Who is France at war with?
French leaders have put the country on a war footing following the Paris attacks claimed by ISIL.
France is a country at war. That was the view of French President Francois Hollande in the immediate aftermath of the Paris attacks on Friday.
A warning that has been reiterated by Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who says France has been at war for months – and remains at risk from new attacks.
Their comments raise important questions about what France and Europe should do next.
If France is at war, is it war with the ideas driving these kind of attacks or with the people carrying them out? Should that war focus on what’s happening in France or the Middle East?
The French reaction includes carrying out more air strikes in Syria and rounding up dozens of suspects related to Friday’s attacks.
But what comes next?
Presenter: Adrian Finighan
Guests:
Bruno Tertrais – Senior Research Fellow at the Foundation for Strategic Research and former policy adviser to the French Ministry of Defence.
Robert Wesley – President of the Terrorism Research Initiative.
Eugenio Lilli – Founder Chairperson, King’s College London, US Foreign Policy Research.