Why has France become such a persistent target for jihadist assault? There is a temptation, both inside and outside the country to suggest that France, and successive French governments, may be partly to blame. This hides a darker reality. The truck attack which slaughtered 84 people in Nice was the third mass killing in France in 17 months. There have also been a cluster of other, “smaller” incidents which were broadly jihadist in nature.
Source: How much more can France take before it spirals into hatred?
On the evening of Bastille day celebrations a driver of a trunk mowed down and killed 84 people with more in a sever state. Violence and the apparent Jihadist threat remains.
The reaction of the French government is more of the same. The state of emergency has been extended and more aeroplanes have been sent to bomb Syria some more. This was after the day before Francois Hollande had announced that the state of emergency would end by the end of July. So a reflex reaction for which there is some discussion regarding the effectiveness of this approach.
From the Guardian:
There has been an admission from the prime minister of France that terrorism is here to stay and if I understand correctly that there are no simple solutions.
The Guardian gives a potted reasoning for why France is so targeted. Some of the explanation relates to local French problems and social exclusion. A more appropriate approach to find solutions?
