Watch as it Develops - The Staged War Against Islamists in Northern Mali

The solution for that country is to mine the gold out as fast as possible.

Rather than have the children do the mining over 20 years bring is some 21st century heavy equipment (under lease)that is self contained, dustless and the tailing piles are fields ready for agriculture, some crops for food only, some for commercial uses. That is when the children could be put to work in telling the adults what parts of the fields need some attention.

Adobe huts with recycled tires being core of the walls so are weather and bomb-proof for 100 years or so. That could be something that is a left behind item from when the mines burrowed through the areas where gold deposits were high.

Just make sure the Gov is the owner of the mining equipment and the citizens that operate it are all partners in the same company therefore treason would be a crime against yourself and your children.

Anita Hunt did a good summary of the key players in Northern Mali - definitely worth a read...

[link to lissnup.wordpress.com]

Anita Hunt's who's who reminded me of this profile (from last year) of
Nina Wallet Intalou, MNLA leader, and former Gaddafi mistress. She gives Libyan blowback a whole new meaning...

[link to worldcrunch.com]

Aerial bombardment destroyed cars near near the border with Mauritania

Eyewitnesses said that the French military aviation destroyed cars belonging to Islamist fighters near the border with Mauritania, near the city of Fassala. This information was confirmed by Sahara Media has a security source said that the operation went 225 km Mauritanian territory, without elaborating on the identity of the target.

[link to translate.google.com]

Mali conflict exposes White House-Pentagon split

Some top Pentagon officials and military officers warn that without more aggressive U.S. action, Mali could become a haven for extremists, akin to Afghanistan before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001...

But many of Obama's top aides say it is unclear whether the Mali insurgents, who include members of the group Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, threaten the U.S. Those aides also worry about being drawn into a messy and possibly long-running conflict against an elusive enemy in Mali, a vast landlocked country abutting the Sahara desert, just as U.S. forces are withdrawing from Afghanistan...

The internal debate is one reason for a delay in U.S. support for the French, who airlifted hundreds of troops into Mali last weekend and launched airstrikes in an effort to halt the militants from pushing out of their northern stronghold toward Bamako, the Malian capital.

The Pentagon is planning to begin ferrying additional French troops and equipment to Mali in coming days aboard U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo jets, according to Air Force Maj. Robert Firman, a Pentagon spokesman... The U.S. is also providing France with surveillance and other intelligence on the militants.

But the administration has so far balked at a French request for tanker aircraft to provide in-air refueling of French fighter jets because the White House does not yet want to get directly involved in supporting French combat operations, officials said. U.S. officials have ruled out putting troops on the ground, except in small numbers and only to support the French.

[link to www.latimes.com]

Algerian hostage crisis throws spotlight on spillover of Libyan war

...But the bold move on the gas complex near the Libyan border this week, coupled with the swift military successes of militants in Mali, have also raised questions about NATO’s handling of Libyan arsenals, as well as the country’s borders, during the eight-month revolution, in which the alliance assisted Libya’s rebel forces...

While it is impossible to measure the exact role that Libya’s revolution and the ensuing security vacuum played in the recent unrest, analysts say that without the arrival of Libyan weapons and trained fighters, it would have been far more difficult for Mali’s extremist groups to seize control of the country’s vast desert north...

[link to www.washingtonpost.com]

The ones that ruled from when the USSR pulled out are the Taliban, origin members were recruited before the invasion by the USSR.
Heroin became an export only crop, in return no enforcement of (supposed) UN rights by the Overlords. How to breach them was a program with credits.

"Algerian hostage crisis throws spotlight on spillover of Libyan war

...But the bold move on the gas complex near the Libyan border this week, coupled with the swift military successes of militants in Mali, have also raised questions about NATO’s handling of Libyan arsenals, as well as the country’s borders, during the eight-month revolution, in which the alliance assisted Libya’s rebel forces..."

It show they can get their task completed when France is messing up the playbook by failing in their assigned task, again ....

That might be Canada's way out of having any important tasks given to her, we just need a French General two in the higher ups to doing the plan that gets presented to our NATO Bosses and excused from the exercise.

Wonder if gold output increases?

[link to fromthetrenchesworldreport.com]

Last Edited by MHz on 01/19/2013 03:35 AM

Interesting Detail from Algerian Hostage Crisis -

One of the most intriguing details to come out of interviews with released hostages is that some of the terrorists were heard speaking English with a "perfect English accent."

