Mali Islamists destroy tombs at famous Timbuktu mosque

[Freewill]

Mali Islamists destroy tombs at famous Timbuktu mosque

Mali Islamists destroy tombs at famous Timbuktu mosque | Reuters

(Reuters) - Islamist militants destroyed two tombs on Tuesday at the famous 14th century Djingareyber mosque in Timbuktu, classified by UNESCO as a world heritage site, residents said.

 

[blastoff]

Condos?

 

[waltky]

Have the French bitten off more than they can chew?...

French triple troops in Mali, prepare for ground assault
January 15, 2013 — After a punishing bombing campaign failed to stop the southward advance of al-Qaida-linked fighters, France announced Tuesday that it is tripling the number of troops deployed to Mali, strongly suggesting that French forces are preparing for a land assault to dislodge the extremists. The move reverses months of rhetoric in which France had said they would provide aerial and logistical support for a military intervention, but insisted it would need to be led by African troops.

Last week France plunged headfirst into the conflict, authorizing air strikes after the extremists launched an aggressive push southward. Despite pounding the north of this landlocked country with 250-kilogram (550-pound) bombs for the past five days, the rebels have extended their reach, taking over a town and its strategically important military camp in the central Malian town of Diabaly on Monday. A French Defense Ministry official, who could not be named because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, said that France was increasing the number of soldiers in Mali from 800 to 2,500.

The military chiefs of the nation's neighboring Mali met in Bamako Tuesday, but none of the thousands of troops pledged by these countries have yet arrived in Mali, and it has become increasingly apparent that France will be leading the attack and not playing a supporting role. French President Francois Hollande told RFI radio early Tuesday that he thought they would succeed in ousting the extremists in one week, but by the afternoon he outlined a far longer-term commitment: "We have one objective: To make sure when we leave, when we end this intervention, there is security in Mali, legitimate leaders, an electoral process and the terrorists no longer threaten its territory," he said during a stop in the United Arab Emirates.

Supplies for the French forces continued to arrive in a steady stream Tuesday, part of the enormous logistics operation needed to support thousands of troops in the baking Sahara sun, a terrain the Islamists have operated in for nearly a decade. Transport planes bringing military hardware landed on the short airstrip. A giant Antonov, two C-17 Boeings and a C-160 disgorged equipment for the hundreds of French soldiers deployed in Mali, likely in preparation for a land offensive to seize back the northern territory held by a trio of rebel groups affiliated with al-Qaida since March.

Burly men in fatigues carried wooden boxes of munitions, labeled with signs that said, "Flammable." Armored personnel carriers queued up at the airport's gasoline pump. The roughly 40 armored vehicles were driven in overnight by French soldiers, stationed in Ivory Coast. They include the ERC-90, a six-wheeled vehicle mounted with a 90 mm cannon, which points out like a horn. Dozens of French Marines who were among the first to be deployed and arrived last week, were camping inside an airport hangar, sleeping on pads laid on the cement floor. Among the supplies they are missing are mosquito nets, explained Adj. Nicolas, who gave only his first name in keeping with military protocol.

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Panetta: No US troops on the ground in Mali
January 15, 2013 — The U.S. will not send troops to Mali and has not decided what additional support, other than intelligence sharing, it will offer France in its military campaign, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Tuesday.

“There is no consideration of putting any American boots on the ground at this time,” he said during a joint press conference with the Portuguese minister of defense. “We commend the French for this effort trying to go into Mali to stop AQIM, these terrorists and members of al-Qaida, from being able to develop a base of operations in Mali.”

Panetta told reporters Monday that the U.S. will provide assistance to France and was considering logistical support and intelligence support – which could include refueling tankers, airlift and drones – to the French effort. Ultimately, Panetta said, he hopes the African nations will deploy a presence to Mali to keep it secure and free from al-Qaida influence.

Portuguese Defense Minister Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco said the situation in Mali poses a threat to the peace and security in the region and in Europe. He said European leaders will meet this week to discuss how to proceed.

Panetta has said the U.S. is increasingly concerned about the terrorist organization’s efforts to establish a base of operations in northern Africa. “The fact is that the war on terrorism continues,” he said Tuesday.

Source

 

[waltky]

Granny wantin' to know why we gotta support the French - dey usually won't go along with us...

US policy in Mali being questioned
January 16, 2013 France’s decision to intervene in Mali put an abrupt end to the cautious approach favored by the U.S. and others in the international community in dealing with hardline Islamists who overran much of the north last year and highlighted possible “missteps” by the U.S, analysts say.

