- publish: 10 September 2015
- time: 1:03 am
- category: International
- No: 1130
France has no choice but to help Assad in fight with ISIL
France’s decision to bomb ISIL targets in Syria is a sign that the French government has decided to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his struggle against the Islamic militants.
Francois Hollande announced Monday that France would start reconnaissance flights over Syria before initiating airstrikes against ISIL militants. Two French Rafale jets already flew over the Syrian territory on Tuesday.
“I think Francois Hollande has no choice other than to change his policy and support Bashar Assad…To think that airstrikes in Syria can be conducted under full US control, without the participation of Russia, is an illusion,” the French expert, Thomas Flichy de la Neuville said.
If France and other Western nations fail to support the government of al-Assad, then ISIL might soon take all of entire Syria. Hollande’s move is aimed at stopping ISIL from expanding further into Syria and possibly taking over Lebanon.
If ISIL takes over Lebanon it will be in close proximity to Israel and will have access to the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. That would mean a bad news for everyone, the French scholar explained.
Syria has been engulfed in civil war since March 2011. Damascus has been engaged in battles on multiple fronts, against the so-called moderate opposition and numerous extremist insurgent groups, including the Islamic State militant group.
A number of Western countries have long been vocally supportive of what they call “moderate” rebel fighters, while Russia has repeatedly stated that Syrian President Bashar Assad is the legitimate president of Syria, and that the people of Syria must choose their government and leaders without outside intervention.