PARIS – Francois Hollande on the night of November 13, 2015 he delivered a speech to the nation: “It is a horror,” said the then French president. “It was not a statement to vent my emotion – he explains today – it was the way to justify a response from the state that had to be up to the attack. I was struck, like every human being, by the monstrosity of what was happening, but also by the responsibility I had as president ».
“I remain a fighter”. Tension in Paris in the Bataclan trial
by our correspondent Anais Ginori
What will he say at the trial in which he is called to testify?
“This is a painful process, unprecedented for its size, and exceptional because it will reveal a history, that of the Islamic State and the attacks it has committed, not only in France”.
He will have to explain himself about any responsibilities.
“It’s not a trial of the state or the security services. There have already been commissions of inquiry. This is the trial of defendants who have committed acts of extreme cruelty. As far as I am concerned, I will have to explain why I have decided on behalf of France to engage forces in Mali and the Sahel, then in Iraq and Syria, to fight against international terrorism. I will show that there have been attacks in countries that have not organized any military intervention, such as Germany. Terrorism strikes everywhere ».
Are you afraid that the process could rekindle internal tensions?
“I don’t think the French are afraid of this process. Many want to understand the concatenation of events, the responsibilities and the path that leads individuals to kill their compatriots ».
Were the secret services up to the task?
“We knew that the threat was at a very high level, that the Islamic State had cells to organize attacks in Europe, we knew a number of individuals but we didn’t have the day or the places. We have foiled other attacks. This was of another magnitude, not only for the number of victims, but also for the number of people who were associated with this operation in Belgium, Syria and France ”.
Is the engagement in the Sahel still justified?
“To think that an external operation could be a simple love at first sight is to understand nothing of the phenomenon of Islamist terrorism, which is rooted in the population.”
Do you continue to believe in “nation building”?
“The situations in Afghanistan and in the Sahel are not the same. In the Sahel, we can say that states are weak but they exist. In Afghanistan the state was almost artificial ».
But like the Americans in Afghanistan, the French are confronted in the Sahel with not powerful enough armies and corrupt governments.
“These difficulties exist. But it is not only France that can ensure this type of development or oversight of the armies. Europe must help much more. France cannot be alone in the Sahel ».
Can Afghanistan once again become the sanctuary of terrorism it was at the time of 9/11?
“No, I think the Taliban have learned their lesson. What they want is to enforce Sharia law on their territory. Today they have no interest in trying to provoke a reaction from the West ”.
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