The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
January 28, 2013

French, Malian Troops Advance in North; U.S. Expands Military Aid 
------------------------------------------------------------------


 
French and Malian forces continue to make advances in their offensive to
unseat Islamist rebels from Mali's north. Over the weekend the
France-Mali operation took control of the key towns of Gao and Timbuktu,
sparking scenes of celebration in the streets. The United States,
meanwhile, has confirmed plans to expand its military support to French
soldiers in Mali. The Pentagon says it will now provide aerial refueling
and aircraft to allow for a speedier deployment of troops to the
battlefield. The Obama administration has gone ahead with the military
support despite concerns around the violation of U.S. laws barring
military assistance to governments that came to power through a coup.

 

.