Politics

French Army Chief Says Troops Should Hunt Al Qaeda Beyond Mali's Borders

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Reason

French army chief Admiral Edouard Guillaud has said that French troops should be allowed to pursue Al Qaeda-linked fighters beyond Mali, where the French military has been engaged in operations against Islamic militants since January this year.

Speaking to Europe 1 radio, Guillaud said, "I think we should hunt them down everywhere. That's why we are working with our neighbours Niger, Burkina Faso, and Chad, and also cooperating with Algeria so that there is no sanctuary for them."

From Euronews:

PARIS (Reuters) – French troops should be allowed to hunt down al Qaeda-linked militants beyond Mali's borders, French army chief Admiral Edouard Guillaud said in a rare interview on Thursday.

Nine months after they were scattered across the Sahara by waves of French air strikes, Islamists in Mali are making a comeback – naming new leaders, attacking U.N. peacekeepers and killing two French journalists.

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