On Friday November 13, 2015, the unthinkable happened in the City of Light. The Islamic State coordinated an attack on six different sites in and around Paris, killing 128 innocent civilians and injuring hundreds more. Most of these killings were done through the use of military grade machine guns and suicide bombing. The people of France have been reeling since then, as has the rest of the world. These attacks may have been located in one city, but its effects reach around the world, most especially in the rest of Europe and the United States.
As a country, the United States is very familiar with the devastating consequences that come from an unprecedented terrorist attack. President Obama said in a press conference held on Nov.16, "This is a heartbreaking situation, and obviously those of us here in the United States know what it’s like. We’ve gone through these kinds of episodes ourselves.” He also assured the French people and its leaders that the United States would be "prepared and ready" to stand with the United States' longtime allies in any way necessary.
Fellow European countries uttered similar sentiments towards their Eurozone counterparts. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was "deeply shaken," by the attacks. British Prime Minister David Cameron promised that the UK "will do whatever we can to help." Polish President Andrzej Duda, after promising assistance, wrote "Vive la France!" Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called the attack 'a blow against Europe, home of Democracy and freedom, a blow against multiculturalism." These reactions are just several amongst a sea of worldwide support. All of the statements have a similar ring to it, because everyone seems to be on the same page. The message is clear: almost all of the world stands with France in solidarity and will aid in any way possible.
This promise of aid will most likely mean war of some kind, most likely on a larger scale than it is currently (France and the United States lead in the amount of air strikes on ISIS hot spots). French President Francois Hollande promised in his official statement that France "will lead the fight and...will be ruthless." So, for those who are France's allies, which is almost everyone who showed their support, this means that they will be following in France's footsteps on whatever path they take, which, with Hollande's tough response, seems to say war.
If war occurs, this will be the closet the world has come to World War III yet. It will be large, it will be devastating, and it will have major effects for everyone involved. Moreover, a war on beliefs is nearly impossible to win, and risks making the radical Islamic State that much more radical and extreme. However, the other option is to sit in wait, trying to prevent another attack while bombing vague targets on a map, because these vicious attacks will not stop. They will keep happening until members of the Free World do something about it. So, it's up to the West now; either they keep up the defensive tactics that have prevented some attacks but have let some slip through the cracks, or we go to war. The ball is in their court.
