Right. But it would be partly about gas. There are huge geopolitical stakes involved in building a gas pipeline from Qatar to Europe via Syria and Turkey, which would weaken Russia. So energy is a big factor in Western thinking.
>> [France having been colonized by Germany was in no position to continue to colonize Syria]
Why not? Didn't France continue to colonize Algeria, Vietnam, etc? Also, as a historian, you understand the difference between occupation and colonization. Germany didn't colonize France.
No, I didn't confuse anything. You and rjlynn (both of whom seem to have trouble spelling Tuareg) seem ignorant of the fact that Ansar Dine is headed by Iyad Ag Ghaly, who is a Tuareg leader. So to say that Ansar Dine is fighting the Tuaregs is as meaningless as saying that the Madhi Army was fighting Iraqis or the Taliban are fighting Afghans.
After Gaddafi's fall, Malian tuareg rebels went home heavily equipped with Grad rockets and other weapons they never had before. Bamako (and Algiers) knew all along that the rebellion was inevitable.
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Good summary. I'd quibble with:
>> [it certainly would not be about oil].
Right. But it would be partly about gas. There are huge geopolitical stakes involved in building a gas pipeline from Qatar to Europe via Syria and Turkey, which would weaken Russia. So energy is a big factor in Western thinking.
>> [France having been colonized by Germany was in no position to continue to colonize Syria]
Why not? Didn't France continue to colonize Algeria, Vietnam, etc? Also, as a historian, you understand the difference between occupation and colonization. Germany didn't colonize France.
No, I didn't confuse anything. You and rjlynn (both of whom seem to have trouble spelling Tuareg) seem ignorant of the fact that Ansar Dine is headed by Iyad Ag Ghaly, who is a Tuareg leader. So to say that Ansar Dine is fighting the Tuaregs is as meaningless as saying that the Madhi Army was fighting Iraqis or the Taliban are fighting Afghans.
Why is this happening now? Because the Tuareg rebels have been armed with Gaddafi's heavy weaponry.
You mean the MNLA. Ansar Dine is a Tuareg group.
After Gaddafi's fall, Malian tuareg rebels went home heavily equipped with Grad rockets and other weapons they never had before. Bamako (and Algiers) knew all along that the rebellion was inevitable.