During the foreign policy debate Mitt Romney brought up how places like Mali have become hotbeds of terrorism. Of course, he was mocked viciously by the left. I guess it wasn’t so funny after all, now that Americans and others have been taken hostage in Algeria over France’s military actions in Mali.

In reports out of the UK, at least four Americans are unaccounted for after an al-Qaeda raid on a Algerian oil field operated by BP Oil. It is believed seven Americans were originally held hostage. Two of the four have been offered up as an exchange for the Blind Sheik, the mastermind behind the first World Trade Center bombing. This will become an old story in a short amount of time, as the whole of al-Qaeda has decided the more Americans they hold across the globe, the better the chance of getting Abdel-Rachman (Blind Sheik) back home. An unnamed Texas man is believed (but not confirmed) to be dead. Mr. Obama, the pressure is on. I suggest Americans in Muslim countries come on back home. UPDATE 3:40 pm CST: Fox News has just confirmed that Frederick Buttaccio, a resident of Texas has died. No other details available.

Here’s White House press secretary Jay Carney yesterday relaying that the US government is pretty much inept and useless.

Update: The Financial Times points out that Mali has become another embarrassing terrorism “boomerang” for the United States.

Update: Linked by The Other McCain – thanks!