France is not free from terrorism concerns

(Baonghean) - On the evening of December 12, the Judicial Committee voted to extend the state of emergency currently in effect in France. The extension will last until July 2017. According to the Ministry of the Interior, terrorist threats in France remain high, especially as France is about to hold a presidential election.

This is the fifth time the state of emergency has been extended since the French government announced it immediately after the attack on November 13, 2015. It is known that documents related to the extension of the state of emergency continued to be discussed on the evening of December 13 before being submitted to the National Assembly for approval on the 14th and 15th.

The new French Interior Minister, Bruno Le Roux, said that the many attacks that have been carried out, whether successful or not, reflect the reality that the national territory can become a target of terrorist attacks. The French Government's concerns are well-founded when since the beginning of 2016, up to 17 attack plans have been thwarted and about 2,000 French people or those living in France want to go to the war zones of Iraq and Syria to fight in the ranks of IS. Moreover, IS has claimed responsibility for many attacks against France over the past two years, and has also called on "lone wolves" to carry out terrorist attacks in their places of residence.

The state of emergency is still maintained in France. Photo: Internet

Also on December 12, French police said they had arrested 11 suspects linked to Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, the killer who carried out the attack in Nice on the night of Bastille Day on July 14, killing 86 people and injuring more than 400 others. 10 arrests were made in various parts of Nice and one in Nantes last Friday. The 11 suspects are between 23 and 37 years old, and five of them were born in Albania.

According to sources in the investigation, the arrests were mainly related to illegal possession of weapons and it is not certain whether the suspects arrested are linked to terrorism. Some suspects may be detained for up to four days for investigation before being released. Others may face trial for conspiracy to commit a crime, violating the law on illegal possession of weapons or using drugs.

In the current situation, as the Christmas season is about to begin and especially in the context of the upcoming French presidential election in April 2017, ensuring security is always a priority for the government. Therefore, it is understandable that the French National Assembly passed an order to extend the state of emergency on the 14th and 15th.

Chu Thanh

(According to Le Monde)