Spotlight: Fresh terror attack posts test to Hollande's security policy

Six months after Paris deadly attacks, a fresh assault broken the calm in France on Friday, lingering questions whether the government's security policy is well placed to face terrorism and preserve the country's security.

New security fears emerged after a 35-year-old man rammed his delivery van into a warehouse of gas containers in U.S. gas company in Isere, southeast France, to trigger an explosion which wounded two people.

Identified as Yassin Salhi, the suspect of "an attack of terrorist nature" beheaded his boss, a 54-year-old manager of transport firm.

According to Paris prosecutor Francois Molins, the victim's head was dangling from a fence at the site, framed by Islamist flags.

"There is plenty of emotion. But emotion cannot be the only response. It must be action, prevention and dissuasion," French President Francois Hollande said shortly after the attack.

"It is thus necessary to wear (our) values and never succumb to fear, to not create unnecessary divisions or suspicions that would be intolerable, and to rise to every situation," he told reporters in Brussels where he attended an EU meeting.

Already said, already done. France raised the anti-terrorism plan to its maximum level for the next three days in the southeastern towns. Additional security forces will be deployed to railway stations, industrial sites and other sensitive sites.

"We need to remain vigilant (but) we must not fall into any hasty or panicked measures. We must do what we need to to defend our citizens while also protecting freedoms," he added.

Facing high terror attack that "can occur at any time", the French government announced, by the end of January, tough and "exceptional" anti-terror measures worth 425 million euros (about 476 million U.S. dollars).

About 10,000 servicemen were deployed into France's cities to protect sensitive locations, including major shopping areas, public places and religious centres.

The Socialists pledged also to create 2,680 new jobs over the coming three years in interior and justice ministries and improve the monitoring of jihadist networks by creating a special file of people already convicted of terrorism.

However, Isere attack sparked a fresh deluge of criticism and raised doubts over the officiousness of the implemented security policy.

Without a criminal record, the presumed assailant, on air company has been put on watch list for suspected radicalization in and having links with Islamist movements nine years ago. His "S" ("security") file for potential risk wasn't renewed in 2008.

To conservative lawmaker Eric Ciotti, the new attack in southeast France showed that the deployed "human, financial and judicial means were insufficient to face terrorist threats," urging firmness and lucidity to tackle terrorism.

Florian Philippot, the vice president of far-right National Front party, called on the government to "stop policy of mantras, stop policy of emotions," adding "nothing has been done since January. What's lacking is determination and action."

Rebuffing opposition critics, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve stressed "for months, the government has taken every measure to ensure the safety of the French," pledging permanent monitoring of potential terrorists to abort any eventual attacks.

On Wednesday, the parliament approved an intelligence bill to enhance counter-terrorism activities. It waives the need for judicial warrants to deploy phone taps, hidden microphones, cameras and other devices. (1 euro = 1.12 U.S. dollars) Endit