The 2015 Paris Terrorist Attacks - Essay Example

THE 2015 PARIS TERRORIST ATTACKS Name: Institution Affiliation: Table of Contents Introduction 2 Current status 3 Recommended plan of action 4 Post-terrorism recovery plan 5 Conclusion 6 References 7 THE 2015 PARIS TERRORIST ATTACKS Introduction The terrorist attack in Paris occurred on 13th November 2015. The incident played a vital role in exposing France’s susceptibility to armed political violence by various terrorist groups. As well, it served as an eye-opener at different European countries on the possibility of attacks by such Jihadists and other terrorist militants. The attacks were facilitated by suicide bombers and armed terrorists, and this incident was conducted in series. The simultaneous series of attacks led to the death of more than one hundred people, and more than four hundred were left injured. Despite the fact that the attack was tragic, it was considered that it was not a surprise to France. The series of attacks took place in a period of 18 months. In this period, France suffered approximately five major terrorist attacks (Estrada & Koutronas, 2016). The scale and magnitude of these acts were considered as ambitious. One of the primary success factors for these attacks is that they were executed simultaneously. In essence, the terrorists attacked six different places at the same aim with the objective of increasing the number of casualties. The challenge with the simultaneous attacks is that it makes it difficult for the security personnel to respond immediately and effectively. In addition to the above, the attacks were well coordinated, and it involved the use of sophisticated devices (Hirsch at al., 2015). Current status According to the French Government, this was considered as the worst attack on the French soil since the World War II. In addition to the above, this was the largest terrorist attack by the ISIS ever to be conducted in the West. The ISIS claimed responsibility for the series of events and used this incident to threaten other European nations of similar attacks. The current situation in France is peaceful due to the numerous efforts that were initiated by the Government in consultation with the security agencies (Jenkins, 2015). One of the most crucial factors that led to the successful neutralization of the terrorists in the region is understanding their moves. The French government understood that the attacks were well coordinated, planned, and directed by ISIS operatives in Syria. The strategic team also had a strong backup in Belgium leading to the successful execution. The ISIS operatives saw this execution of attacks in Paris as a vital boost to their image (Estrada & Koutronas, 2016). The current implication of these attacks in Paris is that it led to the continuation of the war between France and Syria. As such, right now the situation is at a military stalemate. This means that the conflicts between the two nation were heightened by these terrorist attacks. The other implication is that various nations have taken conflicting interests on these incidents. For instance, some foreign powers support the revenge by the French Government to the Syrian nation. On the contrary, others consider that innocent soul are being lost through the execution of the revenge attacks. As a result, these conflict of interest led to the increased terrorist threats, the number of refugees, and the return of foreign fighters (Hirsch at al., 2015). Currently, it is imperative to note that there are significant goals and objectives that have been achieved by the French government since the incident occurred. Firstly, they have initiated various strategies to prevent terrorist attacks in France. Secondly, they have initiated various security policies and regulations with the objective of minimizing France’s susceptibility to terror attacks. Finally, the security agencies have adopted effective mechanisms of minimizing damages in a case such terror attacks reoccur. All these initiatives and strategies have been elemental in ensuring that France is once more peaceful (Philippe at al., 2016). Recommended plan of action The French Government has bolstered various strategies with the aim of countering terrorist attacks. One of the major strategies is to impose travel bans on suspected individuals who may be seeking training elsewhere. Most of the citizens who are radicalized seeking training in the terrorist headquarters and return to carry out attacks once they are skilled. As such, imposing travel bans on these individual plays a vital role in reducing terrorism. The other action is to arrest and charge people deeming of making a public address in support of terrorism. These are mainly the politicians whose message is spread widely through the media and related platforms. Arresting and charging them of supporting terrorism play a vital role in warning those who think terrorism is encouraged (Jenkins, 2015). In addition to the above, pulling down