Attacks in Paris aim to stir fear and anger

Horror struck Paris in an unprecedented manner on Friday night, leaving at least 127 killed and 180 more injured – many critically – throughout the city as men with machineguns, some strapped with bombs, gunned down innocent people in simultaneous attacks on a rock concert and a football match, plus more enjoying a night out at restaurants and cafes. 

Pockets of Paris look very much like a war zone with bodies, torn by bullets and bomb shrapnel, scattered at the scene of the attacks. A total of six locations were struck.

From the look of it, the fallout from these attacks will be momentous for the country that was hit by the Charlie Hebdo tragedy in January this year, which left 12 people dead and 11 wounded.  

But this time, the attacks were much more dramatic. Witnesses talked about bloodbaths where gunmen shot concert goers at will and murdered young music fans execution-style.

According to one media report, a gunmen in the Bataclan theatre, where the most bloody attack occurred, had boasted that, “This is for Syria” before he opened fire. More than 80 victims were reported to have been killed at this location alone.

President Francois Hollande spoke of terrorism and announced a state of emergency as world leaders offered heartfelt condolences for the victims and the republic. 

Hollande said the terror attacks were “unprecedented”. In a tweet, he said, “Faced with terror, this is a nation that knows how to defend itself, how to mobilise its forces and once again, knows how to overcome the terrorists.”

Moral support and solidarity from around the world continues to pour in. Buildings in various cities, such as the Empire State Building in New York, Wembley Stadium in London, the Sydney Opera House and Rio de Janeiro’s “Cristo Redentor” statue, were lit up with France’s national colours of red, white and blue in displays of solidarity with the country and the victims.

The attacks were well planned, not just in terms of timing but also in their selection of targets. The Bataclan concert hall was said to be packed every Friday evening. Another attack was carried out near the Stade de France football stadium, where a friendly match between France and Germany was taking place – with President Hollande in the crowd.

Obviously, the terrorists were out to create that kind of psychological impact. The only way to defeat them is not to let the fear and anger get the better of citizens in France and elsewhere. 

In a way, France and the world must have known that the attack on Charlie Hebdo was a sign of things to come. But it appears that power brokers did not suspect something of this magnitude, in the heart of Paris, might occur at this time. 

The challenge now is for French leaders to continue to send the right signal, as they did after the Charlie Hebdo attack, to prevent the social breakdown that these terrorists behind this latest onslaught must be trying to provoke. 

For some, the attacks will be seen as a defining moment – a stark reminder that the Western world still lives in the post-September 11 era and that carnage was a price the country pays for taking part in countering jihadi terrorism. 

France has been involved in the fight against jihadi extremists in the African state of Mali since 2013. Last year, it joined the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

Online radicalisation has been growing in France and hundreds of IS recruits have been drawn from the country as well. 

According to the Thai Foreign Ministry, about 40,000 Thais are living in France with 1,000 staying in Paris. Most are students. Flights between Thailand and France continue regularly and there is no travel warning from the Bangkok government against visiting the country.