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Obama Admin. Seeking $32 Million to Train African Troops in Mali

Jan. 26, 2013 7:38am Madeleine Morgenstern

U.S. Seeking $32 Million to Train African Troops in Mali

Malian soldiers lead journalists on Jan. 26, 2013 in the key central town of Konna, now controlled by French and Malian forces after being taken Jan. 11 by Islamist groups. French and Malian troops pushed north towards the key Islamist strongholds in northern Mali Saturday, as West African defense chiefs gathered in Ivory Coast to review plans to deploy a regional intervention force. (Getty Images)

SEVARE, Mali (AP) — The Obama administration is seeking an additional $32 million to train African troops to fight Islamic extremists in Mali.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters Friday the request had been made to Congress.

The United States is not providing any direct aid to the Malian government because the democratically elected president was overthrown in a coup last year.

However, it has been providing aid to the French-led mission, transporting French troops and equipment to Mali.

France has some 2,400 forces in the West African nation but says it wants African nations to take the lead in fighting the extremists who rule northern Mali.

The French-led operation began on Jan. 11 after the militants surged southward from their strongholds and took the town of Konna, later recaptured by government forces.

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Comments (136)

barber2
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 9:05am
Remember Iraq and Afghanistan ? When Bush got us involved in foreign conflicts ? So , again, the MSM will be up in arms over this US military intervention , correct ? The New York Times will leak the usual anti-war security information on its front page , right And the Far Left core of Obama will raise holy hell, right ? Yeah sure…..the Far Left Obama people have the MSM in their hip pocket which is the only reason they are still in the White House !

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- Eastinfection
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 9:15am
  Ha Barber!.. We wish.
  
  Instead, this will be a “humanitarian” mission.
  
  I wonder why are we stopping at 32 million? Let’s send them a few 1 trillion-dollar coins. Then they can drop them in the jukebox & the whole country of Mali can jam out to “Gangnam Style” 6 trillion times in a row!
  
  Report this comment
- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 9:20am
  BARBER2, That certainly about the size of it. Not like we will hear hourly reports of American fatalities from CNN and BSNBC as we did during the Bush Admin. Especially WE know that fatalities in Afghanistan are up by two thirds since 0bama entered the White House.
  
  Report this comment
- poorrichard09
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 9:22am
  How many of THESE “soldiers” are al quida or mulim brothehood?
  
  Report this comment
- GeorgieJo
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 9:48am
  Bizarro….We “sell” F 16s and tanks to Morsi yet in America—the Democraps want to disarm us?
  HOW much money did taxpayers give to Morsi?
  Guess its the oxymoronic views of the Prog-Liberals?
  
  Report this comment
- whatsallthisthen
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 10:44am
  Will these troops be labeled,”African American Troops”? If so NYC and Wapo will label them “Freedom Fighters” on a righteous journey. Anyone not in favor of spending more money we don’t have can be labeled racist.
  
  Report this comment
- Trigus
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 10:47am
  Start calling your Congressional Reps: 32 million is a scary number – something is wrong with this number. Stay out of Mali.
  
  How do you train troops? “Boots on Ground” US Advisors, then secret resupply missions as things escalate, then US troops on Patrol, and US Airstrikes, as the French withdraw from the area.
  
  Have we need heard this record before?
  
  Report this comment
- mercenary4freedom
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 10:49am
  Why so obama can have them trained and then ship them over here to become his civilian police force, just as strong, just as well funded as our military? Ha ha lol. The French want to meddle over there, let them pay for it. They’re fighting a losing cause to sink $$ into those chumps, just look at the way they blundered the hostage rescue. You can lay down a serious base of fire and maneuver on them they run like scalded dogs. I have dealt with these types and it would be a total waste of $$.
  
  Report this comment
- resme
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 10:52am
  Must be a boatload of minerals in Mali. Right, Petraeus?
  
  Report this comment
- MadinIllinois
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 10:54am
  Again, WHY doesn’t anyone in Congress or the Senate get the “connection” here ?
  
  The United States, under this administration, has given “foreign aid” to both Egypt and Libya to over throw their governments…and each time the administration and the MSM didn’t bother checking WHO the insurgents were, hence…here comes the “Muslim Brotherhood”.
  
