Nope xfiltrate muy amable, no value added from that surly misinformed conspiracy thinker, quote:
"Next we need a little dose of the perpetual “Al-Qaeda” bogeyman in Central, Eastern, and finally South Africa and the US will have military control over a continent that China is rapidly doing all it can to colonize from the ground up"

US is using satellites rather than drones to monitor the chinese

They've had problems with their base in Ouagadougou but the planned move to Agadez (of all places) is a surprise. The stated mission is to monitor jihadist networks in the Sahara with unarmed drones.
Plans for US Surveillance Drones in Niger | Sahel Blog
U.S. expands secret intelligence operations in Africa - Washington Post
some reactions
Le Pentagone compte stationner des drones au Niger

I think the jihadists are in for their biggest setback so far, and all of WA is now thoroughly against wahhabism, and the Qatari-Saudi influence. In Bamako, people are taking it a bit too far, forcibly cutting the beards off islamists.

Closing off the borders
Mali : l'impossible contrôle des frontières | Jeuneafrique.com



Algeria patrolling borders with Mali and Libya with 17 batallions, 10000 men. They say it would take "two NATOs" to really keep the borders safe. Just the other day they surprisingly signed a security contract with the Brits.

Mauretania with the longest (2240 kms) Mali border have established 48 guarded posts.
Libya closed its borders with Algeria-Niger-Chad-Sudan December 16.
Debdeb, entre menace terroriste et contrebande - Actualité - El Watan
The huge increase in military control should make smuggling along the old routes more difficult than ever?

With 2000 seasoned Chadian soldiers on the ground, 400 from Niger and 4400 French the jihadists should be facing some resistance. Now retreated into the Tigharghar, what can they do? MNLA touareg fighters may make the final move against them, if they can somehow strike a deal with Paris/Bamako.
I can't find an good assessment of what resources the jihadists have. I believe every experienced bomb maker and every seasoned field commander they loose, they are really hurting. This besides the fact that they would have a terrible time trying just get along with themselves, when their movements are restricted.
Guerre au Mali : le Tchad et le Niger veulent couper toute retraite aux jihadistes | Jeuneafrique.com - le premier site d'information et d'actualit� sur l'Afrique

Thanks Priffe, it was the New York Times article referenced in the last link I sent.:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/29/us...rica.html?_r=0

Not the conspiracy, that I did not even notice until you pointed it out.

Could you please explain the difference between the "jihadists" also called Al-Qaeda being fought in Mali and Al-Qaeda, also called "jihadists" being supported in Syria?

At this time is there an advisable land route from Morocco to Tanzania ?

xfiltrate

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Oh no! Don't go there!
Various media and pundits in the UK are asking this question, including a certain MP in the UK parliament just a couple of days ago, but no one from the UK government has produced an answer so far; not even the Prime Minister at his weekly question time in Parliament.

It is complicated though.
And I mean that; it is really complicated.

__________________
Dave

When facing a greater common enemy, your enemy may (temporarily) become your friend. Shifting alliances; the way it has always been and always will be - no mystery there, really.
But that discussion would take us off topic.
xfiltrate, no good short land route to Tanzania now.

Now I hear from the grapevine Aqim and MBM are moving operations to Libya - the next large unstable territory where they can move around and entrench themselves. Are they giving up on Mali already?
We will see.

As you say, shifting alliances have occurred throughout recorded history.
But in this case, the point refers to the support, by "western" nations, of what amounts to more or less the same group at one and the same time in geographical locations which are not all that far separated; there lies a problem for governments and their spokespersons.
And the questions on those lines continue on the basis of "one mans terrorist is another mans freedom-fighter".

I don' see how it goes off topic either; the thread might be better labelled as being related to the Sahel rather than the Maghreb, if only because lots of these terrorist/freefighter groups do not work within the national borders of any single country - a bit like those pesky lapplanders who wander around and across national borders in the north

Anyway, what is the Swedish government's policy right now about the Sahel?
(France is reported to be calling for a UN peacekeeping force for Mali, which would be their means of dis-engaging from their ex-colony).

Might as well say it:
Syria; the aim is regime change and the downfall of a dictator.
Mali; the aim is to prop up a military-based government that is in place as the result of a recent coup against an elected government.

Discussion??

__________________
Dave

No. This is the Sahara Travel Forum and the thread: 'AQIM activity in the Sahara in relation to travel'. Following complaints we were warned by admin to keep to that topic and not discuss politics here, far less international politics, at risk of having STF broken up.

Who mentioned the Maghreb? The thread is correctly titled.

Many like to express their opinions on global events, but STF is not the place to do it. It is a resource for independent travel in the Sahara - what little of that can be done these days - and is recognised as one of the best around. Within reason, the current activities in north Mali - and in particular their long term outcome - all relate to that.

