American president Barack Obama called the shooting and bombing spree in Paris “an attack on all of humanity and the universal values we share.” Obama went on to say that “We stand prepared and ready to provide whatever assistance the people of France need to respond.”
Maryam Rajavi, the President Elect of the Iranian opposition group, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, stated:
“I extend my condolences to the French President, government and people on these attacks which are true examples of crime against humanity. I express my sympathies to the families of the victims. Today, our hearts bleed for the French nation. The people of Iran can deeply feel the bitterness of these crimes.”
Mrs. Rajavi went on to note that Iran has played a role in destabilizing the region, creating the conditions that allowed the Islamic State to flourish.
While Iran has emerged as a sort of ally against the Islamic State, it could be argued Iran’s support of the Assad Bashar regime in Syria, and its efforts to divide Iraq along sectarian lines — pitting Shia and Sunni communities against one another — may be among the key reasons why the Islamic State has attracted so much support from extremists.
At least one of Assad’s key allies, Russia, has already denounced the attack. Putin sent a statement to France, saying that “It is clear that the real unification of the international community’s efforts is needed for an effective fight against this evil.”
Whether these strong words will amount to action on Russia’s part, remains to be seen.
France, however, is sending its own message to the Islamic State. The country is stepping up its bombing campaign against Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq. An adviser for France’s defense department claimed a command center, recruiting and training center and an ammunition dump were among the targets hit by French warplanes over the weekend.
