France intensifies airstrikes against ISIL, calls for 'single coalition' to oppose them



PARIS: -- The French have continued overnight airstrikes on the so-called Islamic State capital, Raqqa, in Syria.

Since the Paris attacks last Friday, claimed by ISIL, France has reinforced its air presence over Syria, and has intensified its strikes on Raqqa and surrounding areas.

In the National Assembly on Monday President François Hollande made a rare appearance to deliver a call to arms.

“We all need a coming together of all those who can really fight against this army of terrorists in the form of a large and unique coalition, that’s what we are working on. It’s in this spirit that I will meet with President Obama and President Putin in the coming days to unite our forces and reach a result which has been put off for too long,” he said.

The attack on France has pushed Paris closer to Moscow, something that some NATO allies and Ukraine have noted with dismay, but the Americans are making a very public display of support for France, with Secretary of State John Kerry visiting Paris in solidarity, and for talks.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2015-11-17

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should be carpet bombed night and day

It would be easier to defeat ISIS than Al Qaeda because their caliph state demands that they defend their captured territory. It would be a conventional battlefield albeit with advanced weapons. That's their Armageddon - and that's what they want. But it would take an enormous amount of global resource and funding to achieve the total destruction of ISIS. French fighters are just cherry picking a few sites, probably without much effect on ISIS ability to continue their destruction and commitment to invasion of Europe.

should be carpet bombed night and day

You do realise how large their captured caliph state is? They are in control of an area in Syria that is larger than the UK. Add their invasion into surrounding countries' territory and you should see how difficult a job it is to destroy their effectiveness.

Daesh need to be put down like the rabid dogs they are.