French Premier Declares ‘War’ on Radical Islam as Paris Girds for Rally [View all]

[Rhinodawg]

Source: NYT--2 hours ago

Prime Minister Manuel Valls declared Saturday that France was at war with radical Islam after the harrowing sieges that had led to the deaths of three gunmen and four hostages the day before, and as the authorities mounted a frantic hunt for a suspected accomplice.

“It is a war against terrorism, against jihadism, against radical Islam, against everything that is aimed at breaking fraternity, freedom, solidarity,” Mr. Valls said during a speech in Évry, south of Paris.

France remained on high alert a day after security forces killed Amedy Coulibaly, who the police said was responsible for the deaths of four hostages at a kosher supermarket near the Porte de Vincennes in eastern Paris on Friday, and Saïd and Chérif Kouachi, the brothers who had fatally shot 12 people on Wednesday in and around the offices of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical newspaper.

The government said it would put 500 additional troops on the streets over the weekend amid preparations for a giant unity rally in Paris on Sunday. A number of European officials said they would attend, including Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu of Turkey, the most prominent Muslim leader scheduled to be there. On Saturday, thousands of people marched in Paris, Toulouse and Nice in a show of solidarity, and rallies were held in places as far away as Madagascar and Bangui, Central African Republic.


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/world/europe/paris-terrorist-attacks.html