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FRANCE’S PRESIDENT FRANCOIS Hollande has said today that 750 French troops have joined the Mali offensive and their numbers will be boosted, on a visit to the Gulf overshadowed by the crisis in the African state.
“For now, we have 750 men and the number will increase… so that as soon as possible we can leave the place to the African forces,” said Hollande during a visit to Peace Camp in Abu Dhabi, his country’s only military base in the region.
“France will continue to have ground and air forces,” Hollande said, adding that deployment of African forces in Mali ”will take at least a week.”
“New strikes overnight achieved their goal,” he told reporters while touring the base.
French forces have, since Friday, been supporting an offensive by Malian government troops against Islamist rebels which have controlled the north of the vast country since April 2012.
The military intervention has driven Islamists fighters from their strongholds in the north but the rebels earlier today pushed farther into the government-held south, seizing the town of Diabali, 400 kilometres or 250 miles north of the capital.
A meeting of the 15-nation UN Security Council on Mali expressed unanimous “understanding and support” for the military intervention, France’s UN ambassador Gerard Araud told reporters late last night.
The United Nations also said more than 30,000 people had fled the fighting and accused the Islamists of stopping thousands of them from travelling south into government-held zones.
Hollande flew early today into the oil-rich United Arab Emirates where soon after his arrival he held talks with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz in Abu Dhabi.
Mauritania, Mali’s western neighbour, ordered its troops to seal the border to prevent Islamists fighters from escaping into their territory.
Hollande was later to hold meetings with the rulers and senior officials from both Dubai and Abu Dhabi during his one-day visit.
On the presidential plane, Hollande’s entourage said that some 700 soldiers in the French base in Abu Dhabi along with six Rafale jets stationed there were on standby to participate in the Mali offensive if needed.
“Mali is still not in our field of action for now … (but) if we receive orders, we will implement them,” said an official at the base.
By a quirk of timing, Hollande’s trip to the United Arab Emirates is aimed primarily at selling Rafale fighter jets like those that have been involved in bombing Islamist rebel bases in Mali.
France is keen to make its first foreign sale of the Rafale, which has struggled to find buyers, to support a project that has cost tens of billions of euros.
A diplomatic source said no contract would be signed during Hollande’s visit but the potential sale was being discussed. France is also keen to ensure oil firm Total retains a place in the Gulf state’s largest onshore oil concession.
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We need to make Ireland golf again.
@Rosa Parks: Bigly
Even tho’ it sounds silly, “Bigly” is actually a word.
Wing Commander Sir Nigel Winterbottom-Bigly doesn’t count!
We need vast swatches of golf courses to make Ireland bigly
Noonan is in training to kneel down at Shannon airport if Trump returns. The culimination of Noonan’s career.
Befriending the future President of the United States, as Minister for Finance for Ireland… Sure beats my career!
@Diarmuid: sycophancy is demeaning not only of the flatterer but also of the country.
The more limited Trump’s future connections with Ireland the better.
Trump is an unfortunate aberration but a fascinating test in how far principles free politicians will go to ingratiate themselves.
Trump now says that 3 million illegally voted against him. The man is unhinged by his own ego,
Wouldn’t voter fraud on such a scale basically invalidate the entire election regardless of what side it’s on ?
I heard he sleeps in an oxygen tent which give him sexual powers
@Stephen Hynes: Didn’t work for you, Steve
That’s only a half truth!
Mcmmmmm…. Gummi Venus De Milo
Well, we put a lot of problems in his way – wildlife issues, planning permissions and pig headedness.
DT was developing an obscure EU site, giving employment and investment – but, it wasn’t good enough for Ireland.
he didn’t develop doonbeg. he bought it nearly 15 years after it opened
In fairness he must ve soing some further development, or he wouldn’t't have been applying for planning permission recently.
Is Trump still a member, a small member with a small member?
Puerile humour?
Great,let’s drag it down into the gutter.
Well done Tony.
@Alex Falcone: Your infatuation with Trump is very scary.
@Dain Bramage:
My infatuation?
Haha.
Look around you dude. Read the papers. Listen to the radio. Turn on your TV. Check out social media.
@Alex Falcone: I don’t read the newspapers, watch the TV or listen to the radio, they are part of the mainstream media liberal Cultural Marxist Big Pharma Military Industrial Complex agenda. I get my information from Alt-Right blogs and The White House press office.
@Alex Falcone: it’s just flippant derision for the Trumpeteer.
@Dain Bramage:
Good for you. You’re smarter than I thought.
So Donald just f***** over the people of Doonbeg, I wonder what his Irish cheerleaders think of that.
@OpenBorders: He didnt say he was selling up. Ivanka, Don Jr and Eric still listed as directors.
So he should care more about the people of Doonbeg than the promises he made during the election? Don’t think so.
Wow, maybe Noonan can take over and fill his boots again!
God just for a second I thought he resigned as president.
No chance Gerry, the man is a megalomaniac.
As his father before him.
Don’t we wish
Donald, doing things by the rule book.
**Responsible**
Is Trump hair brained, hare brained or just brainless?
He’s being controlled by his hair :p
Jesus I wonder what’ll he do with himself now
How low will Irish politicians stoop to ingratiate themselves with Trump the Terrible?
This means absolutely nothing. He still owns Doonbeg. It’s a clear contravention of the emoluments clause.
SO WHAT
If he had a son named The Burren, Clare County Council could have cut a good deal on rocks for those walls.
I hope someone sprays the course with vinegar.Anyone supporting Doonbeg supports Trump.
I drempt last night that he completed his eight years and was elected Taoiseach in Ireland
Now Enda
have your say