Discussion: France Raids 168 Sites, Detains Two Dozen In Connnection With Attacks

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Discussion for article #242873

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Thereā€™s huge pressure on the French to put on an immediate display. Itā€™ll be a while before we find out if theyā€™re actually doing anything useful.

France doesnā€™t valorize belligerent stupidity the way we do here, but itā€™s both clear that a long-term, structural strategy is required and deeply unclear what that might be.

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The French people, as illustrated by several examples of street panic induced by firecrackers or simply rumor, need the reassurance. The French President has shown a visibility and a street presence I wish America had seen in her President immediately after 911 but that seemingly not so scrupulously watched Belgian corridor is problematic for French security and likely one of the sources of the continued public nervousness.

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How condescendingā€¦

There is much more to the French anti-terrorism forces than you know. And probably a lot of terrorist cells that have been disbanded without fanfareā€¦

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The French reaction (because that is exactly what it was,a reaction), particularly at home, was essential, far from least for reasons of domestic politics.

Before the attacks it was thought that the largest single party in France is the racist-fascist National Front. They will make hay over this over the next weeks and months. While the skinhead-thug style is not as widespread in France as in the UK and Germany (and the Netherlands), it is there too, and we can expect acts of violence against random Muslims, almost all of them natives of France. The bigotry of the Front National has, as well, deep roots in French culture (in prior decades expressed primarily as anti-Semitism, which as an organizing device for national politic was arguably invented in France). So Hollandeā€™s Socialist government had to do something Right Now.

Focussing on domestic terrorism was the right target. Blowing stuff up in Syria probably had more propaganda value than anything else; I argue that as policy it, as well as the rest of Franceā€™s long and difficult experience with imperialism, in North and West Africa and Indochina as well as in the Levant, has had very negative impacts on the French polity. (and Haiti! Another shining orb in the crown of French imperialist history. At least we got New Orleans).

It is urgent, now, for the center and, partilcularly, Left of the France policitical community to prevent the Front National from ginning up a race war inside France.

A modern French Trotsky would send cadres into the HLMs (the public-housing projects), break the power of the Talibans (which run the projects like the drug gangs do in San Francisco and beyond), and be prepared to help the peaceful masses in the projects both from the violent bullies, whether Taliban or from the racist right. There will be blood.

This Trotsky would also denounce, in strong terms, the continued French participation in the ludicrous exercise of Western imperialism in the confused and bloody sands of the Levant.

Humpty Dumpty fell. Hum Ta al Dumpta was stepped on by an unthinking grunt. Over and over again.

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Probably. But right now fanfare is desired, both to reassure the public and to disrupt potential plans from other cells.

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  • Intel
  • A professional Fourth Estate
  • Grownups
  • Muslim social interaction away from extremism
  • Womenā€™s rights in the Muslim world
  • Diplomacy
  • Addressing religious schisms in the Muslim world
  • Patience
  • Perspective
  • Accountabililty in the West AND the Islamic World

All are necessary.

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Carpe diemā€¦

I totally agree, but my point is that the French have probably had more potential attacks thwarted and kept quiet about it rather than scaring the ā€˜SacreBleuā€™ out of Paris residentsā€¦

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Kill them all.

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The French have creative ways of interrogation. Cheney, in this aspect, probably would have been more at Home there.

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If in that short time, the government of France can pick 168 sites for raids, doesnā€™t that indicate a failure to be proactive.

Theoretically, those sites should have been raided before the attacks!

It seems to now be necessary that we (all of the civilized world) should stop keeping a watch on suspicious locations and people, and instead act preemptively to stop threats. If we make some incorrect and overly aggressive moves, too bad.

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And found 12 suspects! Your propensity for rhetorical overkill is duly noted.