The US Defence Secretary has vowed to eliminate the threat from al-Qaeda in northern Mali. Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, Leon Panetta said that America would pursue the terrorist organisation wherever it is found.
Leon Panetta, U.S. Defense Secretary:
"Our approach is to make sure that al-Qaeda and elements of al-Qaeda have no place to hide. And we've gone after al-Qaeda wherever they are - whether it's in FATA; whether it's in Yemen; whether it's in Somalia; and whether they're in North Africa."
Concern is growing in the international community that northern Mali is becoming a lawless enclave and terrorist training ground controlled by al-Qaeda-linked Islamic extremists. The US reportedly already has surveillance drones in the area, but some experts believe that further Western intervention could have negative consequences.
J. Peter Pham, Michael S. Ansari Africa Center:
"There is a danger of a knee-jerk reaction and that's to be avoided. That doesn't mean that we wait everything out. I think one has to interdict this danger - one has to prevent it from spilling over the borders of Mali to destabilizing already-fragile states in the region."
Central government control of northern Mali collapsed earlier this year following a military coup in March. Hundreds of thousands of residents have already fled the desert region, headed for neighbouring Western African nations or toward Malian capital Bamako in the country's south.
