French take military action against jihadists

**Curt James** · 01-11-2013, 08:14 PM

France's move into Mali follows push south by jihadist fighters

Paris and UK warn their citizens to leave country following rebels' capture of village that had been held by Malian army

By Nick Hopkins
January 11, 2013

Fighters from Islamist group Ansar Dine, mainly composed of Tuaregs, stand guard during a hostage handover outside Timbuktu, Mali. Photograph: AP

Just before Christmas, the United Nations authorised the deployment of a 3,300 strong African-led military force to buttress the Malian army against the rebels who had taken over the north of the country; the decision came a few months after the French had called for an EU military training mission in Mali, due to deploy towards the end of this year, to provide further help.

This could, and may still, involve a small number of British army experts.

But events this week in the former French colony have overtaken these initiatives and have seen the French president, Fran?ois Hollande, approve military action against the rebels and the al-Qaida-linked jihadists who have had control of the north of the country since last April.

A status quo of sorts appeared to have been established, but that has been wrecked.

Taking everyone by surprise, the jihadists pushed towards and captured Konna, a village in the centre of the country that had been held by the Malian army and is considered on the periphery of the densely populated south of the country, which was thought beyond the reach of the al-Qaida fighters.

Not any more, which is why Paris is in a panic, and has warned all French citizens to get out of the country as soon as possible. The UK has followed suit.

And if the jihadists are not stopped in their tracks, the US and EU may yet get drawn into an emerging crisis in a country that some security analysts regard as a dangerous new frontier for Islamic extremism in the post-Afghanistan era.

The attack this week was certainly audacious. Konna is barely 25km from a military base at S?var?, where the French military is understood to have been flying personnel and supplies this week.

At the moment, it is difficult to know exactly who is behind this new push, but it is likely the group of hardcore jihadists fighting under the broad banner of 'al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb' are principally involved.

They brought with them the tactics of terror - kidnappings of westerners and the imposition of harsh sharia law in the places over which they have control.

They have been supported by thousands of Tuareg tribesmen, many of whom have returned to Mali last year after being recruited by Muammar Gaddafi to support his regime. Paul Melly, who has written on Mali for Chatham House, said: "This is the first serious attempt by the jihadist groups to push towards the more densely settled south of Mali.

"If they were to break past Konna and seize Mopti, one of the most important towns in Mali, that would be a major blow to morale as well as a military setback."

"Several jihadist groups are active in northern Mali. Ansar Dine, which is mainly composed of local Tuaregs, may be seeking to bolster its hand in negotiations with the government, which it recently began but then suspended.

"But the other jihadist factions, including al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, are largely foreign-led and have not been engaged in talks. Following December's UN vote to authorise a west African intervention force, the rebels may be trying to seize as much ground as they can before international troops arrive to help the government mount a push to restore its authority in the north."

Mali has been causing quiet concern in the UK for some time, as the intelligence agencies have monitored the disintegration of al-Qaida in Pakistan and Afghanistan and its reconstitution, in part, in Africa and the Gulf.

Last month, the US general Carter Ham said: "As each day goes by, al-Qaida and other organisations are strengthening their hold in northern Mali. There is a compelling need for the international community, led by Africans, to address that."

Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, was even more stark.

"Northern Mali is at risk of becoming a permanent haven for terrorists and organised criminal networks where people are subjected to a very strict interpretation of sharia law and human rights are abused on a systematic basis."

Which is why the French are in a hurry to act now - and why the west dare not regard the problems in Mali as a little local difficulty that can be easily ignored.

From France's move into Mali follows push south by jihadist fighters | World news | guardian.co.uk

**Curt James** · 01-11-2013, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by Curt James

At the moment, it is difficult to know exactly who is behind this new push, but it is likely the group of hardcore jihadists fighting under the broad banner of 'al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb' are principally involved.

They brought with them the tactics of terror - kidnappings of westerners and the imposition of harsh sharia law in the places over which they have control.

There was a radio report during my commute home. The announcer mentioned sharia law and stated the jihadists were "lopping off limbs" of those found guilty.

**Supreme Allah** · 01-11-2013, 08:27 PM

ALL PRAISE ALLAH ..He is what mercy is

**dogsoldier** · 01-11-2013, 09:18 PM

Wonder how those jihadists will fair of the French unleash the Legionnaires on their asses.