[link to www.telegraph.co.uk]

RFI Article on the Racial Aspects of Malian Conflict -

Fear of retaliation in the north against the Fulani accused of being pro-Mujao because some have been seen in the ranks of the jihadists. Fear of reprisals against them as "fair complexions," as they are called, that is to say, the Arab and Tauregs accused of collusion with terrorists. These days many Malians clear complexion felt threatened in the capital.


[link to translate.google.com]

Update on Algerian Hostage Crisis - 7 More Hostages Killed in Final Storming of Compound

[link to bbc.in]

The Gas Plant in Amenas Algeria has been Sabotaged by Terrorists

"Following the intervention of the Algerian military forces on the gas plant and dislodgement Tiguentourine terrorists, it was found that the plant has been undermined in order to make it explode," said Sonatrach in statement sent to our editors.

The latter states that "a major clearance operation is in progress by specialized teams of the Algerian army before launching start-up operations of the plant by operating personnel Sonatrach mobilized for this purpose"

[link to translate.google.com]

Nuclear Observatory condemns Mali intervention as a neocolonial coup, stating that under the pretext of democracy France is trying to secure uranium for her nuclear plants and the French energy corporation Areva, mainly known for nuclear power projects.
[link to translate.google.gr]


Here the nuclear observatory condemns Areva for corruption and pulling the strings in Niger.
[link to translate.google.gr]


More about Areva:
[link to en.wikipedia.org]

Last Edited by insertfunnyusername on 01/19/2013 09:15 AM

This is getting interesting...

According to other sources, 3 members of Belmokhtar's shura (leadership council) were at the Amenas plant... Everyone now contends the Marlboro man was behind this operation. There are numerous example of Belmokhtar's supposed collusion with Algerian military over the years.

This raises all kinds of issues re: Algerian military involvement in the Amenas attack...

For example, this article includes a couple in interesting tidbits - the hostage takers knew about plant operations and they knew about a planned military strike before it occurred...

[link to translate.google.com]

Posted this in another thread too, shows the damage that this hostage situation has done to Algerian natgas interests. Maybe that's why they acted so quickly?



"The gas field at In Amenas accounts for 18% of Algeria's total gas exports, Le Monde reports. Gas flows from the country to Europe via the Transmed pipeline. Italian officials told the French newspaper that exports from Algeria fell 17% on Thursday, one day after the plant was taken over.

An analyst with Societe Generale estimated the value of the facility's output at $3.9bn annually."

Last Edited by insertfunnyusername on 01/19/2013 09:23 AM

2,000 French troops now in Mali: Defence minister

[link to english.ahram.org.eg]

2 Americans among the 16 hostages freed today in Amenas, Algeria

Source - R**ters

Morning DD! This is getting interesting indeed, more and more people are saying that this hostage situation had nothing to do with Mali intervention.

Areva is one of two companies in world that makes MOX fuel rods, which are reprocessed from weapons-grade material...

20 years ago, MOX fuel was hailed is this great achievement. Our nuclear arsenals could be converted into power plant fuel. Once converted, MOX could never again be weaponized. However, there was a glossed over risk. In a nuclear accident, MOX fuel rods would release far more radiation than traditional fuel rods.

But what were the chances of an accident? Ask the people of Fukushima...

I think it's related to Mali; BUT, Mali is not the only issue...

Me too, just sharing what i heard from people i follow, more Libya connected than Mali, could be a side-show/distraction for the intervention, who knows.

From a military point of view that gas field appears to be a far piece on the map from Mali. These Jihadis would have to travel quite a distance undiscovered to get there. From a military point of view they had no means of re-supply if they had to depend upon Mali either especially since they had no air cover. All this would lead me to the conclusion that more than likely they came from Libya or were depending on re-supply from there at the very least.

Anything is possible imo, islamists pretty much rule the whole desert in many countries there through various interconnected jihadi groups.

Algeria has been losing $11m a day as a result of the shutdown at the In Amenas plant, state-run oil firm Sonatrach told R**ters. Fears have been expressed over the impact of the crisis on the hydrocarbons sector, key to the Algerian economy

Last Edited by insertfunnyusername on 01/19/2013 11:19 AM

From a military point of view, the rise of al-Qaeda and its reach from Afghanistan to Mauretania is a logistical impossibility,.. but it is a reality nevertheless.

