The 8th Country? U.S. Media Reports: U.S. Government is Studying Whether to Take Military Action in Mali

[Global Times Comprehensive Report] According to a report by the American "Washington Post" on the 23rd, several U.S. officials revealed that the U.S. government is studying whether to take military action in the West African country of Mali to combat the extremist group "Support for Islam and Muslim Organizations" (JNIM), which is linked to al-Qaeda. If ultimately approved, Mali will become the eighth country where President Trump has ordered military strikes during his second term.

In recent years, Mali and the surrounding Sahel region have become one of the most active areas for global extremist armed activities. JNIM has established significant strongholds in Mali, continuously expanding its influence and extending into coastal West African countries. Last year, the U.S. government expanded the scope of intelligence sharing with Mali to support the Malian military in combating extremist armed groups, but overall cooperation between the two sides remains limited.

Currently, there are divisions within the U.S. government regarding whether to launch strikes. U.S. media reports that Gorka, the head of the White House counterterrorism department, is one of the main supporters of taking military action. In response, the White House only stated that the U.S. has consistently urged North African and West African countries to procure U.S. equipment and services to support their counterterrorism efforts, and called on regional countries and NATO allies to support the Sahel countries' alliance in combating JNIM and the Islamic State (ISIS).

Reports indicate that if the U.S. directly strikes targets within Mali, it may also face the risk of friction with local Russian military forces, and may even need to establish a military coordination mechanism similar to that during the previous Syrian period to avoid misjudgments. The U.S. has stated it "clearly condemns" terrorist activities in Mali and will continue to promote enhanced counterterrorism cooperation among regional countries. (Yue Chao)