France demands EU invoke mutual-defense clause

Show Caption Hide Caption Kerry: We Won't "Be Intimidated by Terrorists" Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Paris Monday to show American solidarity with France after Friday's attacks. Speaking outside the U.S. Embassy there, Kerry said the world will "never be intimidated by terrorists." (Nov. 16)

France became the first European Union country to invoke the 28-nation political bloc's mutual-defense clause Tuesday in the wake of the Paris attacks that killed at least 129 people.

Jean-Yves Le Drian, France's defense minister, made the demand in Brussels. EU member nations should help the security situation "either by taking part in France's operations in Syria or Iraq, or by easing the load or providing support for France in other operations," he said.

The clause — article 42.7 of the Treaty on European Union — says that "if a member state is the victim of armed aggression on its territory, the other member states shall have toward it an obligation of aid and assistance by all the means in their power."

The article has never been used before. The request received unanimous support.

The implications and timing of any EU-wide effort to act on the clause were not immediately clear. Ursula von der Leyen, Germany's defense minister, said in Brussels that Germany would do "all in our power to offer help and support" but that Tuesday was "not a day of concrete actions" but a "day of listening."

Earlier Tuesday, France launched additional airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria as police conducted dozens of new raids overnight and the government said it was still trying to determine how militants planned and carried out the Paris terror attacks.

The French military said the new airstrikes targeted an Islamic State — also known as ISIL or ISIS — command post and training camp in Raqqa, Syria, the group's de facto capital. The operation came after an earlier retaliatory strike by France in Raqqa on Sunday.

An independent monitoring group in the Islamic State stronghold called Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently said no civilians were killed in the airstrikes. The claim could not be immediately verified.

Following a meeting with French President Francois Hollande, Secretary of State John Kerry said efforts must be stepped up to hit militants "at the core" when they are planning attacks. Kerry said the Islamic State was under pressure and losing territory. Hollande will travel to Washington next week to discuss the unfolding security situation with President Obama.

"We’ve agreed even to exchange more information, and I’m convinced that over the course of the next weeks, (the Islamic State) will feel even greater pressure," Kerry said.