  Our American Ambassador, was deliberately set-up by this administration, had no real security present, was sodomized and killed following a failed “kidnapping” attempt, along with three other brave Americans without any intervention of US military back-up in Benghazi…and to this day, we’re still not getting answers.
  
  Now this administration is sending, F-16 planes and tanks to Egypt. WHY – is the question Ran Paul asked of John Kerry – would this administration do that knowing full well that the current government has direct ties to the Muslim Brotherhood ?
  
  Now, following another possible failed “kidnapping” in Mali of foreign citizens, we now have 3 dead Americans, to which the MSM has not bothered to truly mention, and Obama wants to send taxpayer dollars to this country without knowing WHO the insurgents are ?
  
  We, as Americans are being told we may have to adhere to new stricter gun regulations, – yet Obummer can’t even keep our American citizens abroad – safe! WHAT makes anyone think, that this is purely “coincidental” – we are being lead to slaughter like blind sheep – while those that Obama truly
  
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WarMunger_Al
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 9:01am
nothing like training the next generation of our enemies. Mali should be left for the french, it was once part of their empire.

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Ben__Franklin
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:58am
Isn’t Mali a gun free zone? We will be sending them only bolt action rifles and semi-autos with only 10 rounds clips right Dianne Feinstein? None of that Assault Weapon stuff you want banned right??

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- Mapache
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 9:23am
  Precisely. We’ll export and give full auto weapons with 30rd magazines to countries of thugs but our own citizens cannot be trusted.
  
  Report this comment
- Secret Squirrel
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 11:00am
  Maybe we can get the Afghan troops to train the Mali troops.
  We’ve been teaching them for 10 years, they ought to be proficient now.
  
  Report this comment
- mtsnj
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 12:25pm
  How bout sending blow dart guns, and pea shooters
  
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old white guy
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:53am
i would guess that money will wind up training muslim troops. remember, everything obama says he is going to do is reversed.

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bigbear_awake
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:36am
http://www.americaagainnow.com/aa_legislative_action

As you see, once We The People achieve the 19 reforms listed above, We The People will be more free than we’ve been in 150 years — to prosper and produce, to enjoy God’s blessings in the most unique republic on earth, and to arrest the hijacking of our lives, liberties, property, and rule of law.

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- turkey13
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:51am
  Must be 30 million for leadersdep pockets and 2 million for trainig. But that amount sounds fishy. G. Bush talked in million & billions. Since 2009 Obama only talks in billions & trillions, and I have heard so many newspeople get toung tied getting them mixed up. As for the Obamas, I recently read about their net worth in 2008 was a little ver $ 1 million bucks and four years in office they are now worth over $ 16 millon bucks. In 4 more years they may be worth a billion dollars.
  
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cloudsofwar
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:35am
obama asks, where else can i spread the wealth around? Mali, thats the ticket.

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- Texas Hills Patriot
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 9:16am
  Maybe we could take the $32 million from the obama vacation fund. I’m sure he wants to give his fair share.
  
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Brasil2520
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:30am
That money could be better spent in American food banks, yet they want to waste it on another French Vietnam

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- Shamrock241
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 7:41pm
  These Thugs look like the kind of soldiers obama need to pass his Litmus test of will you fire on American citizens.
  
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Bobby D
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:29am
Just send them some L.A. CRIPS. It will boost UIB numbers.

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- joey g
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:46am
  ***** will neverstnd for thi…haahahahahahahahhahahhh
  
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Outlaw_Josey_Wales
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:29am
Train African Troops in Mali to use assault weapons with seven rounds magazines, can only carry two magazines.

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Exidor
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:19am
Spend, Spend, Spend.

$22 million buys a lot of machetes…..

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- redfish52
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:26am
  I work for a large Engineering/Construction Management Company that has active contract’s in Africa right now building military camp’s. This is just a cover up by the Obama Administration because the story is soon to come out after this last Algerian fiasco. We have had “US Military Advisers” on the ground for awhile now so don’t be fooled.
  
  Report this comment
- cloudsofwar
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:31am
  it’s 32 million, that buys alot more. it’s our money going to waste again.
  
