French anti-terror measures – target the ghettos

#ghettos #charliehebdo #banlieux #france The French authorities have decided to target ghettos as an anti0terror measure in a bid to check terrorist activities as reported in news.sky.com dated 3 February 2015. Already, counter-terrorism operations have been launched across the country following the Charlie Hebdo attacks.
A total of 64 suburbs in many major cities have been identified as ghettos and the admission of Prime Minister Manuel Valls that geographic, social and ethnic apartheid exists in France is a signal that there would be a change in the country's approach to immigration. It also, simultaneously, brings to light the magnitude of the problem.
The condition in the ghettos is bad – there is unemployment of 23% in the banlieux (or suburb of a large city) and, the figure soars to 45% among the young people. The average annual income is around £8,300 and, between a third and half of all families are single-parent while about half are immigrants or their children.
A majority of its population is being left behind economically, thereby they get marginalized into ethnic enclaves, do not have any leader and, hence, are vulnerable to Islamist radicalization. France has to accept the fact that it has different communities within it.
As a part of its anti-terrorism measures, the French interior ministry has designated around 15 Priority Security Zones across the country. These are perceived to be hotbeds of crime and potential hot houses of jihadism. These zones have been reinforced by extra intelligence and uniformed officers, apart from quick-reaction units. They set up road blocks and random checks to look for drugs and weapons.

Paris to send more guards to Jewish institutions to fight terrorism

#CharlieHebdo #Hollande #terrorism #gendarmes It appears to be a case of locking the stable after the horses have fled and, that is what France is planning to do after the terror attack in Paris offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. France would deploy 10,000 troops around the country in order to augment security would be dispatching nearly 5,000 police to protect Jewish sites.
It is, simultaneously, stepping the search for an individual who is believed to be an accomplice to the attackers who killed 17 people last week.
The defense minister of France, Jean-Yves Le Drian, has indicated that the deployment was of troops who would guard potentially vulnerable locations. He made these comments after a national security crisis meeting.
The deployment would be of 700 police officers at the 717 Jewish schools across the country apart from nearly 4,100 gendarmes. It may be recalled that four captives had been killed in the hostage-taking at a Jewish supermarket in Paris.
The French president, François Hollande who chaired the national security crisis meeting, including prime minister, Manuel Valls apart from the heads of police and the security services. It transpires that all efforts would be made to protect Jewish institutions. Parents of a Jewish school to the south of Paris have been assured of soldiers that would be posted as reinforcements.