Today, Les, Martha, Morgan, and Jess discuss the alarming developments in Mali, where an Al Qaeda affiliate may soon control the country outright. With the U.S. ordering Americans to evacuate and fuel imports blockaded across the country, the situation in Bamako is rapidly deteriorating. Could this be the moment Al Qaeda transitions from insurgency to governance — collecting taxes, enforcing rule, and projecting power beyond the Sahel?

If an Al Qaeda-linked regime does consolidate control, what would that mean for U.S. policy, recognition, confrontation, or containment? How might this reshape counterterrorism strategy in Africa, especially as Russia and China expand their influence in the region? And with extremist groups rising across the Sahel and no confirmed Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, can Washington afford to stay on the sidelines?

@lestermunson

@morganlroach

@marthamillerdc

@nottvjessjones

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