Western intelligence services since 9/11 have become very proficient at counterterrorism, with impressive collaboration in all disciplines, and France’s services rank among the best anywhere. If there was an “intelligence failure” here, and we can be sure that embarrassed Paris politicos will be looking for one, it was small-scale. The real problem is that French politicians, as in all Western countries, have absolutely no idea what to do with the burgeoning numbers of aspiring jihadist killers in their midst.| This is simply not true. The terrorist mooks were known to French police and intel. A couple of them were known to the world intel community. This wasn't a case of "sudden jihadi syndrome", these were "known wolves". For whatever reason the French local police/intel community didn't have these guys on surveillance. |
| The authorities don't control the suburbs where many Muslims live. Who besides themselves can know what happens in those ugly apartment blocks behind closed doors? |