U.S., Algeria discuss ousting Mali militants
ALGIERS, Algeria — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has sought Algeria’s backing for an emerging international effort to push Islamic militants out of northern Mali, in a meeting here with the president of Algeria, Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
In several hours of discussions on Monday, the two sides focused on the deteriorating situation in northern Mali, which has become a sanctuary for terrorists, including militants from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, since the national army lost control of the region after a coup in March.
After the meetings, U.S. officials asserted that the Algerians’ and United States’ political and military approaches to the crisis had begun to converge, but that more work was needed.
“We have agreed to continue with in-depth expert discussions,” Clinton said, “to determine the most effective approaches that we should be taking.”
The Islamist takeover of northern Mali is a growing worry for the United States and for France, the former colonial power, which maintains an interest in West Africa and has been pressing for international action.
Earlier this month, the U.N. Security Council adopt- ed a resolution underscoring its “readiness” to send an international force to evict the militants in response to a request from a Mali government. While a military plan has yet to be drafted, the basic idea has been for forces from Nigeria and other African countries to help Mali’s military mount a campaign against the militants. France, the United States and other countries would help with training, intelligence and logistics.
The support of Algeria, a regional power and neighbor of Mali, would be essential, diplomats say. Algeria, which waged a brutal war against militants in its own country, has one of the strongest militaries in the region and an active intelligence service. Algeria, Niger, Mali and Mauritania have set up an intelligence center in the southern Algerian city of Tamanrasset to coordinate efforts against al Qaeda and other regional threats.
“There is a strong recognition that Algeria has to be a central part of the solution,” a U.S. official said.
Clinton’s visit to Algeria, her second to the country as secretary of state, followed a series of high-level meetings in Washington last week between U.S. and Algerian officials. France’s foreign minister visited Algeria earlier this month.