Why the Jihadis had a free run in France

Paris, Nov 23: The Paris attacks suggest that France has become extremely vulnerable to terrorist attacks. There was a protective shield and while other European nations were being attacked, France remained untouched for quite some time.

However, incidents in 2012 changed everything.

In 2012 jihadis killed 3 French paratroopers and 4 jews in Montauban and Toulouse. Then came the January 2015 attack of Charlie Hebdo and now the latest attack on Paris which is the biggest the country has witnessed till date.

What changed in France so drastically that it has become so vulnerable to terror attacks?

France was one of the most protected countries but the problem became acute in the 80s when France became a magnet for outside contrarian activities dragged onto its soil by settlers from foreign countries says former officer in the Research and Analysis Wing, V Balachandran.

The racial relations in France have been poor and nearly 70 per cent of the immigrants from North Africa and Turkey were children of manual workers.

The Pasqua immigration laws of 1993 created problems for them such as police checks, Balachandran tells OneIndia.

In the year 2005 there was violence when two French immigrant youths died after being electrocuted when they were running away from police checks, thus leading to emergency being declared.

OneIndia News