France target of choice for jihadists

PARIS: The bloody attacks in Paris show that France is a target of choice for jihadists due to its air strikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, as well as its controversial ban on the burqa face veil and attitude to Muslims, analysts say.

“If you can kill an American or European infidel, especially the dirty, nasty French ... then count on Allah, kill him any way you can,” said an IS spokesman, Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, in 2014 as the US-led coalition launched its anti-IS raids in Iraq.