''More than 300 UK troops set for Mali mission''

From The Telegraph

"We have an absolute duty to intervene wherever there is a threat to Britain's national security and the security of Britain's interests around the world and this is exactly such a case. This is a well-judged, well-leveraged intervention that will deliver efficiently a result that is in Britain's national interest."

British troops will be able to fire in "self defence" only during their deployment in Bamako, the Malian capital, where they are being protected by the French, Mr Hammond said.''

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