Country Reports on Terrorism 2014 - France

Overview: France was an excellent counterterrorism partner in the face of the mounting challenge of foreign terrorist fighters. French government agencies worked with their U.S. counterparts for the exchange and evaluation of terrorist-related information and partnered in fostering closer regional and international cooperation. France's security apparatus and legislation afford broad powers to security services to prevent terrorist attacks. France experienced five particularly serious attacks from December 2014 to January 2015, the most serious being the January 7 to 9 attacks on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine and the Hyper Cacher (Jewish kosher grocery).

The Government of France was concerned about the possibility of attacks against its interests in France and worldwide, and has taken steps to counter the potential threat posed by its nationals traveling abroad to engage in terrorist activity. The return of French nationals who joined groups fighting in the civil war in Syria is a major and increasing threat. On December 17, the Interior Minister estimated there were 1,200 French citizens or French residents linked to fighting among violent extremist groups in Syria, with approximately 390 in the theater; approximately 60 have been killed in combat. France's main counterterrorism apparatus is its Direction Générale de la Sécurité Intérieure (DGSI), which replaced the Direction Centrale du Renseignement Intérieur on May 12, 2014 and is tasked with counter-espionage, counterterrorism, and the surveillance of potential threats on French territory, along with economic protection issues including organized crime and corporate espionage.

France is a member of the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamist State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), was instrumental in passing UN Security Council resolutions 2170 and 2178, participates fully in multilateral counterterrorism fora, and has taken decisive domestic action to restrict terrorist financing and to limit the flow of foreign terrorist fighters. France has also conducted air strikes and contributed military personnel and trainers in Iraq.

Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security: France has a system of non-jury courts for terrorism trials and a broad definition of what is considered a terrorist offence – the so-called "association of wrongdoers" offence – which allows it to cast a wide net and imprison a broad range of suspects. Under French law, foreigners can be deported if they are believed to pose a serious threat to public order.

A November 13, 2014 law took steps to counter the threat of foreign terrorist fighters via three key objectives: to prevent people from leaving the territory when there are reasons to believe that they intend to engage in illicit terrorist activities abroad; to counter online propaganda by blocking websites advocating terrorism (the law calls for blocking to be carried out under judicial supervision, to avoid infringement on the freedom of speech); and to criminalize individual preparation of acts of terrorism. This legislation builds on 2012 counterterrorism legislation that allows authorities to prosecute French citizens who return to France after committing an act of terrorism abroad, or after training in terrorist camps (notably in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region) with the intention of returning to France to commit terrorist attacks. Some groups raised data privacy concerns about both the 2014 legislation and earlier expansions of French government domestic surveillance powers.

France has two national police forces: the General Directorate of National Police (DGPN) and the Directorate General of the National Gendarmerie (DGGN), both subordinate to the Ministry of Interior. (The DGGN is part of the Defense Ministry but the Interior Ministry manages its policing functions.) The DGPN is responsible for civil law enforcement and criminal investigations in cities and large towns and is staffed with approximately 150,000 personnel. The DGSI combines law enforcement capabilities with domestic intelligence gathering.

France works diligently to maintain strong border security and implements national and EU border security legislation.

The following high profile arrests or law enforcement actions related to counterterrorism took place in 2014:

• On February 17, a police investigation into people linked to the "Cannes-Torcy" terrorist cell revealed 900 grams of explosives as well as weapons in an apartment in Mandelieu-le-Napoule, near Cannes.

• In February, the French courts cancelled the deportation order against Ali Belhadad, an Algerian national with a French residency permit, so he would be tried in France. Police said Belhadad was connected to a violent extremist group linked to Mohammed Merah, the man who killed seven in south-central France in March 2012.

• Also in February, police arrested two men – a French citizen, and a Spanish citizen – affiliated with a leftist anarchist group, for Molotov cocktail attacks in Tarbes and Pau (southeastern France) in 2013. French citizen Damien Camelio, 31, was later sentenced to two years imprisonment for his role in attacking a church, a prison, and a military installation.

