French Aircraft Carrier "Charles de Gaulle" to Return Soon to Eastern Med.

Paris announced that the French aircraft carrier "Charles de Gaulle" will carry out, during the first half of this year, a mission in the eastern Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean within the framework of military operations of the international coalition, led by Washington, against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

French Defense Minister Florence Parly told the defense committee of the French National Assembly (Parliament) that “the next mission of the aircraft carrier (Charles de Gaulle) will be to reinforce our forces participating in Operation Shamal,” the French part of the international military operation led by the United States against the organization "ISIS" is in Iraq and Syria, according to the French Press Agency. "The aircraft carrier will therefore be deployed in the first half of 2021 in the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean.

"This commitment confirms, if necessary, our will to fight terrorism permanently and unconditionally," she added.

This will be the first mission undertaken by the French aircraft carrier since the beginning of 2020 when nearly two-thirds of its crew were infected with the emerging "Corona" virus.

The minister revealed that “about 900 soldiers continue to fight against (ISIS) as part of Operation (Shamal),” affiliated with the international coalition to combat the terrorist organization.

Parly had expressed her concern about the "resurgence" of the organization in Iraq and Syria.

"France sees that ISIS is still present an outstanding threat and we can even talk about some form of the resurgence of (ISIS) in Syria and Iraq," the defense minister said during a television interview on Sunday.

The administration of the outgoing US President Donald Trump had announced its intention to withdraw 500 soldiers from Iraq in mid-January, in a move that would reduce the number of US forces in this country to 2,500 soldiers.

Most of the countries participating in the international coalition against terrorism had withdrawn most of their soldiers from Iraq at the start of the outbreak of the "Covid-19" pandemic.