Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/602004
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 15 NOVEMBER 2015 IV Paris attacks 'An act of war' French President François Hollande vows to resist 'act of war' and to pursue mercilessly Islamic State FRENCH President Francois Hollande described the coordinated attacks in Paris that killed at least 128 people as an "act of war" organised by the Islam- ic State (IS) militant group. Hollande raised the security threat level to its highest point and imposed a nationwide state of emergency after the worst atrocity in Europe since the 2004 Madrid bombings. He described the attacks as cowardly acts that had been carefully "prepared, organised and planned from outside the country by Islamic State, but with help from inside". "France will not show any pity against the barbaric acts by ISIL. All measures to pro- tect our compatriots and our territory are being taken within the framework of the state of emergency," he said. The president added: "We will be merci- less toward the barbarians of Islamic State group. Faced with war, the country must take appropriate action." But he did not say what form that action might take. He said he would address parliament on Monday in an extraordinary meeting and the country would observe three days of of- ficial mourning for the victims. These were attacks "against France, against the values that we defend everywhere in the world, against what we are: a free country that means something to the whole planet," Hollande said, calling for "unity and cour- age". In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, Hollande vowed that the nation would stand firm and united: "A determined France, a united France, a France that joins together and a France that will not allow itself to be staggered even if today, there is infinite emotion faced with this disaster, this trag- edy, which is an abomination, because it is barbarism." Hollande was among the 80,000 spectators who had gathered to watch France play Germany at the Stade de France and heard three explosions out- side the stadium. He was immediately whisked to safety after the first blast. "This is a terrible ordeal that again as- sails us," Hollande said in a nationally televised address. "We know where it comes from, who these criminals are, who these terrorists are." Under the first national state of emer- gency to be declared in France since 1961, an extra 1,500 soldiers were mobilised to reinforce police in Paris, Hollande's of- fice said. All Saturday's sports events in the French capital were cancelled, major shops, depart- ment stores, museums and tourist sites – including the Louvre, Eiffel Tower and Dis- neyland – stayed closed, and several metro stations were also shut. "A determined France, a united France, a France that joins together and a France that will not allow itself to be staggered even if today, there is infinite emotion faced with this disaster, this tragedy, which is an abomination, because it is barbarism." Joseph Muscat warns against 'lockdown' GABRIEL SCHEMBRI AND TIM DIACONO PRIME Minister Joseph Muscat said the indiscriminate terror- ist acts in Paris had not only targeted France but were tanta- mount to an attack on "Europe and the civilised world". But he said people should not change their lifestyle or go into 'lockdown mode', as this would be a victory for the terrorists. "We should not allow terrorists to deny us our freedoms," he told a press conference in Valletta. Expressing his solidar- ity with the French government, Muscat insisted that the free- dom of movement remained one of the fundamental rights in the European Union. But the suspension of Schengen rules, which was due to end today, had been extended by a week. Muscat said Malta was under no security threat and con- firmed that the Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meet- ing scheduled for the end of November would go ahead as planned. The PM announced he had ordered the security services, police, and armed forces to review security measures. He said that if any suspicion arises, he himself would advise the public of everything. Noting that this was confirmed by foreign secret services and "our allies", Muscat said that "although there's no threat against Malta we believe that we should be cautious and take all necessary precautions." He added that security measures in strategic places had been beefed up. Muscat warned against alarmist reactions, calling on eve- ryone to be alert while ensuring "not to fall into the trap of changing our lifestyle." Insisting that he would never compromise the country's security, he said criticism of zealous security measures taken during the Valletta Summit proved incorrect in the light of the Paris attacks. He added that the attack would have its repercussions on the migration crisis discussion within the EU and argued that this would somehow affect the trust in the Schengen Treaty. Asked whether the French President would still be attend- ing the EU climate discussions in Malta coinciding with the CHOGM meeting next week, Muscat said it was still prema- ture to say. Vella insists CHOGM security will be 'top notch' Security at CHOGM would be "top notch", foreign minister George Vella said, adding that the government was "conscious of potential problems" that could arise at such a high-level meeting, but assured that the government "has what it takes to prevent them". "We will be cooperating with the UK with regard to CHOGM security, which should put people's minds further at ease. We are not running any risks, and we will do anything it takes to ensure high-level security, even if it means closing down some roads." But Vella warned against pinning the blame for the attacks on Islam. "Speculation and finger-pointing will get us no- where," Vella said. "These were coordinated attacks at the heart of popular destinations in Paris, and the assailants' goal was simply to spread as much panic as possible." Vella said that ISIS was in no way representative of Islam or any particular ethnicity, and that its ideology is one of hate. And he similarly dismissed claims that the attacks bore any re- lation to Europe's migration crisis, pointing out that ISIS have recruited members from European countries. On his part. Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said that ter- rorism must be fought on both a European and global level. "No country can fight terrorism by itself, and we must all unite against it," he said in a brief speech, while expressing solidarity with the people of France. He added that there is no immediate reason for concern about the state of Malta's security, and called on the govern- ment to ensure that Malta's security is in no way compromised before, during and after the upcoming CHOGM. In his reaction, Green Party chairperson, Arnold Cassola, said: "A restaurant, a concert hall, a sports venue have been target- ed. Symbols of liberty and of the European lifestyle people in France enjoy. We strongly condemn the attack on European values and our solidarity goes with the people of France, the people of Lebanon, also victims of senseless terror attacks, and with all victims of senseless terrorism the world over."