The French Retaliation: Hollande’s Next Move

In the wake of the recent terror attacks in Paris, France, the French defense ministry announced the successful deployment of additional bombers to the ISIS capital of Raqqa, Syria.

French president, Francois Hollande, vowed to be “unforgiving with the barbarians”; news of additional planned air raids and military strikes in ISIS territory follow suit with the announcement.

In the past, France has been reluctant to bomb in ISIS-controlled areas such as Syria in order to avoid helping the Syrian regime, led by President Bashar al-Assad, in the country’s civil war. In fact, France was planning to help the United States attack the regime after learning about Assad’s use of chemical weapons.

Due to the recent terror attacks, the nature of French aggression in the region is sure to change. The French, in the past, have mostly bombed economic targets, such as oil and gas depots in efforts to curtail ISIS’ economic backbone. The announcement of the Raqqa bombings and the elimination of two primary ISIS targets in the area is a major strategic shift for France and presents several concerns. Military experts fear that rash military action from the French may lead to more civilian casualties in ISIS territory.