If the campaign is planned around fighter/bombers (like Mig23) then 600km is probably too far (response time too slow, fuel/range a problem) and dirt strips like at Chenachen (not Chegga?) are too short and the wrong surface for the Migs. That said, a bombing campaign is misguided. Better to base it round some Mi-24 choppers (easy to refuel anywhere on the ground, easy to chase targets on the ground and with appropriate kit on board). Butterfly tactics work well (chopper one stands 10 minutes off), chopper two flits around, lands here and there to draw attention and when the attention finally arrives, chopper one joins the party. Its worked well elsewhere. Bombing runs, by comparison, are more miss than hit.

"(not Chegga?)"
Added by Ch: There is a 1.5-km airstrip 4.6km west of Chegga fort, but as you say, big helicopters better.
Added by RW: 4.6-km east of Chegga fort?

Howz about drones? The americans are starting to us them in Somalia, and also targeted killings.

I heard that Alg are blocking transport of water and commodities to Tessalit region - could this be at all effective? Evidently it has been a successful tactic in pacifying the south, controlling water and fuel.
But the border is huge and there is enough water in Tessalit, no?

maliweb - Enquêtes sur le terrorisme sahelo-saharien : Au cœur de l’empire salafiste

Gogoonisch - E

maliweb - La métastase Belmokhtar

Gogoonisch - E

Ulrich

Both interesting articles from Ulrich from a Malian POV.

Of MBM they say the ...man is credited with all the powers, starting with the gift of ubiquity. You see him everywhere at the same time, Blida, Algeria, Tedjerert Mali, Mauritania Alegh, Agadez in Niger... A sort of Lucky Luke in turbans...

but this time they speculate the game could be up for him.

Ch

DW - Diplomatic row threatens Western-backed alliance in the Sahel against al Qaeda

Ulrich

[url=http://www.maliweb.net/category.php?NID=59023&intr]maliweb.net :: Axe Bamako- Nouakchott : Un bataillon militaire mauritanien d

maliweb - Axe Bamako- Nouakchott : Un bataillon militaire mauritanien déployé �* la frontière malienne :thumbup1:

Institut Thomas Moore - Towards a sustainable security in the Maghreb: an opportunity for the region, a commitment for the European Union

The complete report:

The special report in PDF (28 pages), 1009 KB---------------------->http://www.desert-info.ch/download/pdf/Icons/PDF.jpg
________________

truthout - Guantánamo and Habeas Corpus: The Torture Victim and the Taliban Recruit

Ulrich

Washington is preparing to establish a military base in Burkina Faso

Algeria reservation to participate in exercises in the Atlantic coast

El Khabar

FP - Morocco's Misguided War on Terror

Ulrich

Grenade attack in Gao, Mali:

:: maliweb.net :: Les Nouvelles du Mali

Suggestions of whch way the culprits who shot the 5 soldiers in Niger recently went after the attack:

maliweb.net :: Les Dijahadistes de Tilwa venaient du Mali

Algerians in the desert have had it with islamists
Algeria: We're Not Going To Take It Any More
French military instructors arrive in Mopti to train hundreds of Mali soldiers
Mali : des instructeurs français dépêchés pour une formation anti-terroriste - Temoust.org | Le portail du peuple touareg berbère Kel Tamasheq
also Ennahar Online - French instructors for anti-terrorist training in Mali
News from Kidal
Les news de Kidal.info || Kidal.info

It looks like Algeria is moving in on the northeast too (Tizi Ouzou, etc - not the desert). This has been the site of attacks on civilians and officials every few weeks for many years.

Along with the news from the south it could be the beginning of the showdown - or just another war.


(Maghrebia)
Algerian army begins biggest anti-terror offensive in years

2010-04-13 Thousands of ANP troops, supported by Algerian gendarmes, police and Special Forces, just launched the country's largest anti-terror military operation since the 2005 Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation, Liberte reported on Tuesday (April 13th), adding that President Abdelaziz Bouteflika "has finally realised that armed Islamist groups continue to defy the state".

The "Ennasr" (Victory) operation targets at least 300 terrorists in Jijel, Skikda, Batna, Bejaia, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Setif, Constantine, M'sila, Medea, Djelfa Tipasa Tlemcen Sidi Bel-Abbes, Ain Defla, Bouira, Boumerdes, Tizi Ouzou, Blida, Biskra, Saida, Relizane and Tebessa.

Chasing 300 people amongst what amounts to 80+% of the national population in most of the densely inhabited wilayas? Looking for grains of sand in an erg.

Notice that there are zero extremists in Algiers, Oran, and Annaba - the three most important cities (apart from the petroleum areas).

I just hope they don't knock the erg over in pursuit of said sand grains. People are generally fed up with things, and even more control might not be so good. They seem at the same time to be so thirsty for peace and normality that they have a vast reserve of tolerance and resignation for the not always pleasant means to that cherished end.

Algeria is SO hard to read, understand, or get any sort of grasp on, even having spent time there. A situation not helped by the mind bending press that comes out.

Sometimes I wonder if the risk factor is indeed much higher. In 99.99% of cases it is not, but it only takes one extremist/bomb/abduction/etc.

Give them a break, at least Bouteflika "has finally realised that armed Islamist groups continue to defy the state". Maybe that was a jab.

I think they have a fairly good idea where the jihadis hang out - or the long put-upon hill villagers certainly do, just as they do in Mali and NWFP. The nature of the terrain means it won't be as easy as the desert but as long as they don't napalm the place it will be a great propaganda offensive.

This seems to be the way they do it now. Announce "we're coming to get you" and then go and get them.

Ch