France Votes to Extend Airstrikes in Syria
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – French lawmakers voted to continue airstrikes in Syria against Daesh (ISIL), the group that claimed responsibility for the Nov. 13 attacks that killed 130 people in the Paris area.
The French Parliament’s upper house, the Senate, voted 325 to 0 with 21 abstentions to prolong France’s airstrikes in Syria beyond early January. The lower house earlier voted 515 to 4 in favor.
French fighter jets joined the American-led coalition, purportedly to strike the targets of the extremists of the Daesh in 2014 and expanded their mission to the group's targets in Syria in September. President François Hollande cited specific threats against French interests stemming from Daesh in Syria.
The vote came as Mr. Hollande and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany discussed how to combat the group, which has spread its violence to Europe and North Africa.
Ms. Merkel indicated her country would do more in the international fight against Daesh.
“We know that this attack wasn’t just intended for the people of Paris, but for our whole way of life,” she said, AP reported.
Mr. Hollande said it would “be a very good signal in the fight against terrorism” if Germany could do more against Daesh. Germany currently provides weapons and training for Kurds fighting the group in Iraq.
“If the French president asks me to think about what more we can do, then it’s our task to think about that, and we will act quickly,” Ms. Merkel said, adding that Daesh “can’t be convinced with words; it must be fought with military means.”