UK intervention in Mali treads a familiar - and doomed - path | Simon Jenkins

Does Mali pose an 'existential threat' to the UK? Hardly. Intervention will bring only more trouble

The government is going for gold in mission creep. Just a week ago David Cameron clearly indicated there would be "no boots on the ground" in Mali. His office declared there was "absolutely" no question of British troops entering the conflict "in a combat role". Britain would lend two C-17 transports and that was it.

To this was soon added a surveillance plane. Now there...