Mali asks France for help against extremists

[Senegaal]

I just heard that Nigerians and Senegalese troops reached Mali.

[Thrice Crownlands]

I for one am glad that there's at least one nation in the world that's willing to put the stand for stability and international brotherhood with blood and treasure.

Stability in nations is a concern for all people, everywhere. I applaud Paris, and hope they continue to provide concrete support for liberal democracy abroad.

[Conserative Morality]

I for one am glad that there's at least one nation in the world that's willing to put the stand for stability and international brotherhood with blood and treasure.

Stability in nations is a concern for all people, everywhere. I applaud Paris, and hope they continue to provide concrete support for liberal democracy abroad.

Aye, good on France. Here's hoping for a good resolution of this issue.

[Mike the Progressive]

Why can't France do both?

What's the purpose of having the UN and the AU...

I've yet to figure that one out.

[Farnhamia]

Why can't France do both?

They can, but they shouldn't. What's the purpose of having the UN and the AU if countries needing help revert to bilateral relationships?

Faster response time, for one. I have no trouble with the Malians asking for help from France instead of the UN. And they are getting help from the AU, I believe.

[Alice Gardens]

The only reason that makes sense for intervention is that there are French citizens there and that there are already French troops in the region (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20991719).

Otherwise I don't see how the EU should be involved. We already have the UN and the AU. What's the point of the AU forces if they can't even use them without needing last minute European training? And the entire AU can't field more than 3000 troops? Lame.

[Senegaal]

The only reason that makes sense for intervention is that there are French citizens there and that there are already French troops in the region (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20991719).

Otherwise I don't see how the EU should be involved. We already have the UN and the AU. What's the point of the AU forces if they can't even use them without needing last minute European training? And the entire AU can't field more than 3000 troops? Lame.

The UN and the AU will propably start the intervention next december

[Nazis in Space]

France launches the operations to topple Gaddafi, Gaddafi's Malian mercenaries return home and take over the northern half of Mali, France (And Britain, given that Cameron nuthugged Sarkozy throughout the whole Libya deal) has the god-damn obligation to assist Mali in solving the problem. Simple.

[Priory Academy USSR]

Meh. The idea behind it has happened before, and it's worked.

[Benutanairan]

France launches the operations to topple Gaddafi, Gaddafi's Malian mercenaries return home and take over the northern half of Mali, France (And Britain, given that Cameron nuthugged Sarkozy throughout the whole Libya deal) has the god-damn obligation to assist Mali in solving the problem. Simple.

France has no obligation what so ever ( and yes this is a biased pro French post)

[Nazis in Space]

Meh. The idea behind it has happened before, and it's worked.

I imagine Mali would prefer the conflict to take less than a decade.

[Saruhan]

Meh. The idea behind it has happened before, and it's worked.

That was actually a part of Britain though, plus the guerillas were only ethnically Chinese in a mostly Malay place, and only lived in deep jungle. And it still took around a decade to take them out

[Merriwhether]

It isn't France's responsibility. Mali needs to have the strength to overcome it's own problems

As if that's worked anywhere else? The only way to defeat extremism is with firm military action, which Mali cannot provide. If we don't put our foot down now, when do we? When they control all of Africa and are bombing the sit out of the EU? Sure, that's a brilliant idea.

It's like a game of RISK, and right now, the Al Queida seem to be holding all the right cards. If we can stop them here, it'll be like the American Revolution's Fort Ticonderoga. The more countries these extremists claim, though, the less appealing Democracy becomes and the more powerful the Terrorists look.

[Priory Academy USSR]

Meh. The idea behind it has happened before, and it's worked.

I imagine Mali would prefer the conflict to take less than a decade.

So would I. The idea that lay behind it, that former empires should try to help out their former colonies, remains though.

Meh. The idea behind it has happened before, and it's worked.

That was actually a part of Britain though, plus the guerillas were only ethnically Chinese in a mostly Malay place, and only lived in deep jungle. And it still took around a decade to take them out

As I said before. The idea behind it is the same, but the actual conflict is different.

[Wind in the Willows]

France shouldn't help them as it isn't their problem.

[Rio Cana]

So France might get involved in Mali. This is strange. I say that since a few weeks ago, the French Prime Minister said that France would not get involved in propping up the government of the Central African Republic which was close to being toppled by rebels.

French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Friday that France had no intention of getting involved in the crisis, and would only intervene to protect its own nationals there.

Article -
http://news.ebru.tv/en/central-african-republic

[Costa Alegria]

French aircraft have launched air strikes against Islamists in Mali.

