French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin considered that “Sunni Islamic terrorism” is the most prominent threat to his country and Europe, calling during a visit to the United States to strengthen security cooperation with Washington, especially before Paris hosts the 2024 Summer Olympics.
“We came to remind them that for the Europeans and for France, the first danger is Sunni Islamic terrorism, and counter-terrorism cooperation between the intelligence services is absolutely necessary,” Darmanin told AFP Friday in New York.
“While Americans may have a more patriotic view of crises (such as) white supremacy, frequent mass shootings, and conspiracy, they should not forget what appears to us in Europe as the number one threat: Sunni terrorism,” he said.
Darmanan concluded a two-day visit that included Washington, New York and the United Nations headquarters, aimed at strengthening cooperation between the police and the judiciary in France and the United States, as noted in an agreement signed by the two countries in 2016, and it affects the areas of combating “terrorism” and major crimes. Darmanan met US officials and visited a training facility for FBI agents.
In New York, Darmanan discussed with the city’s police commissioner, Kishant Sewell, ways to maintain security and order during major events, including what France is preparing to host, such as the Summer Olympics in Paris (July 26-August 11, 2024), and the Rugby World Cup (September). and October 2023), and the visit of Pope Francis to the southern city of Marseille on September 23.
Darmanan referred to the “resurgence of danger” associated with “Islamic terrorism” targeting France and its European neighbors, without providing additional details. Darmanin also said that cooperation between Paris and Washington could include the development of innovative technologies used by the NYPD, such as “audio triangulation,” which allows security forces to locate a shooting immediately and intervene without waiting.
internal and external threats
Darmamanan talked about two types of threats, saying: “Internal, represented by people who are not affiliated with networks, who are radicalized, who move to execution within hours, or within days… like a person carrying a knife, entering a bakery and killing people… and external, such as people organizing themselves.” abroad, and they come to France to carry out attacks,” such as the one that took place in Paris in November 2015.
The French minister expressed his regret at “the departure of the Americans from Afghanistan” and France’s withdrawal from the African Sahel region, speaking about “the reconfiguration of ISIS (Islamic State) cells in the Levant, which makes these external threats, in light of the events that France will organize, stations for great risks from Terrorist attacks”, but he expressed “satisfaction” with the discussions he held with US officials, speaking of the exchange of “classified information”.
On the pages of social networking sites, Internet users deplored the confusion between terrorism on the one hand and Islam and Sunnis on the other hand, and Karim Woman considered on his Twitter page that the term “Sunni Islamic terrorism” conceals intense hatred for Muslims.
The two sides touched on combating drug trafficking, especially fentanyl, to which tens of thousands of deaths in the United States are attributed annually. Darmanan said that the Americans were “confident that this (drug) will reach Europe,” and provided “accurate elements about” the smuggling networks.
In addition, the French minister in New York addressed the situation of New Caledonia before the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization. Darmanan recalled that Paris seeks to “negotiate” with the independenceists and those who reject independence, regarding the future of this archipelago located in the South Pacific Ocean.
The people of New Caledonia, who Darmanan is due to visit in the coming days, voted against independence three times. However, the independents protested the results of the last referendum, which was held in 2021.
Darmanan referred to research on “how can we unlock this right of self-determination within a generation or two,” adding, “I wanted to ensure that the United Nations is discussing” it.