When hardline Islamist militants began claiming vast swaths of northern Mali last year in the wake of a military coup — led by a U.S.-trained officer — U.S. officials urged a careful, restrained response. The U.S. has been providing planning support to regional militaries working on an African-led intervention that was not expected to take place before the fall. France’s decision to launch a bombing campaign and military incursion to try to prevent the militants from advancing south toward Mali’s capital has raised questions about the role years of U.S. counter-terrorism funding and training may have played in sowing the country’s current chaos.

Some experts say the attempts to train Mali’s military diverted attention from the destabilizing forces gathering in the north. “A decent case exists that American policy missteps added fuel to the dangerous fire,” African policy analyst Nii Akuetteh testified before Congress last June. Mali is part of the Defense Department’s Trans-Sahara Counter-Terrorism Partnership to combat terrorism in North Africa by bolstering regional militaries and governments through defense and development aid. Islamic militants in the region became a focus of U.S. policymakers in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Osama bin Laden encouraged militants to sink roots in the region, and the formation of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb sparked a new focus for counterterrorism operations.

Yet the Malian government has throughout its history struggled with the Tuaregs, a nomadic tribe spread across western North Africa and much of northern Mali. Tuaregs had rebelled against the country’s government three times since Mali’s 1960 independence from France. In recent years, Tuaregs complained of poor development, lack of infrastructure and scant economic opportunities compared to the south, said Rudy Atallah, former Africa counter-terrorism director for the Defense Intelligence Agency who made dozens of trips to the country’s north. Drug smuggling was rampant in the lawless north, which the Malian army feared entering. Atallah said the government turned its military on its internal enemy instead of jihadist militants. “Mali, that’s been given millions of dollars to fight terrorists, (has) never fought terrorists,” Atallah said. “Because they never considered the Islamists terrorists. They consider the Tuaregs terrorists.”

A November assessment by West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center concluded the Malian government relied in part on Arab militias to fight the Tuaregs in the north. As AQIM moved in, its connections to those militias tied the Malian government’s hands against battling radical Islamists, particularly as the government focused on Tuaregs, the Center report concluded. Tuaregs regrouped in the aftermath of the Libya conflict, when mercenaries returned to the country with heavier arms. Secular Tuaregs founded a movement in 2011, known as MNLA, and rebelled against the Malian government in January 2012. By April, they had seized most of the north. They were soon pushed aside by Ansar al-Dine, an Islamist Tuareg front that aligned with al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb.

More US policy in Mali being questioned - News - Stripes

 

[WillowTree]

Fuck the French they refused to let us fly over their airspace to get to Iraq.

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - we savin' ol' Frenchie's butt again...

U.S. steps up involvement in Mali
Mon January 28, 2013 - United States agrees to conduct aerial refueling missions, to transport troops; Malian and French forces recapture the city of Gao, a stronghold of the Islamic militants; The Malian offensive is backed by French forces

The United States is intensifying its involvement in Mali, where local and French forces are battling Islamic militants. It will support the French military by conducting aerial refueling missions, according to the Pentagon, which released a short statement Saturday following a call between Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. "The leaders also discussed plans for the United States to transport troops from African nations, including Chad and Togo, to support the international effort in Mali. Secretary Panetta and Minister Le Drian resolved to remain in close contact as aggressive operations against terrorist networks in Mali are ongoing," it read.

U.S. policy prohibits direct military aid to Mali because the fledgling government is the result of a coup. No support can go to the Malian military directly until leaders are chosen through an election. But the United States is supporting the effort with intelligence and airlift support. So far, the U.S. Air Force has flown at least seven C-17 cargo missions into Mali, carrying 200 passengers, mainly French troops, and 168 tons of equipment, according to Maj. Robert Firman, a Pentagon spokesman. The uptick in U.S. involvement comes as Malian forces loosened the grip that Islamist militants' hold in the country's north with the retaking of the city of Gao. With the support of French forces, the Malians entered and took control of Gao, which for months had been a militant stronghold, the French defense ministry said.

The advance was made in stages, with forces taking Gao's airport and the main bridge leading to town before entering the rest of the city. "Jihadist terrorists, who have fought Malian and French armies, have seen their mobile and logistical capabilities reduced," the ministry said in a news release. The quickening advance of the government forces has brought them to the heart of the territory held by the militants. The Islamic extremists carved out a large haven in northern Mali last year, taking advantage of a chaotic situation after a military coup by the separatist party MNLA. The militants banned music, smoking, drinking and watching sports on television. They also destroyed historic tombs and shrines.

