In fact, what the deployment of U.S. troops on Saudi soil in Operation Desert Shield amounted to was allowing us to defend them.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Saudi double games

The EU team, led by Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel, will also go to Pakistan, a neighbour of Afghanistan which will be crucial to any military operation on Afghanistan soil, where suspected hijack attack mastermind Osama bin Laden is believed to be in hiding.

CNN: Europe lobbies Mideast leaders

They will use a bacterial agent that occurs naturally in soil and is authorised for the operation by Natural England, the government's advisor on the natural environment.

BBC: Toxic caterpillars to be targeted by helicopter

Decades of operation have heated the very soil through which the tunnels run and led to the sweaty climate familiar to today's passengers.

ECONOMIST: London Underground

France has 2, 150 soldiers on Malian soil, with 1, 000 more troops supporting the operation from elsewhere.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

France currently has 2, 150 soldiers on Malian soil, with another 1, 000 troops supporting the operation from elsewhere, the defense ministry said.

CNN: United States, Italy lend support for French in Mali

In a statement earlier, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian confirmed that 3, 700 French troops were engaged in Operation Serval, 2, 500 of them on Malian soil.

BBC: Mali: French-led soldiers 'in control of Gao'