France is getting little in the way of help from its allies in its war against Islamic terrorism. Wall Street Journal.

A sand artist in India pays tribute to the victims of the Paris attacks. Wall Street Journal/AFP/Getty. 

Despite the massive terrorist attack in Paris, France is finding that very few countries are willing to help them with their war on ISIS and other Islamic groups. Wall Street Journal. France is especially frustrated that no other EU nation  has declared that they will assist them with airstrikes targeting the Islamic State in Syria. Even simple requests, such as loosening up financial rules so France can spend more on defense, have so far been ignored. Though the UK may join the strikes in Syria, if it can pass parliament, no other country in Europe is considering joining the war. In Iraq as well, no other countries are considering joining the air war as well, not counting the UK, Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands. With no help forthcoming, France is pleading for help in Mali, where a major terror attack just killed 27 people. France has been deeply involved in fighting Islamic insurgents throughout Northern Africa, and has received very little international help. France wants help in Mali so it can free up special forces to deploy against ISIS, but only Ireland has committed any troops. The United States has also refused to change their policies in Syria and Iraq. 

My Comment:

The Wall Street Journal left out a major partner for France. Russia has declared France to be allies in all but name. Indeed, Vladimir Putin, told his flagship in the Mediterranean, the Moskva, to expect French ships to join up with it, and to treat them as allies. And Russia has released video of Russian troops writing "For Paris" on there bombs. 

A ground crew member writes "For France" on a Russian bomb. Russian Ministry of Defense handout.

Clearly, Russia is willing to step into the void that the rest of Frances allies have left. Right now, only Russia is stepping up their bombing campaign. Sure, the United States is bombing Syria and Iraq, but we haven't done anything more since the attacks in Paris then we did before. Russia, enraged by their own massive terrorist attack that killed more then 200 of their people, has vastly stepped up their campaign against ISIS. 

Sure, Russia is clearly acting in their own self interest. After all, they were hit and hit hard by ISIS. They have just as much motivation to attack ISIS as anyone else, including France. But you have to wonder if they aren't trying to paint themselves as a decent ally for France. After all, everyone else is abandoning them. I think when it comes down to it, France will remember who came to their aid. And it wasn't the EU or the United States. It was Russia. And the next time they have a dispute with Russia, like when the refused to sell their Mistral carriers to them, it might go the other way. A win-win for the Russians, since they were going to step up their war with ISIS anyways. I still think their gestures are genuine though, even though it has obvious strategic benefits as well. 

As for the United States, I'm deeply disappointed with our president. Of course, I was disappointed with Barack Obama years ago, but he really is abandoning our ally here. France has always been a good friend to the United States, despite their reluctance to get involved with our Iraq War. Indeed, it turns out that not going into Iraq was probably the right call. You would think, at the very least, we would be working much more closely with France, and anyone else hitting ISIS, including Russia. But so far that hasn't happened. We aren't obligated to deploy more troops, indeed, most of the country doesn't want that. But there is much more we could do. 

Still, we are doing way more then the EU. Germany, who is the most powerful country in the EU, with a massive military, is doing next to nothing. Other then a few supplies to the Kurds, they haven't contributed anything. Sure, they are taking in refugees, which I am on record saying is a terrible idea, but when it comes to using their weapons, they are doing nothing. Indeed, it almost seems like Germany is standing in the way of the French. 

And I have to point out that France has been a major factor in the war against ISIS, al-Qaeda and other Islamic groups. France has been very active in Syria and Iraq. And they are the major reason that Islamic extremism was on the downside in Mali, until the recent terror attack there. Though this may be in part why ISIS targeted them, we should still stand with France. Not only are they a very good ally, they are the 2nd most dedicated country to fighting Islamic extremism. And we kind of owe them. They fought for us in Afghanistan for 11 years after 9/11. We should help them however we can.