Securing America: Preventing Terror in Mali

Mitt Romney twice mentioned in the final debate that parts of the west African nation of Mali have fallen into the hands of al-Qaeda. ?This comes as an international debate rages over whether military intervention is needed to restore order there.

FOX News Radio’s Emily Wither has the latest from our Middle East bureau in our ongoing series on national security:

Securing America.

Mali is starting to give people in power sleepless nights. ?It’s certainly on America’s radar. ?The U.S. don’t want al-Qaeda taking root like they have in places such as Yemen.

(Panetta) “The effort now ought to be to work with nations in that region to ensure that al-Qaeda does not develop that kind of base in Mali.”

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. ?A west African force supported by France and other western powers is preparing to deploy in the area. ?The government there has lost control of a chunk in the north to Islamist radical groups. ?Reports also say that France is deploying surveillance drones to monitor conditions.

In Jerusalem, Emily Wither, FOX News Radio.