France "is not afraid" of ISIL threats - Minister

PARIS, Sept 22 (KUNA) -- French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve on Monday rejected threats against French targets by extremist group the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), saying this was not the first time his country had been targeted or threatened by terrorist groups.
In a statement here, Cazeneuve said that ISIL "call to murder civilians, which comes on top of execution of hostages and mass massacres, attests once again to the barbarism of these terrorists." The Interior Minister said that the latest call by ISIL to attack targets - including civilians - in countries of the International Coalition formed to combat ISIL "justifies that we fight them without a break or a pause." Cazeneuve affirmed that these kinds of threats will not weaken the determination of France and its partners to end the abuses by ISIL and help the populations being persecuted by the extremist group.
"France is not afraid. France is not afraid," he stressed.
"It is not afraid as this is not the first time it has been threatened by terrorist groups which attack the values of tolerance, humanism, respect for human rights, democracy, which are the values France bears throughout its secular history." He added that France has always overcome terrorist challenges because it has the solidarity of its citizens, no matter what their origins or beliefs, and it has the support of the representatives of Islam in France, who condemn ISIL.
Cazeneuve also outlined the high security measures that have been put in place to foil any terrorist plots and to clamp down on those who would act against the nation or who have links with the conflict in Syria or Iraq.
He said that 110 people have been detained since January 1, and 74 have been charged for terrorist activities.
In addition, the Interior Minister said that several recruiting networks for "Jihad" in Syria or Iraq have been dismantled.
Cazeneuve also pointed to new laws to further clamp down on "foreign fighters" going to Syria and Iraq and also to repress recruiting agents and Internet sites calling for so-called "Jihad" in those countries.
He has previously estimated that there are 930 French nationals or residents from France who were fighting in Syria and Iraq or were in transit to or from those combat zones or preparing to go there.
He noted there was no way to have 100 percent security on terrorism, but France was taking 100 percent precautions.
"The government is taking and will continue to take all measures to assure the security of French people. It will do this is in a calm and collected way, without allowing itself to be impressed by the abject terrorists of ISIL," the Minister concluded. (end) jk.ibi