Military planners draw up plans to recapture northern Mali

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Military experts from Africa, the United Nations and Europe have drawn up preliminary plans to recapture northern Mali from al-Qaida-linked rebels, African officials said on Tuesday.

A source with knowledge of the plan said it will involve a force of more than 4,000 personnel, mostly from West African countries.

http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=290727

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Re: Military planners draw up plans to recapture northern Mali

International military experts drew up the plan at a week-long meeting in Bamako and submitted it to the West African regional bloc ECOWAS for approval on Tuesday. The blueprint will then be reviewed by the United Nations Security Council in mid-November, setting the stage for action.

"We need to respond in detail to the Security Council on the logistics, timing, size and funding for the deployment of this mission," Desire Ouedraogo, president of the ECOWAS Commission, told military planners at a ceremony on Tuesday.

"So your conclusions will be crucial in the next step, of getting the United Nations Security Council to adopt a new resolution authorizing deployment."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...8A50UO20121106

Step 1

International military experts drew up the plan

Step 2

submitted it to the West African regional bloc ECOWAS for approval

Step 3

getting the United Nations Security Council to adopt a new resolution authorizing deployment