France means business and that business means war. After the tragic events that took place in the last few days, French fighter planes were launched last night, carrying out their biggest bombing raid in Syria. They dropped 20 bombs on the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa, north of the country.

Aiming for a jihadi recruitment centre, training camps and arms depot, the French foreign minister claimed that massive attack had legitimacy in taking action against IS.

The decision to conduct airstrikes was a political one and that France had to be present and active following the atrocity.

12 of France’s bombers based in UAE and Jordan were deployed after IS fighters said they carried out the attack in France as they called Paris “the capital of prostitution and obscenity”.

The scale of these French airstrikes should not be seen as a wanton act of revenge, but really the French basically saying to their allies, ‘we want to do all of the airstrikes’ over the next period of time – however long that may be.

These are extremely precise airstrikes that are carried out after exhaustive legal processes required under French and international law.

France will be in mourning for three days and President Francois Hollande will make a rare address at the Palace of Versailles.

[source: mirror]