MALI (1591 - 2012). “So I’m looking at this map of Mali and I see the capital city, Bamako, and three other places: Timbuktu, Kidal, Gao…naturally, I assume it’s a mapping of terrorist activity, since these are the places are being targeted in the military intervention against AQIM [Al Qaeda in the Islamic Mahgreb].” Under pressure from the US and the EU to respond to the terrorist threat posed by AQIM, West African countries have developed an invasion plan to reclaim the North of Mali from Islamic extremists. The plan will be implemented in the coming few months – despite reiterations by Islamic group Ansar Dine, which controls much of Northern Mali, that they denounce extremism and are open to diplomatic negotiations. African soldiers will be on the ground in the line of fire; while Western countries will provide support through their air forces, drones from Afghanistan and military training. “But as I take a closer look at the map,” continued Langa-Smith, “I realise – wait a second, this has nothing to do with the upcoming war on Islamic extremism. This map is about oil exploration blocks – it’s only that hotspots of terror also happen to be hotspots of oil and gas. And I’m thinking back on Libya, and I start getting this crazy idea, I’m wondering, could there be a link between oil and terror?” Often presented in mainstream media as a ‘beacon of democracy’ in west Africa, the Mali government was little more than a corrupt and pliant neo-colonial regime before last year when the U.S.-trained and equipped Mali army twice overthrew it – in March and again in December. The Mali army now scrambling to fight alongside its French big brother was condemned and boycotted by the U.S., Europe and Canada during a brief, sham interlude of concern following the first coup.[Roger Annis] War Oil and Islamic Extreamist Mali is an INTERNAL POLITICAL CONFLICT, not even a war (yet), there are no human rights issues, there is no genocide, so why the rush for war?... Strange, that Congo et al does not get this same priority when people are being raped left right and center. You have to ask yourself, whose war is it anyway? But the minute you start sending French controlled black armies into Mali, then we will end up with another Hot Zone on the Earth -- Like Libya, Afghanistan or Iraq. And the same French who spoke about end the dictatorship, and free yourself are now recommending martial law because the violence, post-Gadaffi is off the scale. (all of this is on record). War is totally avoidable in Mali, diplomacy is the only solution, especially if the Western aligned governments sincerely care about peace, historical sites, and regional stability The entire sahel region, like the so-called Middle East, has always had jockeying powers, thats the way history is. Before Islam, with Islam, with colonialism, after colonialism, one truth holds out -- people want power. However, the imposed Bambara government was a colonial choice. Alik Shahadah in Mali (Motherland ) The history of Turaeg in Mali is not a new thing. After the Battle of Tondibi in 1591 the Turaeg had on and off control of parts of the region, competing with the conquering Moroccan dynasty. In about 1770, the Tuareg took possession of Gao, and in 1787 they entered Timbuktu and abolished the office of the Pasha. Turareg, Fula and Moors joined forces and fought off Umar Talls attempts and conuering the region in 1863. People who are ignorant of their history are very easy to exploit, even easier to control. Let us reflect back on Nasir Ul-Din in the 16th century who wages a war (Jihad) against the invading Europeans, on his side was the poor -- the people. On the other side was not only the Western armies but the treacherous African elite. This is just to give some background to the age of the territorial dispute which is often trivialized in Western Media with a utter destain of the sophistication behind conflicts in Africa. Mali has historically faced many threats, just like any other high resource city (Jerusalem, Rome, Tokyo, Mombasa, Cape Town, etc). Long before democracy was exported to Africa as the benchmark model of success, long before America was founded Mali was governed by a system that sustained the region for over 1000 years. So why is Sharia so unbearable and blasphemous to the secular leaders and their Western pay masters. It is not a religious problem as the majority are Muslim. So the issue must be in the fact that Sharia is bad for business, bad for the current leadership illegitimate positions secured by Western funds, bad for Laissez Faire, bad for free markets, bad for proxy, bad for neocolonialism. France24 When it started all we knew was the separatist. They, the Tuareg, were the only candidates for Bad Boy status. Fast forward a few months, Asar Dine came into the public, they became the REAL Bad boys because of their Shariah Agenda (public floggings, banning music, forced marriages, chopping limbs). Sharia became the toss up for the Kool drinking public and shallow academics; sharia vs. secular. Later on we hear the Tuareg were the okay bad guys, we can talk to them. Recently they became heroes when they gave up their claims altogether. If you have never seen a conflict you might not realize that as bad as things are, people talk and make deals. The man who can make the best deal with the Devil is the victor. As big as this planet is everything is interconnected, and delicate balances are in place. It may seem like having a regime change in Libya would be contained. Well it wasnt. When arroagnance decides nations fate from within in Beltway --expect terrible side effects. Imposing is imposing, regardless of if it is sharia or democracy. We have seen people in Egypt lean towards Islamic governance, then that is okay. But any kind of force is always going to be a problem. We hear about 300,000 fleeing the North. Well how many fled the assaults in Iraq and Libya? How many fled Katrina? People tend to flee any conflict/disaster. But the Western press makes us join Sharia and Fleeing to imply one is creating the later. Not the case. UPDATE | In the evolution of war rhetoric a rebel group has gone from rebels to terrorist with those obvious unavoidable unproven links to the mythical ubiquitous Al-Qaeda. Timbuktu it seems was the cherry on the top to get the world to cry, the war -- as in the case of Libya-- has its justification. How to do the job is just a technicality. There is a new scramble for Africa- can you count? Somalia , Uganda, bases in Ethiopia, Libya, Ivory Coast, and now Mali. As always there is a good reason for occupation. As always fears, and ignorance combined have practically caused us to drop our guard and be set-up for the play. The naive and the dull, again, did not see it coming. Like lambs to the slaughter. They think the wolf is a liberator, and so blinded by the propaganda that they do not see the new war for Africa is in full swing. Weather forecast for Africa | The safest African countries to be in right now are the ones with the biggest puppets; Storms in Somali, Mali, Sudan, clouds in Zimbabwe, etc. Guinea is a mess, but South Africa is safe, Malawi is secured, Ethiopia is airtight, Ivory Coast secured, Rwanda secured, working on Nigeria and Mali, Libya is WIP, Egypt is TBA .
Posted on: Sat, 02 Nov 2013 19:44:52 +0000
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