Why Mitt Romney Kept Talking About Mali

The West African country — likely obscure to most watching the foreign policy debate — just entered the national conversation.

A man carries a sign on Oct. 18 reading “No to the destructive soldiers of ECOWAS” as Malians opposed to a military intervention to retake Mali’s Islamist-controlled north march in the streets. Image by Harouna Traore, File / AP

During the first question of the Oct. 22 foreign policy debate, GOP nominee Mitt Romney brought up Mali — and the influence of “al-Qaeda-type individuals” in the Northern part of the country — before Osama Bin Laden or Afghanistan had even been mentioned.

“Mali has been taken over,” Romney said, “the northern part of Mali by al-Qaeda type individuals.”

Later, the land-locked country in West Africa came up again — this time in the context of an Africa and Middle East in upheaval. “With Mali now having North Mali taken over by al-Qaeda,” said Romney, “with Syria having Assad continuing to kill, to murder his own people, this is a region in tumult.”

The attention on Mali, however unexpected, stood out as a sign that the country — and the fight to free it from al-Qaeda’s influence — will enter the larger foreign policy conversation.

Although, as Bill Maher pointed out on Twitter, some viewers might have been hearing about the country for the first time tonight:

Bill Maher @billmaher

Mitt, you do know that most of America thinks Mali is one of Obama's daughters, right?

1:13 AM - 23 Oct 12

• Reply
• Retweet
• Favorite