The opinions expressed in this commentary are exclusively those of the author.
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Iraqi intelligence said the group’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ordered an attack on coalition countries fighting against them in Iraq and Syria, as well as on Iran and Russian Federation, “through bombings or assassinations or hostage taking in the coming days”.
The depths of their depravity justified celebrating their demise. And we are now left stunned by yet another low for humankind. In the case of the Paris attacks it is clearly ISIS’ own demoralized supporters and the French public who could easily be whipped up into enthusiasm for a military attack on ISIS-which is precisely what ISIS wants. There was no immediate, clear-cut link between these terrorists and a single organization, but that was hardly necessary. We knew who was to blame.
There were scattered reports Friday from witnesses who quoted terrorists yelling in ideal French, “It’s the fault of your president!”
Struggling to keep his country calm and united after an exceptionally violent year, Hollande met Sunday with opposition leaders – conservative rival and former President Nicolas Sarkozy as well as increasingly popular far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who has used the attacks on Paris to advance her anti-immigrant agenda.
The United States has been successful in containing the momentum of ISIS, but more needs to be done to “completely decapitate” their operations, President Obama said in an exclusive interview with ABC News’ Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos. The enemy is certainly not Muslims or Islam.
Last week, President Barack Obama said the Islamic State is “contained” – a comment that has been scrutinized in the wake of the deadly attacks in Paris that have been attributed to the terrorist group.
Among the first physicians to respond to the wounded Friday was Patrick Pelloux, an emergency room doctor and former Charlie Hebdo writer who was among the first to enter the offices January 7 to find his friends and colleagues dead. That gives it incentive to dedicate more time and resources to operations overseas.
IS has seized large chunks of territory in Iraq and Syria. It has also taken refuge in a few mosques in cities including Paris, and London. Simple good luck has played a role.
And part of the problem comes from within. Justifying it only ensures that more attacks will come. How many times have these appeals been heard since September 11, 2011?
While the gunmen and bombers picked a number of “softer” targets in the French capital – a concert hall and restaurants – other analysts said they believe the attack on the Stade de France was the real statement of intent.
“The State does not say what it is going to do tomorrow”. France is a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation nation and has been attacked by a foreign power.
Stephanopolous shot back, “But ISIS is gaining strength, aren’t they?” Other statements have threatened to topple Rome – apparently related to the location of the Vatican.
“We work based on an ideology”.
Traditionally it’s been an either-or choice for extremist groups because it’s so hard to do both.
IS fighters said the Paris attacks had raised morale within Islamic State after a week in which it lost a strategic town in Syria close to the Iraqi border as well as the Iraqi town of Sinjar in one of the biggest counter attacks since IS swept through northern Iraq a year ago.
Already, USA and European anti-immigration politicians have begun citing the attacks as a reason to block the flow of refugees from Syria. In fact, in the same interview, Obama acknowledged that ISIS might have surpassed al-Qaida as the greatest terror threat in the world, adding that they are constantly looking for “a crack in the system” to exploit to carry out attacks.
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The message that must be sent to anyone who doubts it is that killing civilians for political motives is always wrong, whether the victims are Jewish, Muslim, Christian, or anything else. “We must increase our efforts at home and overseas to improve our defenses, destroy terrorist networks and deprive them of the space from which to operate”.
