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

"I think we should hunt them down everywhere."

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.