Macron pledges to do ‘everything’ to prevent more Paris attacks

Macron pledges to do ‘everything’ to prevent more Paris attacks

The French president warned of another form of jihadism that he called 'internal, insidious, less detectable and less predictable'.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during a ceremony marking a decade since the November 2015 Paris attacks. (EPA Images pic)
PARIS:
President Emmanuel Macron pledged Thursday that France would do everything to avoid a repeat of the jihadist attacks in Paris 10 years ago that took the lives of 130 people.

“Everything will be done to prevent any new attack and to ruthlessly punish those who would dare to attempt it,” he said.

The sole surviving member of the 10-person jihadist cell that staged the attacks, 36-year-old Salah Abdeslam, is serving life in jail.

The other nine attackers blew themselves up or were killed by police in the attack claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group.

US-backed forces in 2019 defeated the last remnants of the IS proto-state straddling parts of Syria and Iraq that inspired the Paris attacks.

But Macron warned of another form of jihadism that he called “internal, insidious, less detectable, and less predictable”.

“No one can guarantee the end of attacks, but we can guarantee that for those who take up arms against France, the response will be uncompromising,” he said.

Macron said that France would continue to track jihadists at home and abroad.

“Eighty-five attacks have been foiled in 10 years, including six this year,” he added.

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