France Declares War on ISIS—What Happens Next?

Authored By: Elena Sakelaris

           France has become a hot-bed for terror attacks, leaving many individuals to ask “why is France continuously targeted”?  There are several reasons: it's a Western Nation, its large population, its popular tourist sites, and it being traditionally Christian.  Some have argued that France’s secularist policy has also prompted these attacks.  France instituted a policy in which all religious symbols were to be limited in public; however the policy is not equally applied, and has mostly been applied to Muslims.  What is significant now is that France is repeatedly targeted, the reasons why really do not matter.

            France is in a state of emergency. In 2016, France has experienced eleven documented terror attacks.  The most significant was the attack on July 14^th on Bastille Day in which 86 people were killed as an attacker drove a truck through the crowd.  Immediately after this tragedy on July 26^th, a priest was murdered during Mass in Normandy.  These terrorist acts prompted different responses, which many found interesting that after the massive attack in the South of France the nation was in a state of emergency and mourning, but no concrete actions military or otherwise were undertaken.  However after the attack in Normandy President Hollande stated that ISIS had declared war on France.  Why did the attack in which one man was killed prompt the President to finally acknowledge that ISIS was waging a war?  The answer is that attacking a religious institution is considered a very serious violation of customary international humanitarian law. 

            Religion is considered cultural property, which is protected under IHL.  Attacking the priest during Mass is a gross violation of IHL.  This was an instance of targeting a specific religious entity completely uninvolved in any military conflict.  That being said, the reality is that terrorists are attacking protected persons.  Their goal is to cause destruction and fear, attacking innocent civilians at the Bastille Day celebration is horrifying, but the Normandy attack makes an even bigger statement.  People have the perspective that they are safe within their church; people want to believe there is a line that even a radical terrorist would respect.  This is an ignorant dream.  The reality we now face is one in which extremists have stated they seek the destruction of the West including Christianity; they will do whatever it takes to achieve this goal.  The assault on common decency is such that a strong response is the only one available.

            What does this ultimately mean though?  France has not mobilized troops to take out ISIS.  France is not marching into battle.  France has increased airstrikes and has bolstered support for Iraq’s military. Only time will determine if these actions are effective.  War has changed, especially with radical groups like ISIS in which we are no longer fighting a rogue nation, but now we are fighting stateless terrorists and violent ideology.  The fight against ISIS to come will not be easy.  ISIS will not be dissuaded by statements of being at war.  Nations can no longer simply state that the attack is devastating or that the “nation remains strong”; strength has to be shown in order to ensure that ISIS knows it will lose.  Extremism will ultimately fail, extremists are never truly united.  No nation can win this war alone; a united West fighting a common enemy would show that we are not afraid and will not live in constant fear of attack.