France became the first country to invoke the European Union’s mutual-defense clause, testing the bloc’s ability to combat terrorism after the attacks in Paris.
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French president François Hollande referenced the article in his speech to the two houses of the French Parliament in Versailles yesterday, with French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian formally requesting the article to be invoked at Tuesday’s meeting.
Jacob Westberg, Senior Lecturer in Security Policy and Strategy at the Swedish National Defence College said: “The article is relatively clear and says that states must contribute by all available means.
Today, the European Union through the voices of all the defense ministers of all the EU member states unanimously expressed it strongest full support and readiness to provide all the aid and assistance required and needed”, Mogherini said at a press briefing. The officials also said that invoking the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation clause, which has happened only after the 9/11 terror attacks on US soil in 2001, could give the Islamic State a sense of “prestige” and play into their message.
France can not do everything alone, Le Drian said.
He said that help could come in the form of “either cooperation on capacities for the French interventions in Syria or Iraq, or by relief for or support to France in other operations”. “This is September 11 for Europe”, Greek Defense Minister Panagiotis Kammenos told reporters in Brussels.
A government source said the request will now be discussed bilaterally between France and member states. The German defence minister, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the French invocation of the mutual defence clause meant only that there was “a basis for consultation”.
Italian defence minister Roberta Pinotti said her country was already planning to beef up its actions in Iraq. “We stand behind France at this hard time”, he said.
A few countries have offered France equipment and logistical support, and a few may send reinforcements to European Union peacekeeping missions in Africa to allow French forces there to move to the Syrian front. Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain are now said to support concentrating military efforts on eradicating Isis and being less insistent for the time being on bringing down the Syrian regime. But strangely the US Department of State document listing out members of the anti-Islamic State coalition clearly states Malta as one of the countries that has made “contributions and commitments to date”.
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President Vladimir Putin, visiting the defense ministry’s command center in Moscow on November 17 evening, was told by military chiefs that the air force had carried out around 2,300 sorties in Syria in the last 48 days and that it would bolster its strike force, which consists of around 50 planes and helicopters, with a further 37 aircraft.
