Colonel? (Mom's side of our family is Catholic.)

[turcopolier]

pirouz

The truth set me free long before you were born. pl

[Charles I]

How much gas does Syria have?

[The Twisted Genius]

"The Tuareg-led NMLA (National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad), via one of its leaders, now says it's "ready to help" the former colonial power, billing itself as more knowledgeable about the culture and the terrain than future intervening forces from the CEDEAO"

If the French, the Malian government and the rest of the ECOWAS countries are smart, they will reach out to the MNLA and take the Tuaregs up on their offer. I would establish liaison and communications with MNLA units, provide air and logistical support if needed and rely on them for intelligence. They will know what is going on in that area far better than our drones.

[Babak Makkinejad]

Not going to happen.

[Tunde]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21103322
Nigerians are getting all jingo-ing about the Mali intervention. No one seems to connect the attack on the revered Emir and the Mali campaign.
Col/TTG,
Speaking from a layman's perspective, the Mali campaign seems to be a classic ODA mission set (FID and UW). Why hav'nt we heard anything about Africom kinetic assets heading for Mali ? Is that a State decision or Pentagon one or both ?
The French have announced that Nigerian troops will be used in a frontline role. Bad idea. Firstly, Nigeria has no experience of warfare in those environments. Secondly, there is no inter service relationship with French forces (either linguistically or organizationally or operationally). Let's see how this plays out eh ?

[turcopolier]

tunde

"Why hav'nt we heard anything about Africom kinetic assets heading for Mali?" AFRICOM has no "kinetic assets" No combatant command "owns" assets other than its own headquarters. The sole exception would be SOCOM that is both an "owner" of assets and an operational command. Combatant commands have assets "chopped" to them by the NCA for specific purposes. The services, Army, Navy, etc. are the force generators, and retain control except for operational control given to the combatant commanders by the NCA for specific tasks and periods of time.
So. the answer to your question is that the Obama Administration has not yet so directed. Just now they are busy with the monarchical claptrap of the next few days. Yes, David Habakkuk, I am much more republican than nationalist. pl

[Tunde]

Col,
Understood re assets.

[The beaver]

I would see those fellows from Chad in the frontline role in lieu of the Nigerians. They know how to fight in the "sand"

[The Twisted Genius]

Tunde,

In addition to what PL said, U.S. policy prohibits direct military aid to Mali because the current government is the result of a military coup. No support can go to the Malian military directly until there is an election. What training missions we had going on at the time of the coup were immediately stopped. It seems there is a difference of opinion between DOD (as least Ham in AFRICOM, and the administration. Ham wants to get more involved and the administration does not see AQIM and their allies as a serious threat to the U.S at this time. I think the administration's got a point as long as the French are in the thick of it. They speak the language and leave a far lighter footprint than we would. I do believe we'll be adding the one eyed prince to our drone hit list.

[bth]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jNX8TrkNkE

This al Jazeera report has French column only advancing 10 kilometers in 4 hours due to mechanicals. What if the French haven't maintained their equipment and now cannot project on the ground in Mali?

[turcopolier]

bth

what if an army of djinn land to save the jihadis from defeat? pl