“Mrs. Le Pen is playing into the hands of jihadist groups, and it’s our country she’s putting at risk.” French top counter-terrorism experts (May 3 2017)

On Wednesday May 3 2017, France’s top counter-terrorism experts signed a letter endorsing French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY

France has been hard hit by Islamic terrorists and the two candidates disagree on how to respond to this continuing threat.

Le Pen wishes to respond with tougher emergency measures. If elected, she would suspend the European Union’s open-border agreement on France’s frontiers and expel foreigners who are on the watch lists of intelligence services.

Top counter-terrorism experts, endorsing Macron, argues that such measures would infringe on civil liberties and democratic values.

“This red line must never be crossed. By crossing it, Mrs. Le Pen is playing into the hands of jihadist groups, and it’s our country she’s putting at risk.”

The experts backing Macron include:

Jean-Louis Bruguiere — former anti-terrorism magistrate Jean-Claude Cousserand — former head of France’s DGSE Jacques Fournet — former head of the DST domestic intelligence agency (Today DGSI) Ange Mancini — President Sarkozy’s former intelligence coordinator Michel Debacq — anti-terrorism prosecutor Rene-Georges Querry — former top police official Jean-Michel Fauvergue — former boss of RAID elite police force RELATED POST: FRANCE — DGSE: General Jean-Pierre Palasset to serve as Acting Director RELATED POST: FRANCE — DGSE: Intelligence Directorate reorganized

Diametrically opposed

Le Pen and Macron disagree on every issue, including — of course — on the approach to fight terrorism.

National Front leader Le Pen would like to close off France’s borders and leave the euro single currency. She blames immigration for the rise in terrorist attacks France has seen over the past few years, despite the fact that most of the perpetrators were born and raised in either France or Belgium. Macron, a former economy minister who has never held elected office, wants closer European cooperation, economic reform and says France must take a comprehensive approach to fighting terrorism that includes recognising what leads people down that path of radicalization. [FRANCE 24]

Game over

According to an Elabe poll for BFM TV and L’Express, Macron will garner 62 percent of the votes in Sunday’s second round compared to 38 percent for Le Pen.

However, it must be understood that no more than 20% of the people voting for Macron actually support his political program. The other 40% simply vote ‘against’ Le Pen.

And to make things worse, Macron has already been dubbed by many apolitical intellectuals as the ‘CIA President’.

REFERENCES

French counter-terrorism experts come out in support of Macron — Reuters

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France — Former top Counter-Terrorism experts endorse Macron