(VOA News – January 17, 2013) The United States has agreed to help France airlift troops and equipment into Mali, where Islamist extremists control the north.France has asked the Pentagon for help and officials from both countries are holding detailed talks on what is needed. The Pentagon has no plans at this time to send troops into Mali.French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian says 1,400
(VOA News -January 16, 2013) A reporter for VOA’s French to Africa Service spoke to a resident of Diabaly, who says Malian army personnel have surrounded the town. French media reports say French special forces are also present and that fighting in Diabaly is underway. On Tuesday, French warplanes conducted airstrikes on the town, located 400 kilometers north of the capital, Bamako. Foreign Troop Commitments
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