The European
In countries like Mali, the hard work begins after the defeat of the
insurgency. Development and reconciliation could become the cornerstones
of a common European foreign policy.
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On Thursday, the British Foreign Office
joined other European capitals in issuing a statement advising its
nationals to leave Benghazi in Libya. But the UK warned specifically
that: "Following French military intervention in Mali, there is a
possibility of retaliatory attacks targeting Western interests in the
region.” The direct link made in the statement between France’s decision
two weeks ago to send French troops into Mali, and increasing
insecurity in the region appears to call into question the wisdom of the
French intervention. However the British government has, from the
beginning, taken a positive view towards it. Along with Belgium and
Denmark, it was one of the first EU states to offer equipment to support
the operation. Does this response to the deteriorating security
situation in Benghazi suggest that European unity around the
intervention in Mali is beginning to unravel?
