Before entering a two-week suspension, the 62nd and final 2021 hearing of the trial of the November 13 attacks was largely devoted to the hearing of Patrick Calvar. The former number 1 of the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI) gave a didactic presentation on the situation facing his services at the time.
From our special correspondent, Laura Martel
His first words are for the victims, words ” that will never erase the pain », Points out Patrick Calvar. ” Every attack is a failure, he emphasizes, but they should not doubt the involvement of the services to prevent them “.
To convince them of this, the former head of Homeland Security details the methods and means of the time. The workforce is certainly on the rise, 3,300, but it “ had to recruit, train “; insufficient in the face of the unprecedented scale of the terrorist threat at the time.
And to align the figures: 568 French nationals or residents present in the Iraqi-Syrian zone, 156 open investigations, 9,000 files S. Moreover, eleven people involved in the attacks were, but the file S “ is just an alarm », Insists Patrick Calvar.
” They arrive on the territory on the 12th, they strike on the 13th, and have no base of withdrawal; so we have no hook, we are blind », Explains the policeman.
“We were inundated with data”
He lists the difficulties with which his services were confronted, such as the limits of European cooperation for border control: ” As long as we do not have biometrics and interconnection of files, the registration will be useless He said. Or the technical issues: ” Internet is a major tool of Daesh “,” we were faced with the challenge of encryption and big data, we were inundated with data that had to be sorted and prioritized “.
For Patrick Calvar, the fight against ” scourge “Of terrorism” is far from over “. ” I want to be very frank “, He launches,” what society do we want? If we want more security, we will have to bring in more technology. It is possible, but we have to agree to limit our individual freedoms. “
Resumption of the hearings of the trial of the attacks of November 13, 2015 on January 4, 2022.
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