Fear not, France, the U.S. is here. Pentagon officials have announced that they are preparing to offer logistical support to France in its fight against Islamic militants in Mali. The French military has begun carrying out air strikes in an attempt to push back rebels and militants to secure the region for African peacekeeping forces. “We have a responsibility to make sure that al-Qaida does not establish a base for operations in North Africa and Mali. We’ve been very concerned about AQIM and their efforts to establish a very strong base in that area," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said. The extent of support has not be named, and is expected to be limited, but the U.S. is already assisting with intelligence gathering.
