How do you think the US should pursue the threat of al Qaeda in North Africa?

The problem is, the US can literally be involved in this type of thing for decades, even centuries. In addition, our meddling sometimes manages to inspire new people to join this type of organization. I think there's some merit in being dealt out of the next few hands. France can handle this one.

There is nothing that the US can do. Without a unified Egypt and Libya there is no force to maintain order in North Africa. The West poured heavy weapons into the hands of anyone that would fight Gaddafi when Gaddafi was the stabilizing force in North Africa. Now the puppet government in Libya are forced to pay huge sums derived from oil revenues to stop the militant groups from overthrowing them and interrupting the flow of oil. Al Qaeda are better armed and financed now than they ever have been. William Hague's Libyan campaign did more for Al Qaeda than Osama Bin Laden could have ever hoped to. Pretty soon the militants in Mali and Algeria will be joined by a fresh wave trained and recruited in Syria.

All the US can do in Africa is send their sons there to die for nothing in a pointless and futile attempt to undo the disaster created by William Hague. The best bet for Americans now is to return home and concentrate their efforts on border control.

Basically, I can see only two choices. Stay out of the place until a huge chunk of Africa is controlled by Al Qaeda, they build up their arsenals, and we have another 9/11, or go in with a joint force of all the Western forces. Remember, if we let Al Qaeda have Mali and Nigeria, they get access to all that uranium. I consider the situation there the biggest threat we have faced since 9/11.

From what I'm seeing, France is doing pretty well holding it's own.

The government, and the people, of Mali do NOT want these terrorists around, which leads me to believe this will be an easy ouster there.

Also, it appears none of the Maghreb countries want anything to do with Al Qaeda.

We have to start thinking outside of the box. Instead of a military solution we need to look for other solutions.

The wealthy countries of the world need to sit down with the oil producing Arab countries and talk about something other than oil. They need to start addressing the reasons why Al Qaeda and other fundamentalist terror groups exist.

Then they need to act. A serious effort must be made to alleviate poverty and income inequality. For countries such as the U.S., this also implies a major rethinking of foreign policy.

Well certainly NOT with the Algerian Special Forces, that's for sure. They'd kill Al Qaeda all right...along with all of us by mistake.

The French appear to be doing very well against Al Qaida in that region. I recommend that we support the French in their effort to eliminate Al Qaida in that region.

I recommend that we give the French the money and the weapons that they need to eliminate Al Qaida.

The terrorists are pulling for one candidate, the weakest candidate, the only they recognize will shrink and run and enable them have their way. they are going to run properly decrease back into Iraq and set up base. McCain is the purely one they concern. the only they recognize received't yield to their will. McCain 08

Its not a matter of what anyone here thinks we should do, it is a matter of what the US gov't will do, which is, of course as Tommy Lee Jones might say, occupy every every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse, and dog house in every country we see as a potential threat. After that, no one would dare think about attacking the most broke nation on the planet.

Last year you claimed those who opposed Libya's leader were al-qaeda,

Now you're claiming these men who fought for Libya's leader are al-qaeda.

Is there an armed arab group you wouldn't say is linked to Al-Qaeda?