Monday, November 16, 2015

Week #13 (11/16-11/20)- Paris attacks: 'France will destroy IS' - Hollande (BBC)

France is committed to "destroying" the so-called Islamic State group after Friday's deadly attacks, President Francois Hollande has said.
He said he would table a bill to extend the state of emergency declared after the attacks for three months and would suggest changes to the constitution.
France's military campaign against IS in Iraq and Syria will also intensify.
IS says it carried out the attacks on bars, restaurants, a concert hall and a stadium in which 129 people died.
Speaking during a joint session of both houses of parliament, Mr Hollande said the constitution needed to be amended as "we need an appropriate tool we can use without having to resort to the state of emergency".
Other measures he said would be pursued included:
  • 5,000 extra police posts in the next two years and no new cuts in the defence budget
  • Making it easier to strip dual nationals of their French citizenship if they are convicted of a terrorist offence, as long as this did not render them stateless
  • Speeding up the deportation of foreigners who pose "a particularly grave threat to the security of the nation"
  • Pushing for greater European action against arms trafficking and greater penalties for it in France

The Eiffel Tower is lit with the blue, white and red colours of the French flag in ParisImage copyrightReuters
Image captionThe Eiffel Tower was lit in the colours of the French flag in a tribute to the victims
Media captionParis Attacks: Is France united?

Mr Hollande said he would travel to meet US President Barack Obama and Russian Vladimir Putin in the coming days to discuss action against the group.
US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Paris on Monday evening to show support for "America's oldest friend" against what he called "psychopathic monsters".
At a G20 summit in Turkey, world leaders promised tighter co-operation in the wake of the attacks.
Mr Obama said the US and France had made a new agreement on intelligence sharing but said US military advisers thought sending ground troops to combat Isis would be a mistake.
In his address, Mr Hollande reiterated his opposition to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad remaining in power but said "our enemy in Syria is Daesh [IS]".
He promised more resources for the security forces and said the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier would be sent on Thursday to bolster the military campaign against IS.
On Sunday night, French aircraft attacked Raqqa, IS's stronghold in Syria. French officials said 10 jets had dropped 20 guided bombs targeting sites including a command centre, a recruitment centre for jihadists, a munitions depot and a training camp.
IS has issued a statement saying the raid targeted empty locations and that there were no casualties.

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Analysis: Hugh Schofield, BBC News, Paris

This was a solemn speech in which one felt the president genuinely striving - under the weight of appalling circumstance - to give service to the nation.
He knows that the people expect a riposte. He said it would come in two forms: military and judicial.
In Syria there will be intensified strikes, and new co-ordination with the US and Russia.
In France there will be a three-month extension of the state of emergency; more police and magistrates; possible powers to strip dual nationals of French citizenship.
There will also be a reform of the constitution - creating a new status short of all-out war in which exceptional powers can be handed to police.
But President Hollande is better at empathy than at talking tough. His opponents will give him slack because today no-one wants to expose dissent.
But are these measures really going to be enough? Or are they just more administrative knob-twiddling, when the people feel in deadly peril?

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Media captionMariesha Payne was inside the Bataclan: "We ran to the back of the cellar and crammed ourselves in the smallest space"
A police officer outside the Le Carillon restaurantImage copyrightGetty Images
Image captionThousand of extra police and troops have been deployed in Paris

Authorities say that one of the attackers was the same man who used a Syrian passport in the name of Ahmad al-Mohammad and whose fingerprints match those taken by the Greek authorities after he arrived with migrants on the island of Leros in October.
One Greek official on the island told the BBC that the man had aroused suspicion when he arrived and said that more highly trained intelligence officers might have been able to apprehend him.
As well as the attackers themselves, investigators are also reported to be focusing on a Belgian of Moroccan descent who is described as the possible mastermind of the attacks.
Abdelhamid Abaoud, 27, lived in the Molenbeek neighbourhood of Brussels, as did two of the attackers, and is now believed to be based in Syria, where he has risen through the ranks of IS.
In the early hours of Monday, a total of 23 people were arrested, 104 put under house arrest, and dozens of weapons seized in more than 168 raids on suspected Islamist militants across France.
Belgian police say two people arrested on Saturday were charged on Monday with "participating in a terrorist attack".
They were among seven people detained in Belgium at the weekend.
Five of them were later released, including Mohammed Abdeslam, the brother of two suspects - Brahim Abdeslam, killed during the attacks, and Salah Abdeslam, who is on the run.

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Suspected Paris attackers

  • Salah Abdeslam, 26 - urgently sought by police
  • Brahim Abdeslam, 31 - named as attacker who died near Bataclan concert hall
  • Omar Ismail Mostefai, 29, from near Paris - died in attack on Bataclan
  • Bilal Hadfi, 20 - named as attacker who died at Stade de France
  • Ahmad al-Mohammad, 25, from Idlib, Syria - died at Stade de France (unverified)
  • Samy Amimour, 28, from near Paris - suicide bomber at Bataclan
  • Two other attackers died during the assaults in the city

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Mohammed Abdeslam emerged from his house to speak to the media on Monday and said his family did not know where Salah is.
Stressing his innocence, he said the family's thoughts were "with the families of the victims".
"We are moved by what happened, at no point we could have thought that my brothers were involved in this but you must understand that we have a mother and he is still her son," he said.
"We noticed absolutely nothing, my two brothers were just normal. We still don't know exactly what happened."
Among those attackers identified
France held a nationwide minute of silence at midday local time (11:00 GMT) for the victims, led by Mr Hollande at the Sorbonne University. The silence was also observed in countries across the continent.

