With the Olympic Games due to begin in Paris in just over a hundred days, France faces the challenge of balancing security preparations with public reassurance. While concerns about potential threats from groups like IS persist, some argue against giving too much attention to them, as it plays into the terrorists' hands. Interior minister Gérald Darmanin said his forces had foiled two attacks since the start of the year and arrested five individuals in three different cases in the past fortnight. France, which has experienced several Islamist attacks in recent years, has deployed Operation Sentinelle, involving 20,000 soldiers and 40,000 police, to ensure security. One army commander had this message for visitors: ‘We are well prepared for this mission, and ready to protect the population during the Olympics.’