French President Francois Holland had decided against roping NATO in to his newly declared "war" on the Islamic State, but France is invoking another mutual defense clause, provision 42-7 from the European Union's Lisbon Treaty, to seek anti-ISIS support from the 28-nation bloc. The never-used clause obliges member nations to give "aid and assistance by all the means in their power" to any fellow EU country that's "the victim of armed aggression on its territory."
Hollande, noting that the 132 victims of ISIS's terrorist attacks in Paris came from at least 19 nations, said Monday that Syria has become "the biggest factory of terrorism the world has ever known, and the international community is still too divided and too incoherent." French Minister of Defense Jean-Yves Le Drian said EU allies could help "either by taking part in France's operations in Syria or Iraq, or by easing the load or providing support for France in other operations." EU allies have been expressing solidarity with France, but it's not clear if they will back Paris on the mutual defense clause.
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