PARIS — On Jan. 11, French military forces entered Mali, taking and inflicting casualties in a war as sudden as it is important.

Even at this early stage, broadly applicable lessons can be drawn from the conflict. Although the future course of the fighting is laden with risks, skillful diplomacy can turn it into a major opportunity in the struggle against international terrorism.

The French intervention was prompted by the combined offensive towards Bamako, the capital of Mali, of the three jihadi organizations which seized control of the northern half of the country last year. This unforeseen attack prompted the president of Mali to ask France for immediate help.

One lesson, as old as the history of war, but as often forgotten, is that one should not expect one’s enemy to cooperate. The general assumption had been that the jihadis would not move until a Western-trained African force was ready to free northern Mali next fall.