The UN's Mali envoy asked the Security Council to provide more troops and equipment for the MINUSMA peacekeeping force, which faces "severe" challenges. Of the 12,600 troops mandated for the mission, only about 5,200 are on the ground. Mali's military chief for the northern region said sleeper cells exist in the area with jihadists from Sudan, Boko Haram, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO). France plans to reduce its troop level in Mali from 3,200 to about 1,000; the US is not providing assistance to the Malian army but has provided logistical help to French forces in Mali.
Bill Roggio is a regular guest on the John Batchelor Show from Monday through Friday to discuss the war. Check John's site for the time. Click here to listen live online at WABC.
