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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 13-Jul-2012
13-Jul-12 World View -- France expects the West to deploy military forces in Mali

Web Log - July, 2012

13-Jul-12 World View -- France expects the West to deploy military forces in Mali

Italy's bond rating cut because of deteriorating economic outlook

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

France expects the West to deploy military forces in Mali
Hundreds slaughtered in Syrian village by Assad regime
Italy's bond rating cut because of deteriorating economic outlook
China continues buildup in South China Sea, as negotiations collapse

France expects the West to deploy military forces in Mali

Laurent Fabius (AP)

Laurent Fabius (AP)

In a significant change in policy, France is now considering Western military intervention in Mali. The change was triggered by the spread in northern Mali of Ansar al-Dine (Defenders of Faith), a terrorist group linked to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Mali's government in Bamako in southern Mali has been in complete chaos for several months, following a coup, allowing the Tuareg ethnic group to take control of northern Mali earlier this year. However, since then, the Tuaregs have been displaced by Ansar al-Dine militant terrorists.

To a great extent, this is all a consequence of last year's war in Libya. The Tuaregs were the principal defenders of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and when he lost, the well-trained Tuareg fighters returned and took control of northern Mali. Then the Islamists moved in and displaced the Tuaregs, and they are extremely well armed, thanks to large stores of sophisticated weapons that fell into their hands following the collapse of Libya's government.

According to France's foreign minister Laurent Fabius:

"It's a serious situation because it is the first time terrorists have taken root in important cities and could be in a situation to implant themselves in an entire country. They have a lot of money, heavy weapons, they are ready to die and their main enemy is France. You have this risk ... and threat that what is happening in northern Mali can happen in other areas."

What Fabius is referring to is not only the spread of violence throughout the Maghreb (northern Africa), but also the use of northern Mali as a base for launching terrorist attacks on France and the rest of Europe. Telegraph

Hundreds slaughtered in Syrian village by Assad regime

In one of Syria's bloodiest days, Syrian government troops and pro-regime military have massacred over 200 people, mostly civilians, in a village near Hama. According to one activist, "We have reports of more than 220 killed. So far, we have 20 victims recorded with names and 60 bodies at a mosque. There are more bodies in the fields, bodies in the rivers and in houses … people were trying to flee from the time the shelling started and whole families were killed trying to escape." Guardian

Italy's bond rating cut because of deteriorating economic outlook

There's really bad news about Europe's economy almost every day, and Thursday's bad news was that Moody's Investors Service cut Italy's bond rating by two notches, citing a deteriorating economic outlook:

"Italy’s near-term economic outlook has deteriorated, as manifest in both weaker growth and higher unemployment, which creates risk of failure to meet fiscal consolidation targets. Failure to meet fiscal targets in turn could weaken market confidence further, raising the risk of a sudden stop in market funding."

Moody’s also cited "increasingly fragile market confidence, contagion risk emanating from Greece and Spain and signs of an eroding non-domestic investor base." Greece, Spain, Ireland and Portugal have all had bailouts approved, and Cyprus is under consideration. A need for a bailout of Italy would send the euro crisis-o-meter several notches higher. Bloomberg

China continues buildup in South China Sea, as negotiations collapse

China is continuing its military buildup in the South China Sea, and is now in the process of creating a city and a legislative body in one of the Spratly Islands. China has been occupying the Spratly Islands pursuant to its claim to have full sovereignty over the entire South China Sea, including areas historically belonging to other countries. On Thursday, a meeting in Phnom Penh of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) ended in disarray as China refused even to negotiate the terms and code of conduct for its military occupation of the entire South China Sea. At the ASEAN meeting, the U.S., represented by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, sided with Vietnam and the Philippines in opposing China's occupation of the entire region, while Cambodia appeared to be siding with China. The Philippine representative denounced “pressure, duplicity, intimidation” from China and warned that tensions “could further escalate into physical hostilities that no one wants.” Global Times (Beijing) and Bloomberg

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 13-Jul-12 World View -- France expects the West to deploy military forces in Mali thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (13-Jul-2012) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 13-Jul-2012 13-Jul-12 World View -- France expects the West to deploy military forces in Mali

France expects the West to deploy military forces in Mali

Hundreds slaughtered in Syrian village by Assad regime

Italy's bond rating cut because of deteriorating economic outlook

China continues buildup in South China Sea, as negotiations collapse

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 13-Jul-2012
13-Jul-12 World View -- France expects the West to deploy military forces in Mali