“According to Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey, the French government has formally asked the United States for military aid for its invasion of Mali, saying that the aid will conclude planning, logistics and air support, but not combat troops. France invaded on Saturday, and initially said they believed they would turn Mali into a ‘terror-free’ democracy within a matter of weeks. Since then they have expressed surprise at the strength of rebel fighters, however.”
http://news.antiwar.com/2013/01/18/france-formally-requests-us-military-aid-for-mali-invasion/
