“As Islamists in northern Mali threatened to ‘open the gates of hell,’ the United States is navigating one tricky quandary: how does it help in the battle against the militants without violating its own policy? U.S. policy prohibits direct military aid to Mali because the fledgling government is a result of a coup”

Source: Malian rebels vow to ‘open gates of hell’ as U.S. weighs policy options – CNN.com