Hollande challenges Obama: France 'at war,' mission is 'destroying' ISIS

By , Pete Kasperowicz

Published December 20, 2015

French President Francois Hollande on Monday declared that France is at war with the Islamic State, offering a sharp contrast to President Obama, who was saying almost simultaneously that the U.S. will not send ground troops to fight the terrorist group.

"France is at war," Hollande said in France. "The acts that were committed on Friday night in Paris... are acts of war."

Obama said in Turkey that it would be a "mistake" to send ground troops into the Middle East to contain a group that took responsibility for the deaths of 129 people in Paris. But Hollande said it's time to think beyond containing the group, and instead focus on "destroying" it.

"Today, we need more strikes and we're doing so," Hollande said.