White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Tuesday that the U.S. supports the French mission of combating Islamist rebels in Mali and is considering a request for “logistical support” in the current conflict.
President Obama spoke with French President Francois Hollande last week, Carney said. “We share the French goal of denying terrorists a safe haven in the region,” Carney said at the White House’s press briefing.
France has launched airstrikes since Friday and is committing as many as 2,500 troops on the ground to combat Islamist rebels in the country’s northern region.