Americans , others have been taken hostage by Islamist militants in Algeria . Frida Martin : The Libyan crisis is a warning that militants must be pushed back . She says war has been declared in northern Mali , with extremists gaining ascendency . A military coup weakened government forces , and the insurgency pushed ahead , conquering the northern half of the country . Ghitis : The U.S. will aid the Mali government and help rebuild that part of the world .
Americans , others have been taken hostage by Islamist militants in Algeria . Frida Martin : The Libyan crisis is a warning that militants must be pushed back . She says war has been declared in northern Mali , with extremists gaining ascendency . Ghitis : The U.S. will aid the Mali government and help rebuild that part of the world .