Tragic event and seemingly the way we can expect more of these events to end, particularly if AQIM continue to be so bold with their attacks. AQIM have crossed a line now and enforced a push-back on themselves.
I would expect AQIM to have a long think about it all and perhaps revert to more remote activities and kidnappings. There has been an escalation in their approach (abductions on the tar road in Mauri which leads to the capital, abductions from the mine at Arlit and now abductions from inside a capital city) and they have reached the point now where they have not succeeded. Until this point pretty much all AQIM has done by way of kidnappings (discounting an event in central-eastern Niger some time ago) has worked out for them.
Something I'm not clear about is why the French special forces don't engage at times other than a hostage drama - in other words on their own terms and with the benefit of surprise.
Last edited by Richard Washington; 10 Jan 2011 at 10:58.
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