encouraging news from mali - but there has to be more to this. and as the guardian article says - the taliban or fundamentalists are armed largely by kidnap payments from the west. (something to think about when planning your gap year travels) if a small group of criminals can hold power and cause such mayhem and misery over a large part of the country because they have guns paid for by the west - we have to stop exporting arms anywhere. imagine what would happen if we allowed religious fundamentalists access to weapons in the uk? or the usa? oh....