Targeting Mali: Protracted Conflict Continues, Another Quagmire Looms - Where It Ends Who Knows
07 January 2013
By Stephen Lendman
At issue is scrambling for Africa's resources. They're
vast. They're some of the world's largest and richest.
They include oil, gas, gold, silver, diamonds,
uranium, iron, copper, tin, lead, nickel, coal,
cobalt, bauxite, wood, coltan, manganese, chromium,
vanadium-bearing titanium, agricultural lands, and
offshore fishing.
AFRICOM was established to pursue them.
Resource/mineral wars define America's agenda.
Mali is strategically located. It's West Africa's
largest country. It's more than double the size of
France. It borders on seven nations. They include
Algeria, Niger, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Senegal,
Guinea, and Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast).
Its northwestern area is largely arid desert or
semi-desert. The Sahel runs through its central
region. Rainfall and rivers make southwestern
territory marginally more lush than the rest of the
country.
The Niger River is its most important geographic
feature. It traverses the Sahel and southeastern
region. It's a major transportation artery.
Mali's resources matter. They comprise a treasure
trove of discovered and yet to be developed riches.
They include gold, diamonds, phosphates, bauxite,
lignite, kaolin, salt, limestone, gypsum, granite,
marble, diatomite, hydropower, iron ore, manganese,
tin, lead, zinc, copper, oil, gas, and uranium.
Mali is Africa's third largest gold producer after
South Africa and Ghana. It's rich in uranium. It has
an estimated 5,000 tons or more. It's neighbor Niger
is the world's fourth largest producer.
In 2007, Algeria's state oil company Sonatrach and
Canada's Selier Energy signed oil and gas exploration
deals. In mid-2012, drilling began. Other companies
are involved.
Taoudenni is a remote northern Malian salt mining
region. It's large area includes part of Mauritania
and southern Algeria. It's oil deposits are
potentially large.
They're untapped. They remain to be developed. Four
other sedimentary basins have potential worth
exploring.
Mali matters. It's worth contesting for. France
drafted a UN resolution. In 2011, It was Washington's
lead attack dog on Libya. It's serving the same role
against Mali.
Doing so lets Obama keep a low profile. Make no
mistake. Mali is America's operation. US special
forces are involved. Washington's supplying
logistical, air, and intelligence support.
US military personnel will arrive this weekend.
They'll train and direct Malian forces. Expect
supportive drone attacks.
Libya was Washington's war. So is Syria. Mali matters.
Washington wants unchallenged African dominance.
It wants the entire continent colonized, exploited and
controlled. It wants China, Russia, and other
potential rivals largely shut out.
AFRICOM was established to rape the continent's
riches.
War on terror fear-mongering preceded France's
involvement. Pretexts are easy to invent. Freeing
northern areas from Al Qaeda-linked rebels was used as
justification for France's intervention.
French President Francois Hollande said "terrorist
elements" must be confronted.
"The terrorists must know that France will always be
there when it is a matter not of its fundamental
interests, but of the rights of a population, that of
Mali, (that) wants to live freely in a democracy."
Saying so is a false on its face. France is a NATO
country. It's Washington's imperial ally. It's
involved in America's wars. Its "fundamental
interests" include colonization and resource
exploitation.
From 1892 - 1960, Mali was a French colony. France's
former colonial empire included Algeria, Morocco,
Tunisia, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mauritania, Niger,
Senegal, Middle Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), Chad,
Gabon, and other parts of Africa.
Neocolonialism remains policy. Expect Hollande to
involve France in other imperial adventures. He's
Washington's junior partner. He's doing Obama's
bidding. At the same time, he's furthering French
interests. Sarkozy did the same thing in Libya.
On December 20, the Security Council unanimously
approved intervention. Why Russia and China concurred,
they'll have to explain.
In mid-January, French aircraft and ground troops
attacked. Candidate Hollande promised kinder, gentler
policies. He suggested foreign interventions would
end.
He lied. Other priorities take precedence. He declared
open-ended war on Mali. He said conflict will last "as
long as necessary."
Earlier he suggested French involvement for only
"several weeks." Britain said the same thing when
troops arrived in Northern Ireland. They stayed for
decades.
Israel claimed its 1982 Lebanon invasion would be
short-lived. It controlled the country's south until
2000. Palestine's been occupied for decades.
America arrives to stay. Permanent Afghanistan and
Iraq occupations are planned. Rhetoric belies policy.
Rebel forces control northern areas large as Texas.
The Los Angeles Times said Pentagon officials "warn(ed)
that without more aggressive US action, Mali could
become a haven for extremists."
