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French
President Francois Hollande has called the Paris attacks an ‘act of
war’ by the Islamic State and called on the global community to step up
its fight against the terrorist regime by bombing Syria. Simone Del
Rosario reports from Paris.
...........
November 18, 2015
Amb. Marc GinsbergFmr. U.S. Ambassador to Morocco; White House Middle East Adviser
France Cries ISIS -- Obama Cries Uncle -- A Field Guide to a Better Battle Against ISIS
Posted: 11/18/2015 10:10 am EST Updated: 1 hour ago
Based
on President Obama's defiant ("I know better than everyone") defensive
crouch at his post-Paris attacks G-20 Turkey press conference don't
expect a sea change in White House policy against ISIS. Just think of
more sloppy spit across the ISIS swamp. Better yet, designate it
"Leading From As Far Behind as Possible, Version 2.0."
It was
Obama at his most unappealing - setting up the red herrings and
imaginary (if not imaginative) policy alibis that is his want in a vain
attempt to silence his growing chorus of ISIS critics. The president's
stubborn insistence that anyone daring to challenge his failing,
slap-dash anti-ISIS strategy that has squandered so much and produced so
little is merely playing politics: "W" wannabees bent on repeating the
historical error of the Iraq invasion.
If only, as Obama whined in
Anatalya, his ISIS critics would cease engaging in petty "political
games or offering shallow solutions..." by challenging him on ISIS, life
would be well and good for all. It's akin to him asserting that between
birth and death there is nothing in between, case closed!
Smearing
anyone who smells the malodorous odor of a failing Syria/Iraq/ISIS
policy a mile away is a self-serving falsehood Obama frequently resorts
to when cornered. By persisting in this un-presidential conduct Mr.
Obama camouflages his own failures no longer able to be hidden - sinking
to the low level of Politician-in-Chief rather than rising to a
respected Commander-in-Chief as ISIS pounds at our doorstep.
French prosecutor: 9th suspect in Paris terror attacks being sought
France
made an unprecedented demand Tuesday that its European Union allies
support its military action against the Islamic State group after the
attacks in Paris.
by Tiffany Wilson
Tuesday, November 17, 2015 03:33PM
GERMANY (KGO) --
Authorities
are seeking a ninth suspect in Friday's attacks in Paris, a French
prosecutor's spokeswoman told ABC News. The spokeswoman did not reveal
any details about the suspect's identity.
France took
unprecedented action Tuesday when it invoked the Mutual-Defense article
of the EU Treaty. Now all 28 member nations must help France in its war
against ISIS.
French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said all
27 of France's EU partners responded positively, and they could help
"either by taking part in France's operations in Syria or Iraq, or by
easing the load or providing support for France in other operations."
"Every country said: I am going to assist, I am going to help," Drian said.
Arriving
for talks in Brussels with his EU counterparts, Greek Defense Minister
Panagiotis Kammenos told reporters that the Paris attacks were a
game-changer for the bloc.
"This is Sept. 11 for Europe," he said.
French
President Francois Hollande has vowed to forge a united coalition
capable of defeating the jihadists at home and abroad. NATO allies were
sharing intelligence and working closely with France, NATO chief Jens
Stoltenberg said.
Noting that victims of the Paris attacks came
from at least 19 nations, Hollande says the international community, led
by the U.S. and Russia, must overcome their deep-seated divisions over
Syria to destroy IS on its home turf.
States refuse to accept Syrian refugees after Paris attacks
November 16, 2015 1:20 PM MST
Play
The
governors of Alabama and Michigan said Sunday they would accept any
refugees from Syria in their states, amid concerns about “gaping holes”
impacting America’s screening process.
SMAD NEWS
The
governors of Alabama, Michigan, Indiana and Texas are among at least a
dozen of those challenging Obama over refugees. They are sending a
strong message to President Obama saying they won’t allow their states
to receive any more Syrian refugees in light of the recent attack in Paris by ISIS.
Reports that at least one of the Paris attackers slipped through
Europe’s immigration system, as well as concerns about ‘gaping holes’
impacting America’s screening process are the reasons for the decision,
stated Fox News Monday
In
light of the attacks, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday that he
sent a letter to President Obama informing him that Texas will not take
any Syrian refugees.
