Media: The Trump Government is considering a military operation in Mali

ON 23 JULY, ACCORDING TO THE WASHINGTON POST, CITING CURRENT AND FORMER UNITED STATES OFFICIALS, THE TRUMP GOVERNMENT WAS CONSIDERING A MILITARY OPERATION AGAINST MALI, A WEST AFRICAN COUNTRY, AGAINST A GROUP ASSOCIATED WITH AL-QAIDA CALLED “SUPPORT FOR ISLAM AND MUSLIMS” (JNIM). IF APPROVED, MALI WOULD BECOME THE EIGHTH COUNTRY TO HAVE ORDERED AIR STRIKES SINCE PRESIDENT TRUMP'S SECOND TERM. HOWEVER, THERE WAS DISAGREEMENT AMONG SENIOR UNITED STATES OFFICIALS AS TO WHETHER TO LAUNCH AN ATTACK ON THE ARMED GROUP. ACCORDING TO SEVERAL CURRENT AND FORMER OFFICIALS, SEBASTIAN GORKA, SENIOR COUNTER-TERRORISM DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL, WAS AN ACTIVE ADVOCATE OF THE USE OF FORCE. WHEN THE WHITE HOUSE WAS ASKED TO COMMENT ON THIS, A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL REFUSED TO DISCLOSE WHETHER THE PRESIDENT INTENDED TO CARRY OUT A MILITARY STRIKE, BUT STATED THAT THE UNITED STATES HAD BEEN URGING GOVERNMENTS IN NORTH AND WEST AFRICA “TO PURCHASE UNITED STATES EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES TO SUPPORT THEIR WAR AGAINST TERRORISTS”。