• On May 30, police in Marseille arrested Mehdi Nemmouche, a 29-year-old French citizen of Algerian origin; he was extradited to Belgium and charged with killing four at the Jewish Museum in Brussels on May 24; Nemmouche is allegedly a former Syria foreign terrorist fighter.

• Police made the first arrests under France's new foreign terrorist fighter legislation in late November, arresting two for selling ISIL flags and other terrorist propaganda online.

• On December 21, a 20-year-old French citizen of African origin – a recent convert to Islam – was shot dead after entering a police station in Tours and slashing three police officers with a foot-long knife. The attack closely followed two other street attacks by mentally disturbed assailants and raised alarms throughout France.

• Throughout the year, police arrested dozens of people, including minors, throughout France, for being foreign terrorist fighters in Syria or Iraq, for recruiting others to fight, or for promulgating violent extremist propaganda online. Most were focused on Syria and Iraq, although there have been reports of French fighters elsewhere. Interior Minister Bernard Cazenueve said in December that "the dismantlement of jihadist networks is an absolute priority for the police" and said, as of December 17, 2014, there were 103 judicial cases against violent extremists concerning 505 suspects.

Countering the Financing of Terrorism: France is a member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). France belongs to, or is an observer in the following FATF-related bodies: Cooperating and Supporting Nation to the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force, Observer to the Financial Action Task Force of Latin America, Observer to the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering, Observer to the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism, and Observer to the Middle East and North Africa Financial Task Force. France is a member of the Egmont Group and member of the Anti-Money Laundering Liaison Committee of the Franc Zone.

In mid-January 2014, the French Treasury froze the assets of "Perle d'Espoir" (Pearl of Hope), a nonprofit association registered in 2012. On November 18, the French arrested two employees, President Yasmine Znaidi and Naibl Ourfelli, charging them with terrorist financing and conspiracy.

The French financial intelligence unit "Tracfin" said that regular "1901 Law" non-profit organizations (NPOs) are not obliged to file suspicious transactions reports. NPOs are not regulated or monitored by Tracfin. According to the French monetary and financial code, only monetary and financial professions, government administrative structures, and related NPOs are regulated and monitored.

For further information on money laundering and financial crimes, we refer you to the 2013 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), Volume 2, Money Laundering and Financial Crimes: http://www.state.gov/j/inl/rls/nrcrpt/index.htm.

Regional and International Cooperation: France is a founding member of the Global Counterterrorism Forum. Sworn in in 2013, France's Jean Paul Laborde remained the Executive Director of the UN Counterterrorism Committee (CTC). France played a strong role on the UNSCR 1267/1989 and 1988 Sanctions Committees. In regional organizations, France participated in the drafting of the European Council's Counterterrorism Strategy action plan, and helped create and implement NATO's new Strategic Concept and the Lisbon Summit Declaration, both of which include major counterterrorism measures for member states. Through the OSCE, France engaged in new measures to counter transnational threats, including terrorism.

The Government of France undertook joint counterterrorism operations with countries including the UK, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and Spain. France also played an active role in efforts to support counterterrorism capacity building in other countries both bilaterally and within the EU.

Countering Radicalization to Violence and Violent Extremism: France has an overall strategy to counter terrorism that includes countering violent extremism. France considers its integration programs for all French citizens and residents a major tool in countering radicalization and violent extremism. Many of these programs target disenfranchised communities and new immigrants.

The Ministry of Education works to instill "universal values" in all French pupils, regardless of ethnic origin or country of birth. Ministry regulations mandate that all French public schools teach civic education, and that all students attend school until age 16. The government also offers adult vocational training for older immigrants and minorities who have never attended French schools. The Interior Ministry plays a significant role in countering radicalization to violence by increased police presence in disenfranchised areas, neighborhoods, and regions with high criminality and juvenile delinquency rates.

The Ministry of Justice implements rehabilitation and reintegration programs for former criminals. According to the Ministry of Justice, as of December 1, there were 185 Muslim chaplains employed by the French penitentiary system.

According to the Interior Ministry, a toll-free hotline implemented in spring 2014 for families of radicalized citizens has received some 625 "pertinent" notifications and prevented between 70 and 80 French citizens from departing to fight in Syria.