They fight by infiltration and subversion. Their victories are not tactical but diplomatic. They get the collusion of other groups (Qataris, Saudis, etc.) who then get their enemies (State Department, CIA, MSM) to covertly support them.

Unconfirmed Reports that local residents in Northern Mali are rising up against Islamists -

Hannah Armstrong (@HannahHaniya)
1/19/13, 11:58 AM
Incredible turn, if @joepenney report that Gao pop rose up & killed Aliou Toure is true. AT infamous for chopping off 2 his own bro's hands.

Rami el-Obeidi - former head of NTC Intelligence (Libya's provisional government) is tweeting that Jihadist may have come from base in Libya & that Belmokhtar has visited Libya at least twice. He tweeted to several reporters that jihadists have been using Libya's MOD (Ministry of Defense) for cover for their training camps & operations in Libya.

He's a civilian now - bit he is very connected in Libya - I trust his tweets...

Here a breaking updates on BBC re: Algerian crisis -

1654: Algerian TV channel TV3 has broadcast footage of weapons purportedly seized from kidnappers at the In Amenas gas plant, including Kalashnikov rifles, machine guns, a pile of ammunition and rocket propelled grenades, BBC Monitoring reports.

1645: Algerian army operations since Thursday have killed 29 militants, including four "emirs", or leaders, the Algerian El Watan news site reports. It names them as Abul Rahman al-Nigeri, Lamine Moucheneb, alias Taher, Abu Albaraa Al-Jazairi and Mauritanian Abdallahi Ould Hmeida. The original group of kidnappers is thought to have been around 30 strong and composed of different nationalities.

Al-Nigeri was previously reported as the head of the operation... (See Longwar journal). He is from Niger. I believe the other two are Algerians, and then, according to BBC, a Mauritanian.

[link to www.bbc.co.uk]

Libya, the epic fail that keeps on giving. Weren't the jihadi's asking for other 2 ministries some time back too? Did they get them? Do you keep any of your Libya threads still active?

Media report re: Locals Killing Islamist Leader in GAO


Inhabitants of Gao (northeast of Mali) Saturday killed a chief Islamist protest against the killing of a local journalist who had been beaten to death by Islamists, AFP learned from sources.

"The journalist Kader Toure was beaten to death Saturday by Islamists who accused him of working for the enemy. Dissatisfied, the people of Gao killed an Islamist leader named Alioune Touré," said Ms. Sema Maiga, Assistant Mayor Gao.

[link to translate.google.com]

Very interesting read and theory here. Argues that Malian could have possibly invited AQIM in N.Mali to hijack the Tuareg rebellions.
Was al Qaeda given a safe haven in northern Mali?
[link to warincontext.org]


First article also has a link to a much more detailed and related article that i haven't read yet but i will in a bit, but i'm sure that you'll find it interesting Darby. :)

Guns, cigarettes & Salafi dreams: the roots of AQIM
[link to www.andymorganwrites.com]

They were given three. Rami's tweets from today were even worse. I copied them onto MilMan's World at War thread. He tweeted that the Islamists are "consuming" Libya. I've followed him 4 months (maybe a year?) and he's the calming voice who dispels rumors...If he's (finally) saying Islamists are taking over, it's over...

I contacted 2 tweeters who are associated w/ US State Department. I got no response from one & the other guy said Libya is a mess and then asked me out....

I didn't keep my Libyan threads active & I deleted most of the best posts after I learned that there were credible death threats against George Grant, Asma al-Magariaf, and David Bachmann. I had quoted them extensively and I didn't want to put them in more danger...(I feared my posts might remain around after the tweets were no longer readily accessible). Asma has three very young children in Tripoli. I don't want to put anyone at risk with stuff I put on GLP.

I think Rami is safe - his family is so well connected & I think they are quite wealthy. If I had any indication that he was in danger I wouldn't post his tweets either.

Libya is far worse than anything you're reading in MSM. There are nightly assassinations. Police & security people are literally afraid to go to work. The only thing that's working well is the oil sector (surprise). Despite all the issues, Libyan students are deeply involved in trying to help their country. Many Libyans are still talking (rather than fighting). It's not too late (yet)...

But what do I know?