Media captionA minute of silence has been observed to commemorate the victims of the attacks
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Main attack sites:

Bataclan concert venue, 50 Boulevard Voltaire, 11th district - 89 dead when stormed by gunmen, three of whom were killed; another gunman died nearby
La Belle Equipe, 92 rue de Charonne, 11th district - 19 dead in gun attacks
Le Carillon bar and Le Petit Cambodge restaurant at rue Alibert, 10th district - 15 dead in gun attacks
La Casa Nostra restaurant, 92 rue de la Fontaine au Roi, 11th district - five dead in gun attacks
Stade de France, St Denis, just north of Paris - three attackers and a bystander killed

Map

12 comments:

  1. The terror attack in France was horrific. The state of emergency that emerged from this event was most certainly needed, I'm glad that France has tightened as well as strengthened their military and police regulation. France should plan to come up with a retaliation plan to take revenge or punish ISIS for this massacre. ¨In France there will be a three-month extension of the state of emergency; more police and magistrates; possible powers to strip dual nationals of French citizenship¨ (BBC). ISIS should not engage in wars with countries, so that World War III won't be sparked.
    Marie Ong, Period 6

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  2. It is a very bad thing what ISIS did to France. They are thinking that "the constitution needs to be amended" (BBC). That is not something that they should change lightly. If they change the constitution then it would be hard to change it back. Are they only going to change it until they get revenge, or keep it changed? We are beginning along the road to World War III, and that is not a good way to go.
    Michelle Koopman, per 1

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. I think that this is very sad what Isis did to France. In the text, it says how 126 people were murdered."IS says it carried out the attacks on bars, restaurants, a concert hall and a stadium in which 129 people died."(BBC)This quote explains how they went into some of the most places full of the public and killed them all. I think that it is good that they are increasing there police forces.¨In France there will be a three-month extension of the state of emergency; more police and magistrates; possible powers to strip dual nationals of French citizenship¨(BBC) I think that it is good that they are holding back on attacking Isis back because that would cause many problems."Mr Obama said the US and France had made a new agreement on intelligence sharing but said US military advisers thought sending ground troops to combat Isis would be a mistake." (BBC)

    Kyle Haroldsen, Per. 4

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  6. This terror attack was awful. "129 people died"(BBC). This is terrible. The fact that someone or a group of people could do such a thing is mind blowing. There were many deaths and this is truly a time to mourn for them. Although usually terror attacks are done to break apart the country. This attack just brought the country together and many others with it to help.

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  7. The terrorist attacks on Paris were a horrible tragedy, and a representation of what ISIS is capable and willing to do. It is completely necessary for the U.S., France, Russia, and every other country in the free world to work together to destroy ISIS. This attack to France is what 9/11 was to the U.S.. "129 people died" (BBC). This is not a time to stand by and do nothing. If this pattern continues, it is very possible that Britain is going to be attacked in the future, and we cannot allow this to happen. ISIS must be destroyed. There is no going back after this attack. The world will never be the same again.

    James Duran, Period 4.

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  8. Justin markus period 5November 20, 2015 at 7:40 AM

    It really sucks that Paris was attacked and many people died because of it. the fact that just a group of people could to something so terrible in such short time actually scares me. This attack has brought many people together to morn for their lost family and friends, and hopefully Isis get what they deserve.

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  9. Justin markus period 5November 20, 2015 at 7:41 AM

    It really sucks that Paris was attacked and many people died because of it. the fact that just a group of people could to something so terrible in such short time actually scares me. This attack has brought many people together to morn for their lost family and friends, and hopefully Isis get what they deserve.

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  10. After reading the heartbreaking article about the terrorist attacks in Paris, France, I felt senses of anger, sadness, fear, and hatred. But then I thought, this is only what this group wants. They want us to feel fearful and hatred about them and what they have done. Well I'm not afraid. I did more research on it and many big-name sources said that ISIS is immensely depleting in size and resources. So this obviously shows that these attacks are not only cowardly, but that they did this through weakness. My heart and prayers go out to the victims and the families that were affected in any way shape or form by these attacks.

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  11. Isis has gone to far they torture there own people and are just a barbaric, the U.S isn't helping either right now America is a wuss,if we had a good president right now, then he/she would have taken action from the begin and stop any of this from happening. If France is going to fight Isis the U.S better join the fight and help wipe Isis off the face of the plant. This kind of response should of been done from the very first time this group committed a crime like this. I believe other country's are going to join the fight because they been threatened, especially Russia and France who have been attacked, Russian commercial air plane destroyed by bomb made by Isis , and this recent pairs attack, so i think country's are finally ready to take action.

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  12. The growing threat of ISIS is spreading its influence in the Middle East very quickly, if we don't put a hold on ISIS it can become a national terror, The nations have to come together to stop them and we need to stomp them out completely. "we need an appropriate tool we can use without having to resort to the state of emergency". (Hollande) I am glad that the nations are taking this seriously so that we can kill the beast at the source. Aidan Pilcher p.4

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