4 chapters across the catalog
Obama-Hollande Meeting, Niger Drone Base, and African Interests
Following a meeting between Presidents Obama and Hollande, the hosts discuss the expansion of U.S. drone operations in Africa, specifically a base in Niger. They highlight past government denials of the base's existence and link military intervention in Mali and Nigeria to French and British corporate interests, including oil companies like Total and BP.
A report from a producer at NATO HQ suggests that the conflict in Mali is primarily about protecting oil pipelines and interests for companies like Total. Despite a minimal weapons cache found, international donors have pledged over $4 billion in aid to the country.
Mali Conflict, French Natural Resource Interests
A segment from The Colbert Report featuring a French studies professor highlights the geopolitical motivations behind French intervention in Mali. Despite Mali being landlocked, the discussion explores claims of offshore oil interests in neighboring former French colonies and the historical "leash" France maintains on its previous African territories.
The military intervention in Mali is analyzed as a resource war rather than a counter-terrorism operation against Al-Qaeda. The hosts link the conflict to Total Oil and Qatar Petroleum's interests in newly discovered gas fields on the Mali-Algeria border, suggesting the U.S. is providing support to secure French corporate assets.
