France deserves continued US military support in Mali

The loss of three French soldiers in Mali this week is a solemn reminder of that nation’s commitment to Western security. France’s counterterrorism effort, codenamed Operation Barkhane, deserves continued U.S. military support.

The soldiers were killed when an improvised explosive device targeted their patrol in the terrorist stronghold that marks the border intersection of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. Saluting their sacrifice, President Emmanuel Macron expressed “his complete confidence in the French soldiers deployed in the Sahel, salutes their courage and recalls France’s determination to continue the fight against terrorism.”