Operation Serval France's intervention. On January 26, during the CELAC and European Union summit in Santiago de Chile, Colombia and Chile both expressed support for the French military intervention in Mali. Colombia's president, Juan Manuel Santos, stated that "Colombia has suffered so much from terrorism that it can not disagree with this action." A 2013 Al Jazeera poll found that 96% of Malians in Bamako supported French intervention. Operation Serval Operation Serval () was a French military operation in Mali. The aim of the operation was to oust Islamic militants from the north of Mali, who had begun a push into the
James S. Robbins He serves on the Advisory Board of the National Civil War Museum. James S. Robbins James S. Robbins (born 1962) is a commentary writer for "USA Today" and Senior Fellow for National Security Affairs on the American Foreign Policy Council. He is the award-winning former Senior Editorial Writer for Foreign Affairs at the "Washington Times", an author, political commentator and professor, with an expertise in national security, and foreign and military affairs. He also served as special assistant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. His books include "The Real Custer: from Boy General to Tragic Hero" (2014), "Native