Sahara Nations establish desert patrol force

[NotYetRegistered]

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/af...915797956.html

Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Algeria will set up, within 18 months, a joint force of up to 75,000 soldiers to secure their shared Sahara-Sahel desert zone, Mali's foreign minister said.

"The number of soldiers in the force tasked with fighting terrorism will increase to 75,000 in the next 18 months," Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga said on Friday.

Leaders from the four nations gathered in Mali to look at security issues, including the fall-out from the conflict in Libya, which experts say has increased the access to arms.

The four nations are struggling to control the zone, where al-Qaeda's North African wing has stepped up attacks and is operating alongside smugglers, rebels and local criminals.

A joint command centre has been established in Tamanrasset, in southern Algeria, but regional rivalries and the lack of trust between the countries have long stymied a coordinated regional approach European nations and the US have called for.

'Threat of terrorism'

"More than ever our people and our countries are exposed to the threat of terrorism, heavy weapons in circulation, drug trafficking and hostage-taking," said Maiga.

Maiga also stressed the need to tackle "trans-national organised crime". He added that it was vital the four countries, which share a military base in Algeria, acted together against terrorism.

Algeria's delegate, Abdel Kader Messahel, said: "The challenges we face require more focused planning and effective co-ordination. "It falls on us to evaluate dangerous developments and the new dimensions the terrorist threat is taking," he added.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI) has several bases in Mali from where it launches operations into the desert region, carrying out attacks, kidnappings of foreigners and drug trafficking.

AQIM is holding four French citizens abducted in northern Niger in September 2010 as well as an Italian kidnapped in southern Algeria in February.

Great that these nations show iniative to battle terrorism and crime. I hope their efforts will be succesful, though it's worrying to read that AQM is 'stepping up' their activities.

[Pyrich]

I hope Africa mails them Saudi interlopers home in small sandwich bags.

[Jom]

I hope Africa mails them Saudi interlopers home in small sandwich bags.

Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb is probably not made up of solely Saudi Arabians. In fact, you'd probably be hard pressed to find accurate statistics for their makeup.

[Menelik_I]

Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb is probably not made up of solely Saudi Arabians. In fact, you'd probably be hard pressed to find accurate statistics for their makeup.

Probably Arab types in quests of Jihad and trying to target westerners, although there was a brief overlap with Tuareg people politics in Niger IIRC.

I hope this is not some sort of mission creep and instead of preventing/punishing acts of terror they start a dumb campaign of attack any morons who claim to be a terrorist.

The war on terror looks increasingly like an episode of James Bond ... but with a sillier and weaker enemy. You cannot ''fight terror'', you prevent attacks and kill those who manage to make ones happen, but this global mission creep is worrying.

[Kanaric]

The war on terror looks increasingly like an episode of James Bond ... but with a sillier and weaker enemy

In otherwords Roger Moore James Bond.

[Menelik_I]

In otherwords Roger Moore James Bond.

At least we haven't descended to the level of competency of ...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

yet.

But seriously, on the topic of mission creep the Bush Administration sponsored Ethiopian invasion of Somalia was completely unnecessary.

[Captain Jin]

But seriously, on the topic of mission creep the Bush Administration sponsored Ethiopian invasion of Somalia was completely unnecessary.

This isn't really mission creep at all. This is stuff that goes on without any attention. There have been SF forces in Mali and Mauritania doing operations for years as well as men in Uganda that have done cross border raids into Somalia.

[Babur]

This isn't really mission creep at all. This is stuff that goes on without any attention. There have been SF forces in Mali and Mauritania doing operations for years as well as men in Uganda that have done cross border raids into Somalia.

why don't you lead this desert patrol?

[Captain Jin]

why don't you lead this desert patrol?

No thanks.

However, I'm sure that these four countries coming together to create this little force is the quiet result of hard work being done on the ground by Western Special Forces operating in the region on foreign-internal defence missions. Especially considering that the US, Germany, the Netherlands, and France have all been known to have SF personnel in the region. Likewise I'm sure all the diplomatic means were coming down the pipes to see this sort of thing created; probably threatening to remove foreign aid to some of these places if something wasn't done. The whole northern sahara region has been considered a problem for the possibility of the Al Qaeda linked Libyan Salafist group to establish itself. But these probably all fall under Joint Task Force Aztec Silence which was established in 2003. The only major change came when USAFRICOM was set up and the JTF was taken over from USEURCOM. AFRICOM itself was set up because of the apparent importance that Africa is going to be playing in the future and preventing groups like Al Qaeda from finding safe havens somewhere in the continent. So as I said... no real mission creep here. It's just that most of this stuff has gone under the radar, just like ops in Philippines and the horn of Africa.

[Menelik_I]

This isn't really mission creep at all. This is stuff that goes on without any attention. There have been SF forces in Mali and Mauritania doing operations for years as well as men in Uganda that have done cross border raids into Somalia.

Thanks to which Uganda had its Chief-of-Staff wiped out in a suicide attack in Mogadishiu and 40 people killed by a Somali terrorist.

I don't mind SF hunting terrorists in other countries, but involving in Western schizophrenic war on terror is useless. I hope my country don't send troop to Somalia under AU mandate ... these Somalis are too crazy and better have them kill each others.

[Captain Jin]

Thanks to which Uganda had its Chief-of-Staff wiped out in a suicide attack in Mogadishiu and 40 people killed by a Somali terrorist.

I don't mind SF hunting terrorists in other countries, but involving in Western schizophrenic war on terror is useless. I hope my country don't send troop to Somalia under AU mandate ... these Somalis are too crazy and better have them kill each others.

Uhm sorry but there's absolutely no link between the two events; especially considering the fact that there have been a string of suicide attacks throughout Mogadishu for several years. Unless you have a source where someone from the organization that committed the act says "This is in retaliation of the Baraawe raid". I can't seem to find anything of the sort, but maybe you have something. Otherwise it would seem that the man was just another victim of a long string of suicide attacks that have taken place in the city.

Aside from that I don't understand what you're saying when you say you don't mind SF hunting terrorists in other countries but involving in schizophrenic war on terror is useless. There isn't anything schizophrenic about what has been going on between western countries and the places like Senegal, Mali, and Mauritania. We've been there since 2003 trying to train their own security forces to be more competent and self sufficient. It's a primary role for SF; foreign-internal defence. And in my opinion it's much better than allowing a situation like another Afghanistan where one rogue nation provides shelter for a non-governmental organization to train, plan and carry out attacks against other countries that will undoubtedly lead to retaliatory strikes but whoever the victim is and possibly another war. Much better to build partnerships with at risk countries and try to train their own personnel to adequately combat the threat.

[boofhead]

75,000 soldiers from those 4 nations......that would be about equal in efficacy to a single Western brigade with support elements.

I suppose they've got spotters on the ground, though.

[Jom]

75,000 soldiers from those 4 nations......that would be about equal in efficacy to a single Western brigade with support elements.

I suppose they've got spotters on the ground, though.

It's countries with a problem trying to deal with it effectively themselves, rather than rely upon western support, so I don't see why you're making the comparison; it's not as though they can just ask NATO to come in and start traipsing around the Sahara.