US May Provide Support For French Operations In Mali

US May Provide Support For French Operations In Mali

US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta revealed that it may be possible for the United States to offer intelligence and logistical support for French operations in Mali as part of its global efforts against al Qaeda.

Panetta said the United States went after al Qaeda in Yemen, Somalia, and in Pakistan. He added that they have the responsibility to prevent al Qaeda from establishing a base in Mali and North Africa.

Panetta indicated that the US will offer any necessary assistance for the French operations in Mali.

The State Department is currently consulting with France in connection to the requests they made for US support. Victoria Nuland, a spokeswoman for the State Department, revealed that the requests for support are already being reviewed.

Even as the US is supporting the French operations in Mali, it cannot give direct support to the armed forces in Mali until an election restores the democratic processes in the country. The US will offer both intelligence and logistical support for the French operations in Mali.

Defense officials indicated that intercepted signals and intelligence gathered through satellites have already been shared by the US with France. Officials added that refueling tankers may be offered to allow French fighter jets sustain combat operations.

Offering the use of surveillance drones and piloted surveillance planes are also being considered to provide support for French operations in Mali.

The US is also looking into offering airlift capabilities to the effort to facilitate the movement of vehicles, equipment, and personnel. The British are already offering the use of cargo planes to the French operations in Mali.

For the moment, the AQIM or the al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb does not pose any direct threat to the US. However, the risk will increase if it establishes a base of operations since the group was linked to attacks in Benghazi, Libya.

Although the group has no immediate plans in attacking Europe and the United States, it remains one of its goals. This is one of the reasons why the US is taking into consideration plans in providing support for the French operations in Mali.

Posted by James Fried on Sunday January 20 2013, 4:09 AM EST. Ref: CNN. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0