OT French people on the forum

Are you safe??? I'm watching the news and I'm shocked

Oh my:
France has declared a national state of emergency and has closed its borders after at least 40 people were killed in multiple gun and bomb attacks in Paris.

www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34814203

It's horrible. My sister lives in France and just got back from a get away in Paris. Thank God she left before this happened. Prayers to all the victims and the families.

An incredibly sad news indeed.

I hope the masterminds and tribal sheep of terrorism receive trial at The Hague. Let's also learn from history, the disastrous Iraq war, the invasion of Libya and support for 'Rebels' in Syria by the governments of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the US, France and Israel bombing Syrian govt infrastrastructure all leading to the rise of ISIL. Once again the innocents of the world pay for the crimes and bad decisions of regional Middle Eastern autocrats and their official enablers. This is a vicious cycle.

Yes, another horrific event for the sake of enjoyment and pride of the result. Nothing is learned from the past regarding war...this is only another beginning. With connection to info at an instant, it's an organisation that will go forth without a stop button. It's driven by hatred and an idealism that fits the misguided needy.
My thoughts, anyway.
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It is a sickening escalation of violence against innocent people; that will not end until world governments unite to destroy ISIS. Last night as I watched the horrors unfold on T.V with my husband, I felt sickened that somebody's hubby, wife, or daughter, would not be returning home, to eat their evening meal or watch TV with their partner.

Ugh I am horrified by the tragedies. We need to disarm Isis and destroy all the remnants of terror.
Condolences to the family and friends of the those who were brutally murdered

DutchessCountyJim,

Both the 'Rebels' in Syria and Libya had support from a number of countries, including the US. Perhaps they can be convinced once govts stop supporting unsavoury elements in the name of overthrowing dictators. This "Assad must go" campaign by a number of countries, chiefly Saudi Arabia and Israel, has also created millions of refugees and strengthened ISIL. Many of us were warning from day 1 when we were being inundated with propaganda about "moderate rebels".

isleman is absolutely right. During the times of the "bad dictator" Asad, there were no religious conflicts despite so many religious minorities living there and Damascus was full of cafes and night life. Another bad dictator, Qadafi, kept the fundamentalists with the strong hand and was eager to negotiate with the USA to retain power. Yet, Syria, Iran and Libya have always been within the Russian sphere of influence so the short sighted politics of the USA and other western countries focused on overthrowing the dictators hoping perhaps that they would replace them with their own people. What they created in effect was ISIS. They haven't learned anything from Afghanistan where the US support for mujahedins fighting against the Soviet Union created Osama bin Laden (who remebers that he was once the best ally of the USA)

I think the solution to religious-extremism is atheism lol.

Outside interventions with foreign troops and bombardments seem to never solve anything in the mideast (in fact it does just the opposite, feed propaganda and ill will). And the vacuum left afterwards is filled with extremists to take the place of strong-armed-dictators removed. Seems like a solution has to be from within, a regional solution from reasonable voices who want peace and prosperity for their citizens.