The US will run French airlift to Mali another two weeks

The Pentagon is keeping eight to 10 people at the Mali capital’s airport after the US Air Force flew five C-17 flights into Bamako and delivered more than 80 French troops and 124 tons of equipment.  The US airlift will continue two more weeks as hundreds of African troops from Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso and Senegal arrive in Mali. Tuesday, Malian forces recaptured the key towns of Diabaly and Douentza with the help of the French.  The French intervention for ousting Islamist extremists from northern Mali began Jan 11. France will stay as long as necessary for other African countries to take over.