Timbuktu celebrates defeat of Islamist extremists

(CBS News) BAMAKO, Mali - The French president capped the triumph of his nation's forces -- with American help -- of retaking the center of culture in this African nation with a quick visit Saturday to the city whose people suffered under the severe Islamic code known as shariah law.

It was a victory lap for French President Francois Hollande. The troops he sent in to Mali three weeks ago chased Islamic extremists out of the town of Timbuktu to the relief and joy of the residents.

The extremists not only tyrannized people with public lashings and amputations, they also desecrated the heritage of this ancient desert trading post.

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Its elaborate mud brick mosques are protected by the United Nations and so were its tombs, built for Islamic saints nearly 700 years ago. A local resident, Sidi Babbi, showed CBS News two of them, now in ruins.

Last spring, the extremists decided they weren't Islamic enough and sent in a wrecking crew.

"We were heartbroken," Babbi said through a translator, "but when we protested they fired their guns in the air to drive us away."

At Timbuktu's library, the extremists turned to arson just before they fled in January, torching some of the 300,000 ancient Arabic documents.

But on Saturday the librarians had good news for France's president: The timely arrival of his army meant that less than one percent of the collection has been destroyed.

Now, feeling safe again, the people of Timbuktu want the French army to stay. Malian troops alone, they say, can't keep the extremists at bay.

But for the French government, mindful of America's recent losses in Afghanistan and Iraq, leaving these soldiers here for much longer is simply not an option.

The United States was instrumental in the French victory, offering big military transport aircraft to bring French trucks and soldiers to Mali. Midair fueling for French planes, including fighter planes, was also offered by the U.S. and going forward the nation is going to pledge more than $10 million for training Mali's troops so they can secure their own country in the months ahead.

[judymar14]

To think African countries wanted to 'removed the yoke of Europe' fifty years ago for self-rule. Who do they look to now, that same 'yoke'.

[jsphx]

The Islamic "extremists" have NOT been defeated. They are literally just over the hill waiting for the show to be over so they can come back without firing a shot. Get Real! When you haven't killed or captured a SINGLE Bad Guy, you haven't done anything to change reality on the ground. The Malian Army only engages for its profit and avoids anyone with a gun.

[audemus]

See ? I told you; sometimes the good guys DO win...way to go France ! USA...USA...USA

[cbs_bull]

Thanks French for taking the lead to drive out the Islamic extremists. An important victory for the free world.

[jerryballew]

What's this recent zeitgeist of religionists? "Islamists" who would kill anyone desecrating a qu'ran, yet they destroy Islamic tombs and burn libraries of ancient 1,000 year old Islamic religious scrolls. On our continent radical Christians deny women the right to contraception for unknown reasons (or at least mysterious ones that life starts when the sperm hits the egg) but then they demand "religious freedom" from everyone else for "Christians?" Is the religious world gone batshit crazy again? How close are we getting to Inquisition II? Or fending off a pretend "Muslim" extremism movement? Too many power plays that are attempting to end the world as we know it....

[slhoney]

The tombs they were destroying were not Islamic, that was the whole point.

[Bendech]

I see the Extreme Islamist and the Taliban Christians as being made of the same cloth. Both believe that their God is the only God and that their brand of religion is the only correct religion.
Because they believe they are guided by the only correct god, everything that they believe..from how the world was created, to when life begins, to who can marry whom, to what practices and customs should be allowed...is naturally the only correct belief. All other beliefs are false and wrong.
They will not be satisfied till everyone...even those of different faiths...follow their rules and beliefs.
That's why they both want to plant their monuments in public buildings, burn religious books that disagree with them,

[democracy8]

slhoney: "Its elaborate mud brick mosques are protected by the United Nations and so were its tombs, built for ISLAMIC saints nearly 700 years ago.

[DBrugger]

Heres my problem Timbuktu does not have a security force to keep the extremist from coming back and taking over again. The French were asked to stay and protect the people. The French being mindful of America's recent losses in Afghanistan and Iraq, leaving these soldiers here for much longer is simply not an option. So what does the USA do they pledge 10 MILLION DOLLARS for training Mali's troops so they can secure their own country in the months ahead.

I guess we are not in debt anymore and that we don't need more police in many of our city's.

When will we learn

[Mikzy]

What was the true reason the French intervened? Is Mali a major oil producing state??? Do they export to the French??? I know this isn't about mud monuments and Islamic manuscripts...

[TheMilwaukeeCitizen]

Gold... Mali is an old French colony that is Africa's 3rd largest gold producer.

[CommonPatriot]

Islamic Saint is an oxymoron.

[delijdewolfe]

So is common patriot

[KansasCity-2012]

Terrifying story...good ending.

[moshe05]

a socialist destroys right-wing terrorists. hollande shows the stupid teabaggers how it's done.

[moshe05]

i'm sorry, but i thought obama was a radical socialist. now he's a teabagger.