MULLING IT OVER

France Launches Recon Flights Over Syria

Considers airstrikes against ISIS.

France announced on Monday it will begin reconnaissance missions over Syria and may start launching airstrikes against ISIS in the war-torn country. President Francois Hollande told reporters the reconnaissance flights would begin Tuesday to determine whether to launch airstrikes against the extremist group. France has previously only launched airstrikes against ISIS militants in Iraq over concern that doing so in Syria would further empower Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Hollande added that France would not provide any ground intervention and emphasized the only solution to the turmoil in Syria would be to remove Assad from power "at some point or another."