AFRICOM commander General Carter Ham said "if left
unaddressed, (they'll) obtain capability to match
their intent - that being to extend their reach and
control and attack American interests."
He referred to Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
It raises most concern, he said. "It is clear to me
they aspire to conduct events more broadly across the
region," he added.
Washington is very much involved. Pentagon spokesman
Major Robert Firman said US C-17 cargo jets are
ferrying hundreds of French troops and equipment to
Mali. Surveillance, intelligence, and other assistance
are supplied.
Mali risks becoming another Afghanistan. Hollande may
regret getting involved. Body bags coming home may
turn French people against him.
Months after being elected, his popularity declined
significantly. Intervening in Mali helped. Most French
people support it. Protracted conflicts aren't
popular. They take their toll.
Sentiment usually changes. Domestic priorities matter
most. Hollande promised austerity. Doing so defies
popular interests. Anti-austerity strikes and protests
affect France and other European countries.
Foreign interventions change the subject. For how long
is at issue. Economic priorities matter most.
Eventually they trump other concerns. Hollande may
suffer the consequences.
For now, targeting Mali takes precedence. Bombing
continues. French ground troops arrived. Around 2,500
or more will participate.
Nigeria, Niger, Burkino Faso, Senegal, Togo, and Benin
promised support. They'll provide thousands more
troops. Greater numbers may supplement initial
contingents. Foreign interventions escalate this way.
Hollande said France's "operation has three goals:"
(1) "halting terrorist aggression;"
(2) preventing it from taking control Mali's capital
and largest city - Bamako; and
(3) helping Mali "recover its territorial integrity."
Malian intervention serves French interests. Fighting
terrorism, respecting Mali's territorial integrity,
and furthering democracy conceal dark intentions.
Contesting for the country's north won't be easy. It's
mountainous, rugged, and vast. It replicates France in
size. It's long enjoyed considerable autonomy.
Protracted conflict looks likely.
It's already taken a toll. Algeria's involved. Rebel
fighters seized its In Amenas gas facility. Hundreds
of hostages were taken. Hollande defended France's
intervention, saying"
"What's happening in Algeria justifies even more the
decision I took in the name of France to go to Mali's
aid." Saying so is duplicitous doublespeak.
French intervention was planned months ago. It was
done jointly with Washington. At issue is defending
mutual interests. Imperial priorities matter most.
The Algerian gas facility standoff continues. Many
hostages were freed. Others are still held. It's
unclear how many died. Conflicting reports suggest
dozens.
Rebel fighters demand negotiations. They want Malian
intervention ended. They proposed hostages exchanges.
They want US political prisoners Sheikh Omar
Abdel-Rahman and Aafia Siddiqui freed.
Both were wrongly convicted. Abdel-Rahman is a former
CIA asset. He's known as the blind sheikh. He was
given a US visa and green card. He was protected as
long as he was valued.
Later he was targeted. He was convicted on spurious
charges. In 1996, he was sentenced to life in prison.
Aafia Siddiqui got 86 years for being Muslim in
America at the wrong time. Her conviction and
sentencing reflect gross miscarriage of justice
hypocrisy.
In US and proxy Pakistani hands, she was abducted,
imprisoned, tortured, prosecuted, and convicted on
bogus charges.
Stepped-up US intervention looms. On January 18,
Hillary Clinton said "it is absolutely essential that
we broaden and deepen our counterterrorism cooperation
going forward with Algeria and all countries of the
region."
White House press secretary Jay Carney suggested
greater US involvement, saying:
"(W)e're obviously very interested in and focused on
terrorist groups and terrorist actions in the region
and around the world."
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said:
"Terrorists should be on notice that they will find no
sanctuary, no refuge - not in Algeria, not in North
Africa, not anywhere."
"We're concerned any time Al Qaeda establishes a base
of operations," he added. Washington is considering
how to "bring our military assets to bear."
He referred to resolving the Algerian crisis. Implied
is greater US Malian and regional involvement.
Claiming concern about "terrorist" involvement don't
wash. Washington uses Al Qaeda and similar groups as
strategic allies and adversaries. It's been done for
decades. It's to advance America's imperium.
It was 2011 Libyan strategy. It's ongoing in Syria.
Rhetoric belies reality. Expect stepped up Malian
intervention.
Washington will get more involved. So will other NATO
partners and regional allies. France will remain lead
belligerent.
Protracted conflict continues. Another quagmire looms.
Where it ends who knows.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be
reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book
is titled "How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized
Banking, Government Collusion and Class War"
http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html Visit his
blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to
cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on
the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive
Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and
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