Stuff on Mali and Algeria

Blogspot   Bridges From Bamako has a nice analysis of the Mali conflict. I knew that some of our Canadian gold companies were operating in Mali but didn't know how many others are also involved, including uranium startups.  No wonder France thinks they can twist our arm into further commitment to their cause.  That entire area used to be colonized by the French and French security firms and French army personnel have been shoring up the fragile govts. in that part of the world  long after the colonial masters have "officially" left those lands ... just like how NATO will still have their ground personnel in the guise of "security firms" in Afghanistan and Iraq for the next  ... how many decades?  Your guess is as good as mine.

From Reuters:
....The French held back from launching a full-out assault on the town as the Al Qaeda linked rebels had taken refuge in the homes of civilians.  "The Islamists are still in Diabaly. They are very many of them. Every time they hear a plane overhead, they run into homes, traumatising the people," said one woman who fled the town with her three children overnight....



From Reuters:
Algerian forces stormed   a desert gas complex to free hundreds of hostages but 30, including several Westerners, were killed in the assault along with at least 11 of their Islamist captors, an Algerian security source told Reuters.
Western leaders whose compatriots were being held did little to disguise their irritation at being kept in the dark by Algeria before the raid - and over its bloody outcome. French, British and Japanese staff were among the dead, the source said.
An Irish engineer who survived said he saw four jeeps full of hostages blown up by Algerian troops whose commanders said they moved in about 30 hours after the siege began because the gunmen had demanded to be allowed to take their captives abroad.....

From TheTelegraphUK
The Prime Minister has been forced  to cancel his long-awaited speech on Europe at the last minute to deal with the Algerian hostage crisis.