French-Led Forces Focus On Mali Islamist Supply Lines

In what is becoming a staple of daily geopolitics reporting, French-led troops in Mali continued to make gains against Al Qaeda-linked Islamists who have seized the country's north. Comments by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, conveyed by the BBC, indicate that the French troops are now focusing on destroying rebel supplies and supply routes. The ongoing military campaign, launched on January 11, has driven opposition forces from every major Malian town except Kidal, which is the focus of current fighting. 3,500 French troops backed by 2,000 troops from Chad and Niger are operating in the country.