France Tries To Stave off Olympic Terror Amid Migrant Crisis

• France significantly increased security measures in the run-up to the Olympics

• Macron’s government has been criticized for bussing homeless migrants out of Paris

• A mockery of Christianity in the opening ceremonies has France and the IOC embroiled in controversy

The story

In 1972, Palestinian terrorists took Israeli Olympic team members hostage at the Munich Olympic Games and killed 11 athletes. In 2015, France was rocked with terror attacks which killed at least 130 people.

To prevent terror incidents at this year’s Olympics in Paris, President Emmanuel Macron employed all necessary security measures, from maintaining an extensive perimeter around the River Seine to bussing migrants away from the city.

But his preparations unveiled a larger issue: even after a quarter-century of war on terror, Western governments which utilize every anti-terror strategy ever developed still face uncertainty in trying to avert attacks.

Preparations got seriously underway early last year when French politicians voted to give expanded powers — supposedly on a temporary business — to intelligence security services for the Olympics. Expansion revolved around the use of “smart” cameras, which use facial recognition technology and rely upon algorithms — including AI — to determine if individuals are acting suspiciously.

After outcry from privacy protection organizations, France revised the law to read “experimentation” with new technologies, though the meaning is unclear. Snipers and a beefed-up police presence are on high alert for bad actors, while a massive cordon has been placed around the Seine.

France has also taken more proactive measures. One controversial operation was mass bussing of migrants — many homeless — from Paris to cities and towns outside the French capital.

Some migrants were promised housing, only to be unloaded on the streets or even deported. France’s government said the move had nothing to do with the Olympics — a claim that strains credulity.

So far, additional security measures have yielded positive results: one Islamist Chechen was arrested for planning a rampage during a soccer match. Across the border in Belgium, authorities arrested seven suspected terrorists, and a Russian chef residing in Paris was arrested for allegedly plotting large-scale acts of “destabilization” during the games.

The politics

Staving off a terrorist incident is crucial not only to ensure safety of the athletes, staff, and fans but also for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to ensure that future Games are safe.

France's politicians are united in their desire to prevent a terror attack. However, the government which narrowly won a vote to select parliamentary leadership — and is trying to maintain control amidst a rising far-left and populist right — has an even greater interest in ensuring two weeks of undisturbed games.

France’s interior minister, a member of Macron’s governing centrist party, lauded the pre-Olympics efforts of law enforcement. And, while the games are supposed to be apolitical, Macron is prepared to show off an incident-free event to garner political favor.

But his actions brought criticism from the left and the right. The right expressed outrage at bussing migrants. The center-right Republican mayor of Orleans, a southern city where many migrants were bussed, blasted the government for surreptitiously sending a busload of migrants every third week. Another small-town mayor who received busloads of migrants called the policy irresponsible and dangerous.

France’s left faction was strongly opposed to expanded powers granted to intelligence agencies. In last year’s crucial vote on the security package, almost the entire bloc of left parties voted against the law or abstained. All other parties, including the populist-right, endorsed the package.

Beyond the headlines

One reason for Europe’s fragile security is its open border for nearly a decade. Millions of migrants entered. While the number of illegal migrants in France is unknown, some estimates have pegged it at 600,000. Millions more migrants reside legally in France but never integrated into French culture.

France’s security concerns mirror those of the U.S. While the Biden administration left the border open for four years, millions of individuals entered — and many are entirely unknown to American law enforcement. America may face similar security concerns hosting the 2028 Olympics.

Meanwhile, France faces a storm of controversy regarding the opening ceremonies after a choreographed event involving a number of drag queens, transgender models, and even a child appeared to make a mockery of the Last Supper. In response, one telecommunications company pulled its advertisements. The event evoked outrage among conservative politicians in America and in France.

Although no security threat, IOC approval of the scene signaled to the world that France deems it acceptable to mock Christianity, whereas similar portrayal of another major religion like Islam would never have been allowed.

The Olympics is a billion-dollar business and an immense moneymaker. Brand new technologies are on display and, if successful, potential buyers — from private companies to big-ten governments — will form a line at the door.

Why it matters

Since the migrant crisis began in 2015, Western establishmentarians have preached a doctrine of tolerance and diversity. But when push comes to shove, they are quick to shove that diversity out the door onto small-town populations who did not vote for these policies and had openly been against the entry of so many migrants.

If these policies continue — open borders and intelligence agencies trying to play catch-up — it is only a matter of time until a terrorist slips through the cracks.