Is The Loan Of 2 Planes For 1 Week Enough

[pdq1]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21018382

The Islamic rebels are approaching a town in Mali and suggestions that they will take it over. France with a small contingent of troops are there but heavily outnumbered. They do have the backing of the African union but judging by past events such as Libya are pretty useless.

Can you see the problem escalating and increasing our contribution by transferring our troops from Afghanistan into this new hot spot?

[boxtops]

No, I don't think I can.

[gordie1]

why the hell do Britain have to get involved let them sort their own bloody problems we have enough of our own

[Prudie]

I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up putting our troops there, or Somalia, or Syria, or...

[shoota]

Have we any left to put anywhere?

[ChillDoubt]

gordie1,
We're assisting NATO colleagues in stemming the upsurge of Islamic terrorism in Mali that may have a knock-on effect in Europe, that's why.

[boxtops]

True, chill - if they get a foothold in Mali, France isn't that far away.

[ChillDoubt]

No boxy, but the routes, passages, ties and links to France from Mali as a result of French colonialism are factors that are obviously being taken into consideration.

[DTCwordfan]

I said yesterday that if you have lived in France, it is so evident the ties between the country and its colonies/ex-colonies, perhaps even closer than ours. The French have a pretty substantial "Corbusier" style embassy in Bamako, by far the biggest of any country.

My fear is if Al Qaeda get more of a foothold in Northern/Central Nigeria - would we go to the assistance of Nigeria?

[ChillDoubt]

Escalating?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21018382

[youngmafbog]

The Islamic fight will not go away. It will have to reach boiling point at some time and some place.

I don't think this is it though.

[Baldric]

Heard on the News earlier that our troops could be used to train the Malian Army!
Thin end of the wedge?

[pdq1]

Haven't we been doing this for the last 8 years in Aghanistan Baldric. When we leave there we will continue to contribute £mns every year towards the new Afghan army. Seems ironic propping up someone else's army at the same time our soldiers are being made redundant because of cost.

Mali is a big place and they mention equivalent to the size of Spain. Its about time they called in the US and despatched some drones.