The takeover stoked fear among global security experts that Mali could become a new hub for terrorism. Refugees tell harrowing stories of life under the Islamist militants. But the French-based International Federation for Human Rights said it is "very alarmed" by reports that Malian soldiers are themselves carrying out extrajudicial killings and abuses as they counterstrike. The United Nations' refugee agency, UNHCR, has called for an increase in international aid for the hundreds of thousands of people who have been displaced by the fighting in the country.

More U.S. steps up involvement in Mali - CNN.com

 

[RoadVirus]

Mali Islamists destroy tombs at famous Timbuktu mosque

Mali Islamists destroy tombs at famous Timbuktu mosque | Reuters

(Reuters) - Islamist militants destroyed two tombs on Tuesday at the famous 14th century Djingareyber mosque in Timbuktu, classified by UNESCO as a world heritage site, residents said.

Filthy savages.

 

[LordBrownTrout]

Mali Islamists destroy tombs at famous Timbuktu mosque

Mali Islamists destroy tombs at famous Timbuktu mosque | Reuters

(Reuters) - Islamist militants destroyed two tombs on Tuesday at the famous 14th century Djingareyber mosque in Timbuktu, classified by UNESCO as a world heritage site, residents said.

Filthy savages.

They really are a plague on society.

 

[Sunni Man]

Mali Islamists destroy tombs at famous Timbuktu mosqu

(Reuters) - Islamist militants destroyed two tombs on Tuesday at the famous 14th century Djingareyber mosque in Timbuktu, classified by UNESCO as a world heritage site, residents said.

Good for them......

It is against sharia law to venerate tombs sites or worship at graves.

Just because UNESCO designated them as a heritage site means nothing to a true muslim.......

 

[ScreamingEagle]

Mali Islamists destroy tombs at famous Timbuktu mosqu

(Reuters) - Islamist militants destroyed two tombs on Tuesday at the famous 14th century Djingareyber mosque in Timbuktu, classified by UNESCO as a world heritage site, residents said.

Good for them......

It is against sharia law to venerate tombs sites or worship at graves.

Just because UNESCO designated them as a heritage site means nothing to a true muslim.......

sharia is exactly why muslims shouldn't be allowed in America...

 

[Sunni Man]

Sharia is exactly why America needs muslims and Islam........

 

[konradv]

French president on military offensive: 'We are winning in Mali' - CNN.com

 

[TheOldSchool]

Sharia is exactly why America needs muslims and Islam........

Lol. That's the worst thing I've ever seen.

 

[Katzndogz]

The terrorists have also destroyed the ancient manuscripts. They are savages who should, in a better world, of better people, be obliterated.

 

[Dot Com]

Fuck the French they refused to let us fly over their airspace to get to Iraq.

for our "war of choice" put on our grandchildren's credit card Willer?

Siege of Yorktown - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Yorktown, or Surrender of Yorktown, the latter taking place on October 19, 1781, was a decisive victory by a combined force of American Continental Army troops led by General George Washington and French Army troops led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis

STOP BEING A CU..... errr..... BITCH!!!

 

[Sunni Man]

The funniest thing about this whole issue is;

"How many of you outraged people here were planning on vacationing in Mali and taking a tour of the Timbuktu mosque??

 

[Katzndogz]

The funniest thing about this whole issue is;

"How many of you outraged people here were planning on vacationing in Mali and taking a tour of the Timbuktu mosque??

It has nothing to do with who is going to Mali. The heritage of the Malian people belongs to them. They are the ones being robbed of their history. A history that will be replaced by the koran. Not their history, but one imposed on them. And, even that will only go back 1200 years.

 

[Sunni Man]

American history only goes back around 500 years.

Anything before that was Native American history and was totally obliterated by the Europeans.

So do you really think you should be looking down on the 1200 year Islamic history of Mali ??

 

[BlindBoo]

Mali Islamists destroy tombs at famous Timbuktu mosqu

(Reuters) - Islamist militants destroyed two tombs on Tuesday at the famous 14th century Djingareyber mosque in Timbuktu, classified by UNESCO as a world heritage site, residents said.

Good for them......

It is against sharia law to venerate tombs sites or worship at graves.

Just because UNESCO designated them as a heritage site means nothing to a true muslim.......

Sharia law is nothing more than mans interpretations based on medieval understanding of the world. It has no right to overrule our constitution or our man made laws.

Irony: To Hell with all religionist.

 

[bodecea]

The terrorists have also destroyed the ancient manuscripts. They are savages who should, in a better world, of better people, be obliterated.

Who are the savages again?