The Big Question: Why was Paris Attacked?

Liputan6.com, Jakarta Paris is now plagued with incurable fear following a series of dumbfounding terror conducted so brilliantly through coordinated attacks in several locations. Death toll skyrocketing as day progresses with people from all over the world mourn over the deaths of those who didn’t see it coming and end up sparring their lives for a battle that is not theirs in the very first place.

Surely after extensive form of probe, there will be questions as to who planned the whole calamitous scheme, who was in charge to orchestrate it, who were assigned to execute it and the underlying motives that led to all of these warmongers decision to transform the horror of Friday the 13^th into reality.

It is also an assurance that contesting opinions will continue to govern debates within each involving country’s political spectrum and that the latter normally ends with each staying true to their own outlook thereby causing the incongruous, often unresolved ‘agree to disagree’ conclusion.

A senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, Brian Katulis spoke to VOA News verbally examining the attacks and shared ‘all look like they were coordinated to have maximum impact and to send a message’.

"It demonstrates that there are a lot of vulnerabilities in open societies that can be exploited by whatever terrorist groups are carrying out these actions," Katulis further explained.

HOTLY-DEBATED POTENTIAL CAUSES:

EXPANSION OF ISIS INFLUENCE IN EUROPE?

It is not uncommon to hear disaster such as the one recently hurting Paris directly associated with terrorist network. How can it not be when scores of eyewitness reported that gunmen shouted a statement which supports such notion. Not to mention, the suicide bombing method seems to serve as supporting gesture assuring linkage to any extremist movement.

The NYtimes wrote on November 14 2015 that the Islamic State claimed responsibility over catastrophe in Paris through one of the terror group’s encrypted messaging accounts that was identified by the investigating officers. The remarks, which were released in multiple languages including Arabic, English and France carry with it some pejorative statements with the one that hitherto having the most appeal focused on mocking France as ‘capital of prostitution and obscenity’.

Celebratory gesture of the group expressed online together with additional information regarding one of the attackers being a Syrian- national as shown in passport collected only added to the aggravation felt by France President Francois Hollande with him immediately confirming the growing claim of Islamic State as the one held accountable for such calamity.

“Let France and those who walk in its path know that they will remain on the top of the list of targets of the Islamic State,” the statement added, referring to the attacks at the Bataclan concert hall and elsewhere in Paris,” the group wrote online in unwavering confidence.

‘PAYBACK’ OVER CASE OF LEBANON?

One day after the attacks in Paris, a meeting was held between French lawmakers and Syrian President Bashar al- Assad in Damascus. According to Times of Israel, President Al- Assad views the recent assaults as the products of ‘France’s mistaken policies…which contributed to the spread of terrorism’.

“The terrorist attacks that targeted the French capital Paris cannot be separated from what happened in the Lebanese capital Beirut lately and from what has been happening in Syria for the past five years and in other areas,” he posited.

President Al- Assad’s statement unquestionably widens the presence of other options that are likely to contribute to the disaster of November 13 2015.

ACCEPTING SWARM OF ‘WRONG’ ASYLUM SEEKERS?

In early September this year, France voluntarily joined Germany’s venture in pledging to allow influx of thousands of refugees fleeing war to enter the country following reports of deteriorating and evidently spiraling out of control humanitarian crisis. France’s decision to participate was becoming more apparent following the convincing declaration made by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in August which suggests that ‘Europe had failed those who were trying to escape the violence’, as cited in abcnews.

While it is inherently humane to salvage thousands of subjugated refugees who went on a desperate journey through the Balkans and across the Mediterranean to the countries within the jurisdiction of the European Union in trying to leave behind conflict areas such as Syria, Iraq and others, it cannot be denied that such compassionate gesture will inevitably carry with it some repercussions that likely to hinder the nation’s political, economic and security agenda.

It does not lessen the possibility of extremists coming into the region with very few barriers interfering their way in due to the recent ‘compassionate’ policy. The European Union has been advised to revise its policy regarding such matter to anticipate any unwanted individual with harmful pursuance within the European region. (Akp/Rie)