My critique of these views can be broken down into three categories: historical, political, and policy-related. Politics: Shifty Sands, Constant Grievances and Fledgeling InstitutionsIn discussing the Mauritanian opposition, Ambassador Powell candidly channels wholesale General Aziz’s views of his own detractors– the very same talking points he uses to describe them. On paper, Mauritania’s military is the most natural available choice for fighting AQIM. Will the Mauritanian military officer corps tolerate a high casualty count? As we say in Mauritania: crooked sticks will always have crooked shades.