“France has opened the gates of hell for all the French. She has fallen into a trap which is much more dangerous than Iraq, Afghanistan or Somalia!”-Oumar Ould Hamaha, Mali rebel
14 January 2013, a little earlier than first thought, but it looks like the United Nations has given the go ahead for western invasion of Mali, and France is launching airstrikes.
Mali is a former colony of France, and recently several British empire oil companies have been exploring for black gold in the west African country. The United States has recently increased troop strength there.
France began airstrikes on 11 January 2013, after the christian dominated UN Security Council issued a statement saying they were afraid the Islamic rebels were winning their revolution. Today, 14 January 2013, French reports say that despite their weekend long airstrikes the rebels are winning. Rebels quickly reconstituted after the airstrikes and actually captured another town. French military leaders are basically calling for a ground invasion by U.S. led NATO.
There are already 2,500 French troops, and 3,300 West African troops (at the behest of the UN), in country trying to save the pro-western Mali government. Canada has already sent military transport aircraft to help the French.
U.S. President Barack Obama has promised France all the help it needs: “What we have promised them is that we would work with them, to cooperate with them, to provide whatever assistance we can to try to help them in that effort.”-Leon Panetta, U.S. Secretary of Defense
The European Union (EU), and the United Nations (UN) are holding emergency meetings.