Mr. Juppé said France would not send its own troops to oppose the rebellion, but would be willing to offer logistical support for a regional force to support the Bamako authorities, specifically to fight Islamists linked to Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb while negotiations got under way with secular Tuaregs.
But ECOWAS is now talking about a 2,000-man force, down from the 3,000 recently discussed. I have difficulty believing that such a small force drawn from many countries can mount an offensive against the Tuareg secessionists. I don't think logistics help will be enough unless the Mali government's forces are better than they appear to be after abandoning the north.
France is tearing up my string of conjectures that ends with French Foreign Legion troops spearheading the counter-offensive north.
Although perhaps the news that the coup leaders have turned over power to an interim government will change minds in Paris.
UPDATE: Immunity for storming the palace and a unity interim government are part of the package. Sanctions are lifted. Mali leaders say they just need support and not foreign troops to fight the northern secessionists. We'll see. The Mali army was having problems coping with the rebels before the coup demoralized and split the army. Perhaps much will rest on the judgment of Western special forces who will take the pulse of the Mali units they train as weapons and supplies flow in to Mali.
