French Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Thursday warned of the dangers still faced by the country as he opened a parliamentary debate that later saw lawmakers extend an extraordinary package of security measures for three months.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls warned on Thursday that France was at a risk of chemical or biological weapons attack, as lawmakers voted to extend a state of emergency imposed after the Paris carnage. Valls warned of the dangers still faced by France as he opened a parliamentary debate that later saw lawmakers extend an extraordinary package of security measures for three months. “We must not rule anything out,” Valls said. “There is also the risk from chemical or biological weapons.”
He called on France’s European Union partners to urgently adopt measures to share airline passenger information. “More than ever, it’s time for Europe to adopt the text… to guarantee the traceability of movements, including within the union. It’s a condition of our collective security,” he said.
The state of emergency will be in place for three months from November 26 after lawmakers approved the extension. At least 129 people were killed in the shootings and suicide bombings that targeted a concert hall, bars and restaurants and the Stade de France national stadium, Europe’s second deadliest terror attack in history.
As the Paris probe widened to countries across Europe, Belgian police staged six raids in the Brussels area linked to a suicide bomber who blew himself outside the French stadium, prosecutors said. Italy was also looking for five suspects after an FBI tip-off about possible jihadist attacks on landmark sites including St Peter’s cathedral in the Vatican, the foreign minister said. Under one of the measures being adopted in France, police officers will be allowed to carry weapons when they are off duty. ( India should learn from France and take similar measures to curb the terrorism !- Editor, HJS )
Officers will be allowed to use their guns in the event of an attack providing they wear a police armband to avoid any confusion, according to a directive seen by reporters. Eight suspects were arrested in the massive Saint-Denis raid. Key suspect Salah Abdeslam is thought to be one of the only surviving members of the gang. His suicide-bomber brother Brahim Abdeslam blew himself up in a cafe but did not kill anyone else.
As international efforts to fight the Islamic State group stepped up, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Russia was sincere in wanting to cooperate against IS in Syria. “There is an opening, so to speak, with the Russians. We think they are sincere and we must bring together all our forces,” he told France Inter radio. But world powers remain deeply divided over the future of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has strong backing from Moscow. US President Barack Obama said Thursday that Syria’s brutal civil war could not end while Assad remained in power.
Comments