CP/Richard Lam

Canada is edging ever more slowly into the mission to fight back against rebels in Mali. Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s made sure to qualify Canada’s contribution of a C-17 support aircraft as temporary, short-term and limited to a single week—pending a decision in a few days to maybe extend its time in Africa. The PM ensured no Canadian Forces personnel anywhere near Mali would enter a combat role. France’s troops on the ground and jets in the air are the face of western intervention in the troubled African nation. But the Globe and Mail this morning dedicates its centrefold “Folio” to explaining why Mali matters. Among the reasons: its a big source of Canada’s overseas aid, receiving more than $100 million a year. Bamako is still far from a household name in Canada, but could that start to change, one transport plane at a time?

What’s above the fold this morning?

The Globe and Mail leads with Canada’s limited contribution of a support aircraft to the fight against rebels in Mali. The National Post fronts a Pakistani-Canadian cleric, Tahir ul Qadri, who’s calling for political reforms in Pakistan (not online). The Toronto Star goes above the fold with a court order demanding an Ontario water park stop burying dead animals in mass graves on-site. The Ottawa Citizen leads with last night’s double murder-suicide that left a mother and her two children dead. iPolitics fronts the upcoming gathering of NDP leaders in Ottawa. CBC.ca leads with Lance Armstrong’s apparent confession to Oprah Winfrey that he used performance-enhancing drugs throughout his cycling career. National Newswatch showcases a Postmedia story that says Elections Canada is interviewing Conservative campaign workers in connection with its voter suppression investigation.

Stories that will be (mostly) missed