SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
French President Francois Hollande announced the air strikes on Friday. (Photo: Matthieu Riegler / Creative Commons)
France Joins US War By Bombing Iraq
President announces multiple airstrikes, says more to come
Sep 19, 2014
France launched its first airstrikes on the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Friday, making it the latest country to join in direct military attacks in the ever-expanding U.S.-led war on Iraq.
"This morning, at 9:40 am, our Rafale aircraft carried out a first attack against a logistics center of the terrorist organization Daesh [ISIS] in the north-east of Iraq," French President Francois Hollande announced Friday, according to the Guardian. "The target was hit and entirely destroyed. Other operations will be carried out in the days to come."
The U.S. has been aggressively assembling a coalition of nearly 30 Western and Middle Eastern countries to back its war on Iraq and potential attacks on Syria. As of last week, the U.S. had launched 158 airstrikes across Iraq, according to U.S. Central Command, with the details of these attacks, including civilian and combatant casualties, still unknown to the public. At least 1,600 U.S. troops are currently deployed in Iraq, and President Barack Obama has authorized the military to launch attacks on neighboring Syria.
On Thursday, Obama heaped praise on France for joining the U.S. coalition. "As one of our oldest and closest allies, France is a strong partner in our efforts against terrorism and we are pleased that French and American service members will once again work together on behalf of our shared security and our shared values," he stated.
France opposed the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and occupation in Iraq, and according to the New York Times, "analysts say the French public remains wary of sustained Western intervention in the region." Meanwhile, Hollande faces dismal approval ratings of 13 percent in a country struggling with high unemployment and poverty.
France's bombings come despite warnings from Middle East experts that military attacks on ISIS will only make the armed group grow stronger while further embroiling the region in militarization and bloodshed.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare was a staff writer for Common Dreams from 2013-2016. She is currently web editor and reporter for In These Times.
France launched its first airstrikes on the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Friday, making it the latest country to join in direct military attacks in the ever-expanding U.S.-led war on Iraq.
"This morning, at 9:40 am, our Rafale aircraft carried out a first attack against a logistics center of the terrorist organization Daesh [ISIS] in the north-east of Iraq," French President Francois Hollande announced Friday, according to the Guardian. "The target was hit and entirely destroyed. Other operations will be carried out in the days to come."
The U.S. has been aggressively assembling a coalition of nearly 30 Western and Middle Eastern countries to back its war on Iraq and potential attacks on Syria. As of last week, the U.S. had launched 158 airstrikes across Iraq, according to U.S. Central Command, with the details of these attacks, including civilian and combatant casualties, still unknown to the public. At least 1,600 U.S. troops are currently deployed in Iraq, and President Barack Obama has authorized the military to launch attacks on neighboring Syria.
On Thursday, Obama heaped praise on France for joining the U.S. coalition. "As one of our oldest and closest allies, France is a strong partner in our efforts against terrorism and we are pleased that French and American service members will once again work together on behalf of our shared security and our shared values," he stated.
France opposed the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and occupation in Iraq, and according to the New York Times, "analysts say the French public remains wary of sustained Western intervention in the region." Meanwhile, Hollande faces dismal approval ratings of 13 percent in a country struggling with high unemployment and poverty.
France's bombings come despite warnings from Middle East experts that military attacks on ISIS will only make the armed group grow stronger while further embroiling the region in militarization and bloodshed.
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare was a staff writer for Common Dreams from 2013-2016. She is currently web editor and reporter for In These Times.
France launched its first airstrikes on the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Friday, making it the latest country to join in direct military attacks in the ever-expanding U.S.-led war on Iraq.
"This morning, at 9:40 am, our Rafale aircraft carried out a first attack against a logistics center of the terrorist organization Daesh [ISIS] in the north-east of Iraq," French President Francois Hollande announced Friday, according to the Guardian. "The target was hit and entirely destroyed. Other operations will be carried out in the days to come."
The U.S. has been aggressively assembling a coalition of nearly 30 Western and Middle Eastern countries to back its war on Iraq and potential attacks on Syria. As of last week, the U.S. had launched 158 airstrikes across Iraq, according to U.S. Central Command, with the details of these attacks, including civilian and combatant casualties, still unknown to the public. At least 1,600 U.S. troops are currently deployed in Iraq, and President Barack Obama has authorized the military to launch attacks on neighboring Syria.
On Thursday, Obama heaped praise on France for joining the U.S. coalition. "As one of our oldest and closest allies, France is a strong partner in our efforts against terrorism and we are pleased that French and American service members will once again work together on behalf of our shared security and our shared values," he stated.
France opposed the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and occupation in Iraq, and according to the New York Times, "analysts say the French public remains wary of sustained Western intervention in the region." Meanwhile, Hollande faces dismal approval ratings of 13 percent in a country struggling with high unemployment and poverty.
France's bombings come despite warnings from Middle East experts that military attacks on ISIS will only make the armed group grow stronger while further embroiling the region in militarization and bloodshed.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.