That is, if you don't count Gaza, Syria, Iran, Turkey or Qatar
State Department warns Americans to leave Mali: It’s about to become first African nation ruled by Al-Qaeda
Although Africa is virtually invisible in the Western media, wars over its natural resources, as well as over international interests, are proliferating.
Countries in the Sahel such as Mali (as well as Burkina Faso and Niger) “which have distanced themselves from traditional partners like France and the European Union (EU), have increasingly engaged Turkey for military cooperation, arms deals and mining partnerships, particularly in gold and energy sectors.” This is troubling news considering the expansionist nature of Turkey; whereas the West is lax regarding enforcement of its own borders, let alone paying attention to the jihad’s expansion globally.
According to the African Policy Research Institute:
As Turkey couples domestic mining reforms with strategic outreach in Africa, its ambition goes beyond resource acquisition: It seeks to reshape its geopolitical footprint in a shifting global order.
Although Turkey has designated al-Qaeda as a terrorist group for utilitarian purposes, its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is a sophisticated manipulator. Take, for example, Syria, where Erdogan helped install former al-Qaeda leader Ahmed al-Sharaa as the new president of Syria after he overthrew the former president, Bashar al-Assad.
Look for Turkey anywhere as it extends its reach globally — from NATO to the Middle East to Africa. It is the new Iran, but has managed to fool the West and retain its place in NATO as it builds up militarily.
Now that al-Qaeda is poised to take over in unstable Mali, analysts fear a domino effect with other governments in the Sahel region.
Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Kenneth P. Ekman stated: “The U.S. still has security interests in West Africa…An external operations threat to the American homeland is intolerable, increasingly likely and far more difficult to detect given the dearth of remaining U.S. forces and intelligence assets in the region.”
As the West African country of Mali teeters on becoming the first nation on the continent to be ruled by an al Qaeda–linked terror organization, a State Department spokesperson warned American citizens to leave or not travel there.
On the situation in Mali, the spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “Do Not Travel for any reason due to crime, terrorism, kidnapping, unrest and health risks,” while cautioning, “U.S. citizens should avoid travel to Mali, and those currently in Mali should depart immediately.”
The U.S. Embassy in Mali also posted on their website, “U.S. citizens should depart using commercial aviation, as overland routes to neighboring countries may not be safe for travel due to terrorist attacks along national highways.”
It also warned Americans not to try to travel outside the capital city. “The U.S. Embassy in Bamako is rarely able to provide emergency services or support to U.S. citizens outside the capital,” noting the information was still relevant as of Monday.
A former senior military official with detailed knowledge of the situation has told Fox News Digital that the situation in Mali has made a threat to the U.S. homeland “increasingly likely.”
Islamist JNIM fighters have surrounded its capital, Bamako, preventing fuel tankers from reaching the city and setting fire to some vehicles. The Malian army has tried to break the blockade by mounting armed convoys for the trucks, but JNIM has attacked several of these….
