Kidnappings in Niger and Possible French Responses

Seven people, including five French nationals, were kidnapped in and around Niger's Arlit mining facility. The few details currently available indicate these abductions likely were the work of either a local Tuareg rebel group or the local al Qaeda node, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Regional and international reaction to the incidents — and the fates of the hostages — largely hinge on the culprit. If AQIM was indeed responsible, the possibility of French political or military involvement in securing the hostages' release goes up — and the likelihood that the hostages will escape unharmed goes down.