[Costa Alegria]

France shouldn't help them as it isn't their problem.

France has a habit of intervening in it's former colonies problems. Mali can't do it by themselves.

[Costa Alegria]

Hey France, while you're at it, why don't you stop assailing Assad and help Syria defend itself against other Al Qaeda insurgents, hmm?

There's just one problem with that: not everyone that opposes Assad is part of Al Qaeda. I know that's difficult to understand, but at least try to to see the world in black and white, for once.

[Constaniana]

I for one am glad that there's at least one nation in the world that's willing to put the stand for stability and international brotherhood with blood and treasure.

Stability in nations is a concern for all people, everywhere. I applaud Paris, and hope they continue to provide concrete support for liberal democracy abroad.

Aye, good on France. Here's hoping for a good resolution of this issue.

This.

[The Free and Just Republic of Freedomol]

I never said you do. I was just pointing out ridiculous double standard that so many let them get away with.

So what the hell does that have to do with our conversation?

But to the point, imperial democracy can work.

You've failed to make your case.

I'll make it for him.
Alaska
Hawaii
Texas
Florida
The Midwest
The West
Puerto Rico
US virgin islands.
I'll concede that the US was not at all nice to the natives (in fact, we were absolutely brutal), but at this point in time, all are democracies, all are owned by the US, and we aren't restricting rights anymore. Given enough time, everything is possibls.

[Conserative Morality]

I'll make it for him.
Alaska
Hawaii
Texas
Florida
The Midwest
The West

Colonialism /=/ Annexation.

Furthermore, we flooded all of those places with Americans to the point where we outnumbered the native people, assuming we didn't kill most of them off first.

Puerto Rico
US virgin islands.

Neither of which are currently in control of the laws that bind them the way US citizens are in the States.

[Rio Cana]

So what the hell does that have to do with our conversation?

You've failed to make your case.

I'll make it for him.
Alaska
Hawaii
Texas
Florida
The Midwest
The West
Puerto Rico
US virgin islands.
I'll concede that the US was not at all nice to the natives (in fact, we were absolutely brutal), but at this point in time, all are democracies, all are owned by the US, and we aren't restricting rights anymore. Given enough time, everything is possibls.

Concerning Puerto Rico., Democracy here at times seems bought and paid for. Hopefully, the new island govt. that just came into power this year will break that chain. And do you think being a Narco State is something nations desire.

A former head of the Puerto Rico Police Department, Miguel Pereira, said Monday that the U.S. commonwealth has become a "narco state."

Pereira, a one-time federal prosecutor, told reporters that drug trafficking had infiltrated into all sectors of the Caribbean island.

it’s the mainland’s appetite for cocaine and heroin that fuels the drug trade on the island.

Both PR. and the USVI. have crime plenty of crime. And none grows drugs or manufacture weapons. Weapons come illegally mostly from the US while the US border patrol is said to be deficient when it comes to patrolling our sea coast. Both PR. and the USVI. made the top 20 list for the Americas when it comes to crime.

Did I mention the part where PR. tied to the supposedly richest nation on the planet has a failing economy.

Puerto Rico is fighting to stay afloat in a rising sea of debt. Its economy is sputtering. Its population is shrinking. Its recent election is disputed. Its public pension fund is perilously low on cash. The American territory has just been through a brutal five-year recession, something not experienced in the United States as a whole since the 1930s.

Puerto Rico’s bonds are just a notch or two above junk status.

[Wallonochia]

we have the French legion for a reason why should French citizens have to intervene in mali.

As an immigrant in France this made me much angrier than it should have.

So France might get involved in Mali. This is strange. I say that since a few weeks ago, the French Prime Minister said that France would not get involved in propping up the government of the Central African Republic which was close to being toppled by rebels.

Not exactly surprising that Ayrault turns out to be a lying bastard.

Colonialism /=/ Annexation.

The two are not mutually exclusive.

[Benutanairan]

we have the French legion for a reason why should French citizens have to intervene in mali.

As an immigrant in France this made me much angrier than it should have.

So France might get involved in Mali. This is strange. I say that since a few weeks ago, the French Prime Minister said that France would not get involved in propping up the government of the Central African Republic which was close to being toppled by rebels.

Not exactly surprising that Ayrault turns out to be a lying bastard.

Colonialism /=/ Annexation.

The two are not mutually exclusive.

The French Foreign legion makes you angry?

Note: ( French citizens means applies to native Frenchmen and women and those seeking citizenship)