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Obama supports French intervention in Mali
The Obama administration affirmed Friday that it supports a French military intervention to repel efforts by militant Islamists in Mali to take over the southern part of the country.
“We are monitoring the situation closely,” White House national security spokesman Tommy Vietor said. “We have noted that the government of Mali has asked for support, and we share the French goal of denying terrorists a safe haven in the region.”
The French intervened with air strikes and reportedly with ground forces on Friday at the urging of Malian President Dioncounda Traore. The United Nations Security Council in December approved the creation of an African-led force to take back the northern half of the country, but Friday's intervention was precipitated after Islamists took over the central town of Konna, near the strategically crucial city of Mopti.
“We do understand that France has offered some immediate military support to the Malian armed forces at the request of the Malian government,” she said. “We are obviously consulting very closely with the government of France going forward.”
“The government of Mali has asked for support from France,” Nuland added. “Our understanding is that France is going to move forward with that. I'm not going to get into hypotheticals about what France might need or requests that haven't yet come to us.”
The country has been split in half since al Qaeda-linked Islamists and rebel Tuaregs took over the northern half of the country following a military coup last March. The Obama administration has called for the restoration of democracy and offered to help train an African force to reunite the country.