Thanks for everyone's co-operation.

Ch

Chris, I was discussing as per post number 1 from nearly 3 years ago.
The nuances to which you refer are not made plain in here, nor do they make much sense to me:-
There is much discussion in here about military matters which are totally part of the politics and the political aims of governments.
To not consider the politics of a region in regard to travelling there is akin to driving with ones eyes wide shut IMO.

It's just a view of mine, and matters not a jot in the end.

__________________
Dave

French president Francois Hollande in the society of temporary Malian President Dioncoundoe Traore experienced enthusiastic welcome when visiting the historic town Timbuktu liberated by French forces from the hands of Islamic militants, report Reuters.

Traveling in areas of Sahel should be a bit safer. For my point of view, crossing Mauritania on coastal highway seams safe now. When ECOWAS peace-keeping forces will join French forces, the situation should calms down.

There is indeed much discussion of Saharan politics and the military in this thread. Almost all of it pre-dates the time when the Hubb owners made it clear that the postings were becoming too political. As Chris has pointed out, several modifications were made at that time in an effort to fix things, including the renaming of this thread and the split of Morocco from the Sahara forum so that those interested in Morocco did not have to see this thread at the top of the board on many days. Those changes were made so that information on AQIM could still be posted as Chris and I argued it was the leading issue with regards to safe travel in the Sahara. It still is. There is always going to be something of a blurred line between a posting that is purely political and one that relates to travel in the Sahara given what AQIM have done in the Sahara since 2003. The test of whether a post is reasonable/helpful/acceptable or not includes whether:
a) the information posted can be applied in some practical way to travel advice and also whether the post attempts to do that.
b) the focus is on the Sahara
c) it is calmly and objectively written
Of these (a) is the key.

I hope this helps and I hope that those posting will keep things on track because of the importance of knowing what AQIM are up to and second-guessing what they might do in the near future.

Hubb owners may also have noted that this thread is one of the most read on the entire forum.
So it should hopefully have some merit.

The French are now bombing the Ifoghas mountains heavily, using thirty aircraft targeting "logistics bases" (fuel and arms) and "training camps". Hostages are said to be alive (but in a terrible situation).
French planes pound Islamist camps in north Mali desert | Reuters

"Never has a foreign intervention in Africa been as popular as the French one in Mali" said Niger president Issofou.
Those Frenchies if they do it right this time could really boost their international image.
If they manage to broker a working and lasting agreement between touaregs and Bamako, with autonomy for the north. They are in a unique position to twist arms right now.
If they help rebuild the tombs of islamic saints the beards wilfully destroyed in Timbuktu - after the Arab League and in particular Egypt would not lend Mali a helping hand or give their support for intervention. What a setback for islamism that would be.

Issofou: "The object of this war should be not just to liberate Mali but to free the whole Sahel from this menace, which threatens not just us but also Europe, France and the world."
That would be the best news for WA travellers for years.

When did the French EVER successfully intervene in a conflict on foreign territory before? Kolwezi?

French warplanes attacked this night north of Mali, in order to do their three-week offensive finally subdued the last rebel stronghold in Kidal. Thirty aircraft were targeting Islamists training and communication centers around Tessalit - mountainous area near the Algerian border, reports the BBC.

So final push off terrorists from Mali is on the way. Their next destination should be in north Niger or south Libya. Allies should run Aqim in Maghreb till it's end. Does anyone know Belmoktar hostages destiny?

Upss: Priffe already wrote something about that.

"When did the French EVER successfully intervene in a conflict on foreign territory before?"

Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)::
"
La Force Licorne en 2011[modifier]

Au mois de février 2011, la Force Licorne a été renforcée et passe à 1 100 hommes[5].
En avril 2011 suite à la résolution 1975 du Conseil de Sécurité de l'ONU, la Force Licorne est redéployée dans le but de protéger les ressortissants français, d'apporter un soutien à l'ONUCI[6] et de détruire les armes lourdes des forces pro-Gbagbo utilisées contre des civils. Depuis le 2 avril, des éléments de commandement et trois compagnies, issues du 2e REP, du RMT et du 3e RPIMa, ont été projetées afin de renforcer les effectifs de la Force Licorne. Ils sont alors de 1 650 militaires français à Abidjan[7].
Le 11 avril 2011, les FRCI avec l'appui indirect de l'ONUCI et de la Force Licorne, ont arrêté Laurent Gbagbo[8].
Fin 2011, suite à la résolution de cette crise, les effectifs sont en baisse et passent à 450 personnels[9] puis à 300 début 2013."


See Opération Licorne - Wikipédia in French.

"That would be the best news for WA travellers for years."

Sorry, I'm French , what is WA?

West Africa