Response to Post Question A Post on International Counter-terrorism Laws and Policies
This post reviews France counter-terrorism laws and policies and its influence on the US
fight against terror. In the recent past, France and other European countries have witnessed
a rise in terrorist activities. With this backdrop in mind, this post examines the counter-
terrorism strategies put in place by France in the fight against terror.
According to Cahn (2009), The Act of 9 September 1986 is a keystone legislation in the fight
against terror in France (p.468). The Act anchors the French counter-terrorism laws and
policies on three major points. One, specific legislations are stipulating terrorist offenses in
detail to avoid ambiguity. Two, procedural legislations allowing the use of specialized
techniques in terror investigations. Third, the establishment of a specialized investigative and
intelligence services (p. 471).
In his study, Bunt (as cited in French Counter-terrorism, 2005), the Terrorist Act in article
421-1 of the French criminal code provides a precise definition of an act of terror. The law
allows for the conviction of either French nationals or residents who train abroad but have
not committed acts of terror on French soil (p. 501). Also, the French legal system allows for
unique techniques in terror investigations such as seizure and searches without prior
consent, the payouts to informers, phone tapping and video surveillance of terror suspects.
Furthermore, in contrast to the US policy on non-negotiation with terror suspects, French
counter-terrorism laws allow for citizen exemption and reduction of sentences for cooperating
terror suspects and convicts.
Despite a rigid counter-terrorism legislation and policies in France, the recent terror attacks
in the country pointed to gaps in the countrys fight against terror. In his evaluation, Judge
Mark Trevidic (as cited in Block 2005), highlights critical security flaws in France counter-
terrorism laws and policies and the seemingly work overload on a few authorized security
officials (p. 5).
According to a study by Garapon (2016), the aftermath of the recent 2015 terror attacks
necessitated critical updates in the countries counter-terrorism strategies (p. 12). Among the
upgrades, are tightened border controls? Furthermore, reviews in legislations updated
policing powers allowing the policies to interrogate terror suspects without access to a lawyer
for more than four hours. Also, the updates allow the police in using lethal force against
suspects with a potential for initiating deadly attacks on French territory.
Also, in contrast to the US policies that guarantee fundamental human r
ights for terror
suspects, French legislation authorizes the use of electronic eavesdropping technology by
the police, which was initially only available to the intelligence community. However,according to Cahn, O. (2009), unlike in the US, prison facilities are authorized to search and
install surveillance devices to counter radicalization in prisons. Thus, the US needs a review
of its counter-terrorism policies towards strategies that prioritize the safety and well-being of
the American citizen in contrast to policies that in effect aims at guaranteeing the rights of
terror suspects like is the current case (p. 41).
References
Block, L. (2005). Evaluating the Effectiveness of French Counter-Terrorism. (2005).
Retrieved from londonessays.com
Cahn, O. (2009). The Fight against Terrorism and Human Rights: The French Perspective. A
War on Terror? pp. 467-503. doi: 10.1007/978-0-387-89291-7_18
Garapon, A. (2016). The Oak and the Reed: Counter-Terrorism Mechanisms in France and
the United States of America. Cardozo Law Review, 27, 5, pp. 2041-2078.
“Great post. You talked about the way France and its terrorism laws and polices need
changing and are over burdened and the need for tighter boarder controls. Do you
think that France should shut its boarders completely due to the high influx of Syrian
refugees?
President Francois Hollande has committed France to taking 30,000 refugees over two
years (Stone, 2016). It seems as though the French President is not listing to
regarding the information on how they need to change.
Do you think taking in so many refugees is a bad idea? ”
References
Stone, J. (2016, September 1). Syrian refugee crisis: How different countries have
responded. Retrieved January 12, 2017,
fromlondonessays.com
Respond to the two questions in the bold paragraph ABOVE base on the section above it
in APA format with At least two reference
.. Answer Preview
..In spite of the fears among the people of France about the security threat posed by Syrian refugees, the political and economic benefits derivable from such an action make such fears unrealistic. According to Roberts, Murphy & McKee (2016), the recent terror attack in the country was carried out by French nationals and not refugees. Also, the problem of unemployment is caused by the nations protectionist labor system that limits job opportunities for young people (p.1). Therefore, the wisdom of the Germans in allowing thousands of refugees through its borders should be emulated by the French. Accommodating refugees is not only a political statement but an investment into the future of France
.APA 251 words
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