  Report this comment
- woodyee
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 10:06am
  RedFish, that’s a GREAT ‘heads-up’. Not to many folks are as aware of the games this admn has perfected, regarding support of foreign troops and companies, THEN coming to the taxpayer for the funds to pay under some false pretense.
  
  You should use the “HAVE A TIP?” link below – thank you for the info!
  
  Report this comment
Eastinfection
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:16am
This is France’s problem.
Let the French figure it out for themselves.
They are raking their wealthy for all they are worth, so they must have the cash? right?

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All Pro
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:16am
If we had nominated Ron Paul we wouldn’t be having this discussion. Are conservatives ready to admit libertarians are right?

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- Fubared
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:25am
  Uh, if we didn’t have to listen to the bots every second of every day the good Doc’s message may have gotten out. Next?
  
  Report this comment
- mrunner
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:29am
  Libertarians are far more right than the current administration and if Ron had a more realistic world view- he would have gotten my vote. He had more on the ball in most policy than Romney did, but his hands off policy is almost as naive as Obama’s “I’ll just have a beer summit with the Iranians then they will love us” policy. Now Rand is a different character all together. From what I see so far- He has the right blend of Libertarian, Constitutional Conservatism and common sense internation diplomacy.
  
  Report this comment
- DougHuffman
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:48am
  All Pro what, PROgressive? Libertarians are progressives, democraps are progressives and republicans are progressives. What is progressivism? Progressivism is the belief that mankind can improve itself to not need laws and to become godlike. Conservatives know that mankind will backslide without absolute limits – laws – and that power corrupts. The Conservative Party is the only political party of principle representing America’s Country Class.
  
  Report this comment
- Fubared
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 9:03am
  What Doug said.
  
  Report this comment
- Eastinfection
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 9:05am
  ALLPRO…
  I am sympathetic to your opinion but i don’t think Dr. Paul would have beat Obama. Had he been the nominee, many more Republicans would have abstained on election day.
  
  DOUGHHUFFMAN…
  Libertarians are not Progressives. They don’t desire the absence of laws- those are anarchists. Libertarians just don’t want any unconstitutional laws. PS: WTH is America’s “Country Class”?
  
  Report this comment
- All Pro
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 9:46am
  @DougHuffman
  Libertarians aren’t progressive in the least. They’re classic liberals. The founders were classic liberals. Progressivism is the American version of the book of Marx.
  In a nut shell libertarians are fiscally conservative, socially liberal and strong supporters of the constitution.
  Republican conservatives are socially conservative. After that they’re all over the map. But these days it seems like half of those that describe themselves as conservative/republican are in fact progressive/fascist.
  If you’re going to stick your nose into other country’s business and tell them how to do things you aren’t conservative. If you’re going to stick your nose into other people’s business and tell them who they can marry, what the can or can’t put into their own body, you aren’t conservative. If you support the right of private individuals to incorporate in perpetuity and to only pay 10% of the profits as income to the federal government, while those that don’t earn an income only wages, have to pay as much as 50% of those wages to the federal government, you aren’t a conservative. You’re a progressive fascist. Progressivism is an insidious disease.
  
  Report this comment
- woodyee
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 10:11am
  Good morning, East! At the risk of earning the dour repudiation of my friend, Doug, I think what he means by American Country class, are those like us, that are serious about preserving and protecting the very bed we sleep in – America.
  
  We America Country class don’t take kindly to bed bugs and bed-wetters…
  
  Report this comment
- Eastinfection
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 10:37am
  Hey WOODYEE….
  
  Thanks. I’d never heard that expression before. I’ve always lived in rural areas & wanted to make sure nobody was trying to sub-categorize or label me & my neighbors based on geography. Too many assumptions are made about us already. We don’t need any more labels.
  
  Report this comment
- DougHuffman
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 12:43pm
  Angelo Codevilla wrote America’s Ruling Class – And The Perils of Revolution for The American Spectator July 2010 http://spectator.org/archives/2010/07/16/americas-ruling-class-and-the/print
  
  Report this comment
Gonzo
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:11am
Maybe they should just pass stricter gun laws in Mali…that will stop those Islamists dead in their tracks!
See how easy it is?

