US to boost intelligence sharing with France after attacks

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The United States will make it easier to share planning information and intelligence with France after the Paris attacks, the Pentagon said on Monday.

"In the wake of the recent attack on France, we stand strong and firm with our oldest ally, which is why the U.S. and France have decided to bolster our intelligence sharing," Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said in a statement.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper have issued new instructions to U.S. military personnel to allow greater intelligence sharing, the Pentagon said.

The militant group Islamic State has claimed responsibility for Friday's attacks in Paris that killed 129 people.

France is a member of the U.S.-led coalition waging air strikes in Syria and Iraq against Islamic State, sometimes known as ISIL.

Earlier on Monday, President Barack Obama told a G20 summit in Turkey that: "France is already a strong counterterrorism partner, and today we're announcing a new agreement."

"We're streamlining the process by which we share intelligence and operational military information with France. This will allow our personnel to pass threat information, including on ISIL, to our French partners even more quickly and more often, because we need to be doing everything we can to protect against more attacks and protect our citizens," he added.

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