The French Experience of Counter-terrorism

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Abstract
France has long been on the 'bleeding edge' of international terrorism. In the last 20 years in particular, it has suffered repeated waves of both international and domestic terror. As a result, France has developed, largely by costly trial and error, a fairly effective system for fighting terrorism at home. This system is uniquely French, tailored to France's particular threats, capacities and civic culture. Nonetheless, there are lessons from France's experience for other countries, including the United States. Three stand out: the advantages of a centralised and specialised judicial process; the importance of creating strong, trusting relationships between judicial and intelligence organisations; and the need to understand the interaction between counter-terrorism efforts at home and abroad.

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