Boko Haram, the Islamist insurgency in Nigeria, was called a terrorist organization by Secretary of State John Kerry last week. At the 50th anniversary Summit for the African Union celebrations, Secretary Kerry referred to Boko Haram not as a “terrorist group” in typical State Department–approved terms but as an outright …
Last week, a donor conference comprised principally of the U.S. and European nations pledged $4.22 billion for reconstruction efforts in war-torn Mali, most of which is contingent upon Mali holding elections on July 28. The size of the pledge indicates the myriad problems facing the African nation, problems that a …
European troops have begun training Malian forces to help ensure security and stability following a planned French withdrawal in July. From the start, the mission is unlikely to succeed. The program has too few European trainers and will train a paltry four Malian battalions—roughly 2,600 soldiers—to secure a country twice …
In his State of the Union address, President Obama showed a stunning lack of reality on terrorism and the Arab Spring. The President’s statement saluting “the courage and sacrifice of those who serve in dangerous places at great personal risk” unfortunately rings hollow when one considers the Administration’s treatment of the …
Yesterday, Islamist militants seized a foreign-owned gas field in Algeria and took dozens of Western hostages, including several Americans. This attack was allegedly in response to Algeria allowing French warplanes to transit Algerian airspace to strike militants in neighboring Mali. Even though U.S. citizens are being held at gunpoint in …
As the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) prepare to retake northern Mali from Islamist militants, the European Union (EU) formally agreed to the deployment of an EU-led military force to train the Malian army to undertake this mission. The challenges of the task …
As members of the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union scramble to find a solution to the crisis in Mali, Islamist forces in the north are being strengthened by foreign fighters. Though the occupation of territory by external entities will undoubtedly strengthen the hand of Mali’s …
