Members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorized the streets of Paris earlier this month, executing 130 innocent civilians and wounding hundreds more. Sunni Muslim terrorists and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria claim they plan to continue attacking innocent civilians in cities around the world to, what they believe, is rebuild an Islamic caliphate.
French President, Françoise Hollande, did not waste any time to both speak and retaliate with great force. Two days following the crippling attacks on one of the most loved cities in the world, the French Air Force executed airstrikes over Raqqa, Syria where they believed ISIS members were stationed. This was a move made to sustain power, leverage and send a very strong message that acts of terror will not be tolerated, nor go unpunished.
According to President Barack Obama, our nation will continue to demonstrate its loyalty to France; he said, the U.S. will “work together with our oldest ally.” President Vladimir Putin of Russia is now working with France to eradicate ISIS, stating “to forgive the terrorists is up to God, but to send them to him is up to me.” Presidents Hollande, Obama and Putin say they plan to continue to communicate to discuss ways to “unify our strength” and eliminate ISIS. While ISIS claims they plan to take the lives of countless innocent civilians across the globe, some of the most powerful world leaders have taken a stand to link arms and put an end to this intentional terror. Meanwhile, French militants continue to search for the remaining four terrorists involved in the November 13 attacks. President Hollande defines his position this way – “France is at war.”
Strong, stalwart leadership is what’s needed most when people, neighborhoods, cities, countries and many parts of the world are terrorized physically and emotionally. Resilient leadership, proper polices, relentless training and meaningful execution of strategy is the difference between a nation crippling or fighting back to become stronger as one. Despite the horrific devastation we all witnessed two weeks ago, it’s encouraging to see some of the world’s most powerful leaders affirmatively put their differences aside for a common cause. The bottom line is that this is not about politics, but public safety. After all, the first order of leadership is to provide a safe place to live, work and raise a family. Without safety, all else fails.
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