A memorial for the victims of the Charlie Hebdo attack, January 10, 2015.
Stephane Mahe / Courtesy Reuters
“If you can kill an American or European infidel, especially the spiteful and cursed French,” said Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, spokesman for the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), last September, “kill them in any way possible.” In stating a clear preference for terrorist attacks in France, Adnani became part of a proud terrorist tradition.
Last week’s atrocities in Paris, which left 17 dead, were not the first rounds of terror brought to France by Islamists. In fact, such attacks in France have killed over a dozen and wounded hundreds since 1995. And this is not just a French story.
Source URL: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/france/2015-01-12/battle-algiers