Jacques Chirac, New French Antiterrorist Laws (September 14, 1986)

Along with the energy crisis, the rise of terrorism in the 1970s and 1980s posed a serious challenge to Western governments. Although there is disagreement as to the precise definition of “terrorism,” at the most basic level it involves the premeditated use of violence for political ends. Civilian populations have often borne the brunt of terrorist attacks, as was brutally apparent in France in September 1986. In the span of eight days, a number of bombs exploded in Paris stores, restaurants, and public buildings, killing at least ten people and wounding scores more. The principal suspects were members of a group with Syrian links, the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Faction (FARL), whose leader was imprisoned in France. It appears that the group hoped the bombings would secure his release. In response to the violence, French prime minister Jacques Chirac implemented a series of antiterrorism measures, which he presented to the French people on September 14 in a televised statement, excerpted here.

From Bruce Maxwell, Terrorism: A Documentary History (Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 2003), 85–87.

Since our election and the formation of this government we have been working on a series of bills that are now ready. The laws on security and particularly on terrorism that were voted on during the last session were promulgated a few days ago according to the democratic legislative process for passing laws. We will implement their provisions immediately and with the greatest authority. What do these laws provide for? First of all, improvement of prevention by extension of police custody, general identity checks, and searches on premises.

On the question of identity checks I ask every one of our citizens to understand that, in the current situation, the constraint that these controls represent should be accepted with, so to speak, good humor. It is necessary for everyone’s security.

These laws also centralize investigations and legal proceedings in Paris, in the hands of specialists, in order to be more effective in the prosecution of those who are implicated of direct or indirect involvement in terrorist acts.

The second set of decisions we have taken will naturally aggravate a certain number of our foreign friends visiting France. We have in effect decided to require a mandatory visa for all foreigners entering France, regardless of their origin, with the exception, of course, of the European Community and Switzerland.

But for all others, no matter what their origin, the North or the South, Asia or Africa, from tomorrow on visas will be required, albeit with a few days’ delay, for technical reasons, before actual implementation begins. The visas will be issued by our consulates around the world and will enable us to prohibit entry into France to all sorts of people who appear at the borders and enter the territory with passports which, as everyone knows, are all too often irregularly issued, or are forgeries that we cannot verify.

I ask all our foreign friends to understand that, in the crisis situation in which we find ourselves, this measure is necessary. Unfortunately it is likely to provoke some problems when enforced, such as delays in airports or at points of entry into France, but these are inevitable incidents in the implementation of this type of measure.

My next point concerns checks and, where necessary, expulsion. Everyone knows that the police have an eye on a certain number of people whom they suspect, but cannot accuse, of belonging to what I would call the terrorist organizations’ sphere of influence. We have decided to strengthen considerably checks on and surveillance of all those active in the terrorist movements’ sphere of influence, hence the series of arrests which you have probably heard about in the last few days and which will result in expulsion—and which has in the last two days resulted in the expulsion of persons whose presence in France we consider a danger to the public order. That has begun, will continue and be carried out with the greatest determination and the greatest firmness.

Finally, there is the problem of security in public places. As you saw earlier, reports have just come in, and will perhaps be corrected since this occurred virtually as we were coming into the studio, of a dubious package apparently, I say apparently being discovered in the Renault Pub, a place where there are a lot of people, and being taken down into the basement, where it unfortunately exploded, wounding three policemen: that clearly illustrates the vulnerability of public places. They must have proper security. I am mayor of Paris, I see what happens in the close vicinity of my City Hall. Everyone who enters the Bazar de l’Hotel de Ville [a large department store] with a package, even a small one, has to open it. I tell you that this has not caused the slightest problem nor created the slightest incident in the last three or four years. And this has made the Bazar de l’Hotel de Ville a very safe place. Other stores, like the Galeries Lafayette and others as well, do the same thing. I want private places frequented by the public to enforce those security measures, which are a very considerable deterrent.

There you have a certain number of measures, those that can be announced. I tell you right away that there are others, but these others are the sole responsibility of the public authorities and, because of their nature, are not being publicized and I shall not answer questions or comment on them. However, they are also being taken in the context of this calm, firm fight against this veritable scourge of modern times that is terrorism.

In conclusion, I shall say that everyone must feel he or she has a part to play in these matters. Everyone’s safety is at stake. Terrorism is, by definition, blind and spares no one, not you, me or anyone. . . .

I would like everyone to be certain that the day, and it will inevitably come, there’s no doubt about that, when we catch a terrorist in the act, he will talk and those manipulating him must clearly realize that they will receive draconian retribution, that we shall be pitiless, regardless of the consequences. They must realize that.

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