**Z499** · 01-11-2013, 09:20 PM

Originally Posted by dogsoldier

Wonder how those jihadists will fair of the French unleash the Legionnaires on their asses.

the question is... who will surrender first?

**dave 236** · 01-11-2013, 09:21 PM

Really. The French still have a foreign legion?

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2

**dogsoldier** · 01-11-2013, 09:25 PM

Yeah, they do. The Legion is alive and well living in Algeria. They are too scary to let loose in France proper.

**dave 236** · 01-11-2013, 09:33 PM

Damn. I must admit ignorance on this. According to Google they're alive and well. Who knew?

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2

**dave 236** · 01-11-2013, 09:36 PM

Originally Posted by Z499

the question is... who will surrender first?

Well they're not all French so thats a plus.

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2

**Z499** · 01-11-2013, 09:54 PM

lol

**Zaphod** · 01-11-2013, 11:07 PM

Originally Posted by Z499

the question is... who will surrender first?

The French Foreign Legion are badass mother fuckers.

**Bowden** · 01-12-2013, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by dogsoldier

Wonder how those jihadists will fair of the French unleash the Legionnaires on their asses.

The French military sucks when fighting against insurgents using guerrilla tactics.
Probably the same result when the French unleashed themselves against the Viet Minh.

**IronAddict** · 01-12-2013, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by Bowden

The French military sucks when fighting against insurgents using guerrilla tactics.
Probably the same result when the French unleashed themselves against the Viet Minh.

Damn! Beat me to it.

**Zaphod** · 01-12-2013, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by Bowden

The French military sucks when fighting against insurgents using guerrilla tactics.
Probably the same result when the French unleashed themselves against the Viet Minh.

They are used to being the insurgents. Remember the French Underground from WW2? Also I'm sure the Foreign Legion would have no trouble with guerrilla tactics.

**malk** · 01-12-2013, 12:13 PM

french SF's mounted a raid with choppers in mali to rescue a hostage,,,it went tits up.

BBC News - French soldier killed and hostage feared dead in Somalia

**theCaptn'** · 01-12-2013, 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by Zaphod

They are used to being the insurgents. Remember the French Underground from WW2? Also I'm sure the Foreign Legion would have no trouble with guerrilla tactics.

The French underground were organised and led by the British. Don't forget the Vichy French were fkg Nazi collaborators. Didn't the US recently rename French Fries to Freedom Fries?

**Z499** · 01-12-2013, 06:51 PM

Originally Posted by theCaptn'

The French underground were organised and led by the British. Don't forget the Vichy French were fkg Nazi collaborators. Didn't the US recently rename French Fries to Freedom Fries?

and freedom toast not french toast but mainly took place in texas which succeeded twice from the US twice but came crawling back to the union both times because they couldnt sustain them self...remember dont mess with texas, its not nice to pick on the mentally handicap, and everything is bigger in texas, if you dont count Alaska

**theCaptn'** · 01-12-2013, 07:01 PM

Succeeded before oil was discovered?

**dogsoldier** · 01-12-2013, 07:07 PM

The example was French SF, not the Legion. Those guys are a whole different ball of wax, The reason the Legion got its ass kicked at Dien Bien Phu was because of French military general officers blunders. Just little things like the Viet Mihn had no heavy artillery. The Legion fighting force is top notch, the regular French generals are the idiots.

**Z499** · 01-12-2013, 07:09 PM

Originally Posted by theCaptn'

Succeeded before oil was discovered?

they seceded in the 1830's and then again in the 1860's, where as i beleive that oil was dicovered in texas around 1901

**Griffith** · 01-13-2013, 03:56 AM

am i alone in hating the french?

**Griffith** · 01-13-2013, 03:56 AM

if i need a statue or help fixing up a snail problem im sure they are useful, but i dont......

**theCaptn'** · 01-13-2013, 04:15 AM

Originally Posted by Socrates

am i alone in hating the french?

The kiwis hate the French moar than most. Remember the Rainbow Warrior sabotage back in the 80s?

