One al-Qaeda Leader Is Killed, While Another Fights On
It seems that "one-eyed" terrorist leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar was not killed in Mali over the weekend, but a different al-Qaeda leader in Africa was taken out by French forces.
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A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.
It seems that "one-eyed" terrorist leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar was not killed in Mali over the weekend, but a different al-Qaeda leader in Africa was taken out by French forces.
Members of the Chadian military reportedly shot and killed Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the terrorist connected with Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb who claimed responsibility for the Algerian hostage crisis, during a raid on Saturday. Don't get excited just yet, though: he's been dead before.
A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.
After French forces changed the dynamic of the conflict in Mali, it has now taken on another new, and sadly predictable, turn—suicide attacks.
Good news, history fans: Researchers revealed on Wednesday that the vast majority of the 300,000 ancient manuscripts that had supposedly been burned by Malian rebels are actually "safe and sound."
Today, the U.K. announced that it would be sending around 350 troops to support the French operation in Mali, which means Prime Minister David Cameron has some explaining to do
The New York Times reports today that the Pentagon is planning to install drone base in Niger, a move that almost certainly guarantees a long-term U.S. presence in North Africa.
French troops managed to seize the famous town of Timbuktu over the weekend, but not before feeling rebels continued their assault not just on the people, but on the very culture and history of the region.
People in northern Mali celebrated on Sunday night after French troops won a series of key victories over the Islamist rebels who've been terrorizing the region for weeks.
The Obama administration says it believes that the militants responsible for the recent terror attack were working with "elements of Al Qaeda," as they attempt to solidify the bigger link between Algeria, Mali, and the worldwide fight against extremists.
The Algerian military says it's searching the premises after a confusing day, leaving the rest of us to figure out what the French operation in Mali has to do with possibly hundreds of people fending for their lives, complete with escaping hostages (some of them American) who may have had explosives strapped to their chests, plus helicopters, a U.S. drone, angry Brits, and more.
In a turnaround for the Pentagon, the U.S. has agreed to help French troops deploy to the west African nation, where the French military is currently trying to push back on the ground against a growing faction of militants.
A dangerous standoff is taking place at a gas facility in the Sahara Desert, where Islamic militants are holding dozens of oil company employees hostage, and Algerian soldiers have attempted to free them.
Dana Milbank on kids being used in the gun debate, Fred Kaplan on Mali, Jonathan Mahler on Lance Armstrong, Slavoj Žižek on European elites, and Ricky Sekhon on playing bin Laden in Zero Dark Thirty.
A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.
The Islamic militant group holding a French intelligence agent for last three years says he survived the botched rescue attempt made by his countrymen, but that they have decided to kill him anyway in retaliation.
What exactly did White House Press Secretary Jay Carney mean when he said at his briefing Tuesday afternoon the U.S. is considering helping France with their assault against rebel forces in Mali?
Jeffrey Toobin on Obama's gay marriage stance, David A. Bell on France's domestic malaise, Matthew Yglesias on dueling hedge-fund managers, Dana Milbank on Obama's new bad-cop routine, and Mark Frazier on an aging China.
A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.
Antonio Villaraigosa on immigration reform, George Packer on Southern Republicans, Jennifer Welsh on France's intervention in Mali, Chris Cillizza on the Senate losing its lions, and Gary Younge on Obama's Iraq amnesia.
France continued its attack on Islamist rebels in northern Mali today as the nation suddenly finds itself taking the lead in the war against al Qaeda terrorists in Africa.
A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.
In an attempt to defend the troubled government from Islamic extremists threatening to bring it down, French military forces have entered the West African country.
A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.
A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.
Somehow it seems less incongruous to hear about a president getting ousted than to hear about one getting beaten up, as happened to Mali's interim chief executive Dioncounda Traore on Monday.
In today's tour of state-sponsored propaganda: Chinese media blackout coverage of activist Chen Guangcheng, Cuba throws a party for May Day and Mali's junta retakes control of state TV.
It isn't polite to generalize but let's face it: West Africa has a coup problem.
Soldiers have arrested Guinea-Bissau's prime minister and interim president, power in the country's capital was shut off, and the country's state radio has been compromised which would be in keeping with the recent history of what The Associated Press refers to as a "tiny, coup-prone African nation." The country has seen six coups or attempted coups since the 1980s.
The presidents of four African countries were flying to Mali Thursday when their flight was turned around, but it's not clear why they had second thoughts.
In today's tour of state-run propaganda, Mali goes off air, Iranian media betrays its favorite U.S. presidential candidate, North Korea's Andy Warhol is profiled by CNN and propaganda gets out of control in the Middle East.
The location and status of Mali's president have been unknown since he was ousted in a coup on Thursday, but on Friday the African Union said President Amadou Toumani Touré was safe and near the capital, right after it suspended Mali's membership.
As the the coup d'etat in Mali enters its second day, international observers fear the country's drift from democracy will become permanent.
Just when you thought Muammar Qaddafi's murderous legacy was beginning to fade, his former mercenaries go and destabilize one of West Africa's most tranquil democracies.
A group of uniformed soldiers appeared on state TV in the West African nation of Mali today to announce that they have seized control of the presidential palace and ended the rule of President Amadou Toure.
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Although we could debate the topic for a decade, there's no simple answer for West Africa's instability. There are, however, a bunch of insightful explanations that shed some light on how the region grew to be so restless.