websites that supports terrorism is one of the strategies that is essential in the fight of terrorist attacks. The majority of the youth who join such groups as ISIS and Al Qaeda are radicalized through online and social media platforms. Blocking these sites, therefore, impair the terrorist’s goals of radicalizing and spreading threats and propaganda. The other vital action plan is to enact new surveillance laws that allow monitoring of communication of people suspected or linked to terror activities. However, to achieve this the internet service providers must be willing to cooperate and comply with a provision of such data (Philippe at al., 2016). Finally, it is imperative to note that majority of the prisoners in France are Muslims. Research reveals that most of these Muslims are radicalized in prison. As such, the recommended action plan in such a case is to counter radicalization programs in the prisons. To successfully achieve this, there is a crucial need to increase the number of security personnel. These are the people who will improve surveillance and monitoring of all the inmates and all actions taking place within the prisons (Yeo, 2015). Post-terrorism recovery plan One of the post-terrorism recovery plans is to declare a state of emergency whereby the security agencies are granted more authority to seize and search terror suspects. In the case of terrorist attacks as those of France, there are high chances that the perpetrators are within the nation. Conducting enhanced seizing and searching plays a vital role in ensuring that the suspects are arrested and questioned. Those found guilty are charged and subjected to the stipulations of the security laws. In addition to the above, the state of emergency enables the government and the security agencies to control the circulation of people. As well, this is one way of creating zones for protection and improved security (Yeo, 2015). Secondly, it is profound that emergency controls are ensured in the borders of the countries with open borders. These are the main hot points that are used by the terrorists to enter the country. One way of enhancing security in such places is increasing the number of security personnel and the devices used. The other post-terrorism recovery plan is to expel dual nations and foreigners who are thought like a terrorist threat. This action is elemental in ensuring that the potential threats are eliminated (Philippe at al., 2016). The final post-terrorism recovery plan is to seek support from super nations such as the United States of America. For instance, France got the support of the US President Obama who condemned the terrorist attacks and assured to work with France in bringing the terrorists to justice. Such effective counterterrorism cooperation ensures that efforts and resources are combined with the objective of achieving success in neutralizing terror attacks (Hirsch at al., 2015). Conclusion In conclusion, comprehending the motive of such attacks is essential in mitigating and managing its future occurrence. One way of ensuring that the nation is prevented from the terrorist attacks is through careful analysis of the operational abilities of the terrorist activities such as ISIS and Al Qaeda. The key issue to be analyzed is their method of action, recruitment, employment, infrastructure, and the attacks they are capable of executing. It is imperative to note that the terrorist organizations currently mainly use social media to recruit and radicalize the youths. Therefore, actions such as blocking of these sites as done by the French government is one way of ensuring that recruitment is reduced. Another vital move in the fight of terrorism is to increase the number of security personnel. Such personnel should be subjected to high-class training and equipped with the latest and advanced security weapons and devices. This will go an extra mile in the fight against terrorism and related activities. Finally, it is imperative that all European countries develop and implement new methods of enhancing multicultural integration. This is the recommended way of guaranteeing that migrants be ready to accept the liberal democratic values to be approved citizenship declaratively. References Estrada, M. A. R., & Koutronas, E. (2016). Terrorist attack assessment: Paris November 2015 and Brussels March 2016. Journal of Policy Modeling, 38(3), 553-571. Hirsch, M., Carli, P., Nizard, R., Riou, B., Baroudjian, B., Baubet, T., & Fontaine, J. P. (2015). The medical response to multisite terrorist attacks in Paris. The Lancet, 386(10012), 2535-2538. Jenkins, B. M. (2015). The Implications of the Paris Terrorist Attack for American Strategy in Syria and Homeland Security. RAND Corporation. Philippe, J. M., Brahic, O., Carli, P., Tourtier, J. P., Riou, B., & Vallet, B. (2016). French Ministry of Health’s response to Paris attacks of 13 November 2015. Critical Care, 20(1), 1. Yeo, W. (2015). The 2015 Paris Terrorist Attacks: An Assessment. Read More