That dastardly terrorist attack on Paris
On Friday, a co-ordinated series of explosions and shootings brought the grand city of Paris to a petrified stop, reminding us of the insidious presence of terrorists in our midst who can strike at will.
The Paris death toll yesterday reached 129 people with a further 352 wounded. It was the deadliest terrorist attack in France since World War II more than 70 years ago and the second attack this year following January’s assault on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
The cruelty and impact of this latest action shocked the world, including Jamaicans. Eight assailants attacked civilians with guns and explosives at a concert, restaurant and football match in six locations in the French capital. Seven attackers died by blowing themselves up and an eighth was killed by police. The brutal Islamic State (ISIS) group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
French President Francois Hollande has declared a state of emergency and ordered three days of national mourning. Public gatherings have been banned through Thursday and the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Versailles where crowds usually gather were closed. There was a massive deployment of army and police who are particularly concerned about hundreds of French Islamic radicals who have travelled to Syria, some of whom have returned home, after being trained in terrorist activities.
These actions are the start of what President Hollande vowed would be a “merciless” response, which is likely to be supported by governments and people all over the world who expressed their outrage and commitment to fight terrorism.
This latest attack by ISIS will have major repercussions and will affect people everywhere in the world, much like the 9/11 bombings in the US.
It will certainly lead to a major escalation in the “war on terrorism” and in particular the fight against the Islamic State. It has increased worldwide support for the strongest possible measures to be taken against ISIS. It will also mark a further shift in the fight against terrorism from protection against attack to more intelligence gathering to prevent and pre-empt attacks.
The will, capacity and resources to fight terrorism will be mobilised, but the dilemma is who to target. Detecting terrorists will be more difficult because they will not always be foreigners sent in from centres of training in the Middle East. A terrorist could be a national of a country who decides to give his or her life to a cause in response to a call from ISIS without ever joining or communicating with the organisation.
It becomes enormously difficult to identify a potential or actual terrorist in countries like France, which has a large and rapidly growing Muslim and Arab population.
Terrorism anywhere at any time is a threat to freedom everywhere. No one is immune and all must be involved in fighting this deadly scourge which is a threat to freedom and a normal way of life.
We endorse Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller’s expression of heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the victims of this dastardly terrorist attack by ISIS and express our sympathy and support for the French people.
Vive la France!