I can add nothing in factual terms over newspaper reports and a hundred rolling news channels (although channel surfing late last night I found France 24 best for actualités, and Fox News to consistently exaggerate - when they were not making stuff up).
What I would like to write about is implications. These events will tilt the balance of power from the liberal elite towards the securocrats. And what will the security establishment want?
- More real time integrated intelligent CCTV in major French cities
- Border controls (which undermine Schengen)
- An increased budget for HUMINT and technological surveillance.
I expect them to get much of what they ask for.
On the other stuff it's a harder call. Troops on the ground in Syria (as one pundit suggested)?
I'm not sure that this event, egregious though it is, is enough to reconstitute French/EU foreign policy in the Middle-East, such as it is.
