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WORLD NEWS Saturday 24 February 2018

France unveils broad new plan to tackle radicalization

peans. unprecedented strike last ed of or awaiting trial for
The new plan targets pris- month by French prison terrorism, and some 1,150
ons, schools and even guards, which was trig- under watch for radicaliza-
sports clubs, and involves gered by a radicalized pris- tion, according to the Pris-
specialists and ordinary oner's attack on a guard. on Administration.
people on both local and The measures include dou- While prisons are now
national levels. bling the number of pris- known as potential breed-
"This is a plan of mobiliza- oners evaluated for radi- ing grounds for radicaliza-
tion. It's a battle that the calization to 250 per year tion, the French govern-
state alone can't fight," and increasing to 1,500 the ment also plans to better
Philippe said in Lille, north number of cells devoted to regulate and standardize
of Paris, where a prison that radicalized inmates, held private schools, most of
holds the most dangerous in closed-off areas. By the which are run by religious
radicalized prisoners is lo- end of this year, 450 such organizations. Many pri-
cated. places will be created. All vate schools are run by
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe leaves the Elysee Palace The plan to counter radi- will have trained staff and Muslim organizations and
in Paris. France unveiled Friday, Feb. 23 a vast new program to calization includes mea- high security. “the state cannot lead the
counter radicalization, as jihadis return from the battlefields of sures announced by the There are currently more fight without the Muslims of
Syria and Iraq and the watch list of people showing risk signs justice minister to end an than 500 inmates convict- France,” Philippe said.q
grows.
(AP Photo/Francois Mori)

By ELAINE GANLEY catch danger signals within
Associated Press society.
PARIS (AP) — France un- It is France's third effort in
veiled a wide-ranging new less than four years to try
program on Friday to coun- to prevent and control a
ter radicalization, as French phenomenon that numer-
jihadis return from the bat- ous nations are grappling
tlefields of Syria and Iraq with. France got a late start
and the watch list grows of on the issue even though
people showing risk signs. homegrown Islamic extrem-
The plan, announced by ists set off deadly bombs
Prime Minister Edouard in France in the 1990s and
Philippe, is made up of 60 more French jihadis went
measures and puts the ac- to Syria and Iraq to support
cent on prevention, no- the Islamic State group or
tably aimed at trying to al-Qaida than other Euro-