The latest in an ever-growing number of nations jumping into the Syrian Civil War, six French warplanes attacked ISIS inside Syria today, destroying an ISIS training camp in the nation’s Deir Ezzor Province. This marks the first strikes by France against ISIS.
President Francois Hollande talked up the growing threat to “national security” posed by ISIS in Syria, and said that today’s attacks were likely just the first of many, saying more attacks could be expected in the coming weeks as part of his “comprehensive response” to the ISIS threat.
France has been part of the anti-ISIS coalition of the US for awhile, and had launched airstrikes against targets in neighboring Iraq. Strikes against Syrian soil have been more controversial for many nations because they are being conducted without coordination with or support from the Syrian government.
French control over Syria and Lebanon between WW1 and WW2 has given them an historical tendency to treat those nations like its other former colonial possessions in Africa, which has tended in recent years to mean military intervention whenever the French government gets the urge.
With regional elections coming up in December, "Arab-bashing" is always a good vote-getter in France, particularly among the working class. Sarkozy invaded Libya under similar circumstances. Current polls show Sarkozy's party way ahead with Le Pen and the Socialists trailing far behind (in that order).
Zionist Hollande is probably not representative of reasonable French people ( I hope not; I live here). He is completely off the planet and has a popularity rating about 20%.
I do hope the US/UK axis can wake up to reality and entice France as well to follow the plans Russia suggested from the start. The leader of Syria is NOT to be chosen by the "West" or anyone else but the few Syrians not already dead or fled.