Hollande calls on France to remain united faced with terrorist threat
Date
12/31/2015 6:26:58 PM
(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) PARIS Dec 31 (KUNA) -- French President Francois Hollande on Thursday urged the French people to remain united in the face of ongoing terrorist threats and not to allow divisions be sown as France prepares more responses to these threats.In his New Year's address Hollande praised the army and security forces for their response to the November terror attacks which killed 130 and left over 350 wounded in a spate of bombing and shootings in Paris.France has suffered several attacks in 2015 beginning with the terror operation against the "Charlie Hebdo" satirical magazine and a Jewish supermarket last January when 20 people perished three of them terrorists and ending in the November carnage.After the November killings Hollande immediately declared a "State of Emergency" which has given extraordinary search arrest and detention powers to security services who have arrested hundreds of suspects allegedly with links to so-called Islamic State (IS) networks in Syria or Iraq or with other terrorist bodies.But Hollande wants to go further and will seek a constitutional amendment to allow for the stripping of French nationality from dual-nationals convicted of terrorist crimes even if these people are born in France and are fully-fledged citizens here.This proposal due to be presented to parliament in February is meeting strong opposition even within Hollande's ruling Socialist Party."France has not given in (to terrorism)" Hollande said in the televised address noting the resistant reaction of the people and the government "despite the drama tears and violence." The French leader said that 2015 was "a terrible year" a reflection of the more than 160 people who have died here during terrorist attacks.He urged the nation not to become divided over the proposed actions to bolster the fight against terrorism."To divide us that is what the terrorists are trying to do" he warned noting that 2016 would see a continuation of the fight against terror. (end) jk.sd
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