‘Multiple attacks’ in Paris — AGAIN

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It looks like there’s a significant and terrible development in the War on Terror breaking right now in Paris.

The BBC reports:

At least 18 people have been killed in several shootings in the French capital, Paris, as well as explosions at the Stade de France.

At least one man opened fire with an automatic gun at the Petit Cambodge restaurant in the 11th district.

Liberation newspaper reports four deaths. It also reports shootings near the Bataclan arts centre.

Three explosions are also reported outside a bar near the Stade de France, where France were hosting Germany.

Reports say French President Francois Hollande was watching the match and has been moved to safety….

This is the point at which no reports will be both coherent and accurate, perhaps not either.

As for drawing conclusions regarding the events — that’s pretty far off. Is this retaliation for our killing Jihadi John? Who knows? It may have nothing to do even with anything going on in that part of the world. If that is what it is, it makes little sense to strike in France, but since when did terrorism make sense? It doesn’t much matter why they do what they do; our aim must be to stop them from doing it.

To the extent that we can. This is another case in which the civilized world failed.

 

22 thoughts on “‘Multiple attacks’ in Paris — AGAIN”

      1. Juan Caruso

        Guy Taylor (Washington Times) wrote,

        “U.S. officials have so far been reluctant to comment on the Islamic State’s claim of responsibility for Friday’s nights attacks, which bore similarities a host of soft-target attacks in the Middle East and in Africa during recent years. Most notable was the September 2013 assault in Nairobi, Kenya, in which unidentified gunman laid seize to the Westgate shopping mall — an attack that resulted in at least 67 deaths. The extremist, Somalia-based terror group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for that attack.”

        Who wants to bet that “U.S. officials” are afraid to say anything substantive? Clearly al-Shabaab
        had naught to do with the synchronized attacks in Paris…

        The French who have 6 terrorist bodies, however. The AP, citing two police officials speaking on the condition of anonymity, reported that investigators have identified one of the suicide bombers as a young French man with known ties to Islamic extremism

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  4. Brad Warthen Post author

    From the It’s a Small World Department:

    It’s a relief to hear that the members of the band that was playing the concert in Paris where hostages were taken — Eagles of Death Metal — are safe.

    Not only is band member Jesse Hughes from Greenville, but his bandmate David Catching is much closer to the Warthen clan. He went to White Station High School in Memphis. My late brother-in-law, Price Phelan, was a classmate there. And my brother-in-law helped teach David to play guitar…. As David has been quoted as saying:

    The story of David Catching starts in the fertile musical soil of Memphis Tennessee during the 70s. “My brother and my uncle had a band that I’d watch rehearse, and I thought they were really cool. My parents had a Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels Greatest Hits album that I listened to a lot. Of course, growing up in the 60s, I listened to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimmy Hendrix and eventually got into music by David Bowie and Alice Cooper. My good friend, Price Phelan, was a banjo player; he and my brother showed me some chords, and eventually Price and I started playing in high school….

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  5. Phillip

    I’m not sure I understand the last sentence of your post. Seems like it’s more a failure of the un-civilized world, to resort to this random killing of innocent civilians. To be victimized by fanatic terrorists is not a failure on the part of those victimized.

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    1. Brad Warthen Post author

      You’re right. But I was referring back to the end of the previous paragraph, where I said, “our aim must be to stop them from doing it.” Well, we failed to do THAT.

      It wasn’t a profound statement on my part. I wasn’t sure what to say at that early point in the unfolding story. All I knew was that terrorists had succeeded in killing again…

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  6. Mike Cakora

    This attack took a bit of planning — selecting targets, acquiring AK-47s and grenades, coordinating activities — so its timing is unlikely in response to the Jihadi John. Methinks they needed at least a week for the logistics and target selection. Moreover, there’s no evidence that the French played a role in JJ’s suspected demise.

    I don’t understand your remark that the “civilized world failed.” The civilized world was doing its bit, unwinding on a Friday night, partying, relaxing, having some fun.

    The vaunted French intelligence system will be blamed to some extent, but ISIS seems to be better than most in operational security and compartmenting its assets and operation. I’d not blame them until we know more about the attackers.

    For example, how did they enter the country? Were they long-time residents, or did they arrive with the stream of refugees? Where was their base, where did they live? What info was on their cellphones? (They probably had disposables for attacks, but are there any numbers on those which can be traced to other numbers which in turn can be traced to others, and so on?)

    The only issue I take with the president’s remarks is that this was an attack on the West, on liberty.

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  7. Mike Cakora

    FWIW:
    10:31 PM EST– NBC revises its report, saying no members of Eagles of Death Metal have been confirmed to have been killed.

    10:03 PM EST– Several outlets report that the jihadists at the Bataclan killed a member of the American band”Eagles of Death Metal.”

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    1. Brad Warthen Post author

      I was puzzled for a moment, but I just realized why…

      The name “Mike” is flagged to be held, because one of our trolls has been using that as one of his aliases…

      Sorry.

      Try going with just your last name, and see if that works…

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  9. Barry

    Remember Brad, they just need a job.

    from Feb 2015

    “We cannot kill our way out of this war. We need in the medium to longer term to go after the root causes that leads people to join these groups, whether it’s lack of opportunity for jobs…”. State Department Spokesperson Marie Harf

    In which members of ISIS laughingly responded on Twitter with statements like this ” I am an engineer. I don’t need a job.”

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