**malk** · 01-13-2013, 05:46 AM

Originally Posted by Socrates

am i alone in hating the french?

no,they suck at war since time begun..ajincourt...waterloo...nelson...ww2 the
list is endless,and now they have asked the UK for help with logistics in mali lmfao.

**theCaptn'** · 01-13-2013, 05:51 AM

The UK should send over 2,000 gypos

**Bowden** · 01-13-2013, 08:20 AM

Fail.

"Al-Shabaab claimed the French soldiers left behind combat gear and a wounded comrade before disengaging."

French bid to rescue hostage in Somalia fails, leading to soldier's death - CNN.com

Mogadishu, Somalia (CNN) -- French forces swooped into Somalia for a rescue mission under the cover of darkness, leading to a fierce gunbattle with militants who officialsfearkilled the hostage, a French intelligence commando.
The raid Friday night also left a French soldier and 17 Islamist fighters dead, according to the French defense ministry. Another soldier was missing.
French President Francois Hollande acknowledged Saturday that the operation "did not succeed."
He said it led to the "sacrifice" of two French soldiers -- the one killed and other missing -- and "maybe the assassination" of hostage Denis Allex, who was a member of the DGSE, France's equivalent of the CIA.
French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian also told reporters in Paris on Saturday that "everything leads us to believe that Denis Allex was gunned down by his captors." But the al-Shabaab militia, which is affiliated with al Qaeda, claimed that the hostage is unharmed and being held at a new location.

French militant operations in Africa

The militants said in a statement on their Twitter account that they will decide the hostage's fate in the next two days.
Profile: Who are Al-Shabaab?

The racket of helicopter blades and volleys of gunfire startled Bulo Marer town residents out of their sleep Friday night, when French paratroopers descended on the camp.

Three helicopters initiated a heated gunbattle with captors under the cover of darkness in the town about 75 miles northwest of the capital Mogadishu, eyewitnesses said.

French soldiers leaped from the aircraft to engage the Islamists on the ground.

Al-Shabaab 'recruiting U.S. citizens'
The French commandos faced strong resistance from the outset, the defense ministry said in a statement. "In the course of the assault, fierce fighting took place."

Al-Shabaab claimed the French soldiers left behind combat gear and a wounded comrade before disengaging.

"The injured French soldier is now in the custody of the Mujahideen," al-Shabaab said.

Allex was abducted on July 14, 2009, while on an official mission in Mogadishu in support of the transitional Somali government, the French defense ministry said.

French media reports suggest that Denis Allex is a pseudonym for the military serviceman.
France said it decided to undertake the rescue attempt after the terror group failed to negotiate for the hostage's release for three and a half years while holding him in inhumane conditions.

"After an intensive search, which I want to salute, the intelligence service detected the location where he was held," Le Drian, France's defense minister, said Saturday. "... France will never withhold any means to gain the release of all of its hostages."
Le Drian expressed his sympathy to the families of the French servicemen lost in the attempted rescue.
The defense minister added that there was no connection between the operation in Somalia and a simultaneous deployment of French troops to Mali.
A French helicopter pilot was fatally wounded during aerial raids in support of Malian forces combating Islamist forces Friday afternoon.

**dave 236** · 01-13-2013, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by dogsoldier

The example was French SF, not the Legion. Those guys are a whole different ball of wax, The reason the Legion got its ass kicked at Dien Bien Phu was because of French military general officers blunders. Just little things like the Viet Mihn had no heavy artillery. The Legion fighting force is top notch, the regular French generals are the idiots.

When this thread started i had no idea. I became intrigued and read up a little on the subject. It would seem that ^^^ this is accurate. We've become accustomed to laughing at the French military but it seems the Legionnaires are serious bad asses.

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2

**dave 236** · 01-13-2013, 08:34 AM

But again they're not all french. Pretty much multinational mercenaries.

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2

**heckler7** · 01-13-2013, 10:22 AM

Somolia was in control of a group of mercinaries called executive outcomes. The US government didnt like that a payed orginization had control of a country, so we invaded and try to set up a democracy which failed and threw the country into turmoil. We should just stay out of other peoples business unless we are gonna actually take their oil or resources.

**theCaptn'** · 01-13-2013, 03:28 PM

Supreme Allah must die

Thread: French take military action against jihadists

Thread Tools

Display