We need to make up our mind about war

President François Hollande said that the attacks in Paris were an "act of war." His problem is that you cannot declare war on a non-governmental entity. In order to declare war, he would have to recognize ISIS as a legitimate nation, which I am sure he would not do. There is a difference between a criminal act and an act or war. Only nations can commit an act of war, and nations can go to war only when the representative body of that nation declares war on another sovereign state. ISIS wants to be a nation, but in reality they are just a bunch of international thugs - criminals - and ought to be treated as such.