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- Fubared
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:28am
  We could go the kitchen knife and pepper route, it’s economical.
  http://news.yahoo.com/indian-women-given-kitchen-knives-chili-fend-off-075309833.html
  
  Report this comment
ReallySeriouslyNoWay
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:10am
I seem to remember Mitt Romney pointing out that Mali was going to become a hot spot for terrorism and Obama and the press made fun of him and said he was out of touch. Seems like maybe if Obama apologizes to Romney for being 100% correct and the New York Times covers it I could get behind the payment.

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- Gonzo
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:45am
  He was right about a whole list of things. Too bad the American people were too obtuse to see it. But hey, we got to see Beyonce lip synch the National Anthem…that would never have happened at Romney’s inauguration. So we’ve got that going for us…which is nice.
  
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Lee_in_PA
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:07am
Apparenty we have not learned one thing about butting into other countries business in the past 50 years. If we were to give them that $32 mil, how much would get to the troops, and how soon would we be asked to donate more money and troops?

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DougHuffman
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:02am
Train them to what, be the Lord of Flies Republican Guard not bound by posse comitatus or Oathkeepers.org? “Mah bros, it’s payback time. I trained you, now I need your help in this one world, putting down my well armed right wing rebellious opposition” MOLON LABE Fly Lord.

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mrunner
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:01am
Obama shouldn’t get $.22 to fund Mali training. In the hands of a responsible adult- $22M might make sense- but everything Obama touches is a failure. Chicago- community organizer- City has huge violent crime numbers and horrible education. State house- accomplished NOTHING, left city and state in deeper debt with worse crime than when elected. Senator? Two years of no votes and “present” before beginning his perpetual presidential campaign- started 2006 with no signs of stopping. Green Energy?? FAIL. Arab Spring? FAIL ObamaCare? FAIL, etc, etc, etc

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- katzkiner
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 10:18pm
  Green Energy is one of Obama’s greatest success stories; all his bundlers have pocketed
  $$$$$$$millions from the DOE loans made to front companies. Nancies’ brother in laws’
  company just got almost a half billion $$$$. Did not make even the Blaze. ????? Ron Pelosi is the happy beneficiary. How much do you think went back into “kickbacks”? “Everybody be quiet and we will all be rich.” «««The Capital Code.
  
  Report this comment
ZAP
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:01am
Isn’t the FAST and FURIOUS guns already paid for? Give them some of Holder’s guns….

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dublinthewagons
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 7:53am
Can we just send them Hillary and code pink?
Congress just needs to say no to everything bozo wants.
Let him spend his won money. PERIOD

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TexPat
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 7:48am
Borrow, spend, borrow, spend, borrow, spend… Hey idiot, we are broke. Oh I forgot this is your plan to destroy our economy and bring America to its knees. Keep up the good work, because you are succeeding. The American people are still sleeping.

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- mrunner
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:17am
  @Dublinthewagons – Thanks for giving me the first big smile of my day!
  
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Gonzo
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 7:46am
Yea, that should work out well for us.

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- Gonzo
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:13am
  I think HIV is in no short supply over there Dublin.
  
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- Ben__Franklin
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:49am
  Remember Gonzo, 32 Million for Mali. Zero dollars for security in Benghazi because we could not afford it. I hear circus music playing in the State Departments office again.
  
  Report this comment
- gac1218
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 9:41am
  Ben
  Are you insinuating they lied about Benghazi?
  
  Report this comment
Fubared
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 7:44am
For 50K we can just send them the NAACP and NBP one way, and they can short their hotels bills while there, but it’s a whole lot cheaper all around.

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Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 7:44am
By Training,he means ARMING them with ASSAULT WEAPONS so they can PROTECT themselves.

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- barber2
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 9:01am
  Is this what the Obama government plans to do with the guns they confiscate here ?! Redistributing them to Mali ?!
  
  Report this comment
bigbear_awake
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 7:42am
good think all those guns were turned in they have been shipped over to them soon to be on American soil returning to us at the barrel end

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oxycontinxx
Posted on January 26, 2013 at 7:41am
“Obama Admin. Seeking $32 Million to Train African Troops in Mali”

not only no…………….but **** NO !!!!

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