The expensive fight against terrorism
When we talk about terrorism, the least important thing is money: the most serious thing, and what arouses the greatest concern, is the deaths it leaves behind, the pain it causes families and the fear it generates in society. In France, the fight against terrorism, which is essentially jihadist, over the last fifteen years, and its constant threat, has involved an investment by the State of EUR 9 billion.
A very respectable amount which, however, is being given as a good use. This is the conclusion of a study carried out by the Court of Auditors, the content of which was revealed by the newspaper Le Monde. In its report, the Court itself praises the fact that the money was well invested and managed. It is not often that such a Tribal is lavished with unqualified praise for such a large expenditure.
The accounts include the budgets of the Ministries of the Interior, Justice, Intelligence Services and, of course, the deployments made by the Armed Forces. France, as we remember, suffered several serious attacks, with many dozens of victims, but, at least for the time being, it managed to stem the tide and restore peace of mind.
The Security Forces, working well coordinated and with strong collaboration from other countries and many citizens, dismantled networks, arrested terrorists and dismantled several projects for new attacks in time. Many preachers of Islamic fundamentalism were expelled, and control of suspected nuclei, including mosques, is relentless.
France, meanwhile, is the European country most involved in helping several African governments to deal with this scourge and curb its spread throughout the continent. The most eloquent example is the Republic of Mali, where French troops are the mainstay of the government and its fragile democratic system in the face of the constant threat from the terrorist organisations that swarm the Sahel.
The Sahel itself maintains some control over terrorism thanks to French aid. It is a truly insufficient control in which other countries, such as Spain, collaborate, but the region is a territory where terrorist organisations, intermingled with criminal gangs, campaign in their respect and, from there, maintain the threat against their neighbours, such as Chad, Burkina Faso or Niger.
Among their resources are the arsenals of modern weaponry left uncontrolled by the Libyan regime after the death of Gaddafi. There are also concerns about the way they get money, from theft and contributions from oil regions, and the ease with which they continue to buy arms and ammunition in the clandestine international trade.