"Neither you nor any
federal official can guarantee that Syrian refugees will not be part of
any terroristic activity," Abbott wrote. "As such, opening our door to
them irresponsibly exposes our fellow Americans to unacceptable peril."
Abbott
joins a growing list of governors who have said they will not resettle
Syrian refugees. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson tweeted, "As Governor I
will oppose Syrian refugees being located to Arkansas." Michigan has a
large Arab-American population. According to Breitbart, Michigan has reportedly taken in roughly 2,000 refugees, 200 of which were Syrian.
Michigan
Gov. Rick Snyder said Sunday he was putting his prior calls for
accepting more refugees on hold until the Department of Homeland
Security reviewed its screening procedures.
“Michigan
is a welcoming state and we are proud of our rich history of
immigration,” Snyder announced in a statement. “But our first priority
is protecting the safety of our residents.” He added, “It’s also
important to remember that these attacks are the efforts of extremists
and do not reflect the peaceful ways of people of Middle Eastern descent
here and around the world.”
After reports
emerged that refugees from Syria were recently taken into his state, GOP
presidential candidate Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is looking for
answers from the Obama administration.
“Louisiana
has been kept in the dark about those seeking refuge in the state,”
Jindal stated in a letter to Obama. “It is irresponsible and severely
disconcerting to place individuals, who may have ties to ISIS, in a
state without the state’s knowledge or involvement. … As governor of
Louisiana, I demand information.”
Nov 16, 2015 · After Paris attacks, governors refuse Syrian refugees. The governors of Alabama and Michigan on Sunday announced that they would not accept refugees …
... in the country to refuse relocating Syrian refugees on ... Refuse to Accept Syrian Refugees in Wake of Paris ... between the Paris attacks and refugee ...
Nov 16, 2015 · ... Arkansas Refuse to Accept Syrian Refugees in Wake of Paris ... following Friday's terrorist attacks in Paris. ... other governors in ...
Momentum builds among states to reject Syrian refugees after Paris attacks. ... refuse to accept Syrian refugees ... refugee” comments by fellow governors as ...
Nov 16, 2015 · ... not accept Syrian refugees, ... attacks in Paris. It's unclear whether governors have the ... taking in Syrian refugees after the terrorist attacks .
White House, U.S. governors to discuss Syrian refugees: reports
.
View photo
The North Portico of the White House is seen at sunrise in Washington, D.C. November 29, 2007. REUTERS/Larry
…
WASHINGTON
(Reuters) - The White House plans to hold a conference call with U.S.
governors on Tuesday to discuss the Syrian refugee situation, CNN and
NBC News reported.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House plans to hold a conference call with U.S. governors on Tuesday to discuss the Syrian refugee situation, CNN and NBC News…
... The White House plans to hold a conference call with U.S. governors on Tuesday to discuss the Syrian refugee ... White House, U.S. governors to discuss Syrian ...
White House, U.S. governors to discuss Syrian refugees: reports. governors on Tuesday to discuss the Syrian refugee ... The White House plans to hold a conference ...
White House, U.S. governors to discuss Syrian ... The White House plans to hold a conference call with U.S. governors on Tuesday to discuss the Syrian refugee ...
White House, U.S. governors to discuss Syrian ... The White House plans to hold a conference call with U.S. governors on Tuesday to discuss the Syrian refugee ...
aft missile on the background of a black ISIS flag
(Picture sent by ISIS via Twitter)
slamic
State warned in a new video on Monday that countries taking part in air
strikes against Syria would suffer the same fate as France, and
threatened to attack in Washington.
The video, which appeared on a
website used by Islamic State to post its messages, begins with news
footage of the aftermath of Friday's Paris shootings in which at least
129 people were killed.
The message to countries involved in what
it called the "crusader campaign" was delivered by a man dressed in
fatigues and a turban, and identified in subtitles as Al Ghareeb the
Algerian.
"We say to the states that take part in the crusader
campaign that, by God, you will have a day, God willing, like France's
and by God, as we struck France in the center of its abode in Paris,
then we swear that we will strike America at its center in Washington,"
the man said.
It was not immediately possible to verify the
authenticity of the video, which purports to be the work of Islamic
State fighters in the Iraqi province of Salahuddine, north of Baghdad.
The
U.S. Department of Homeland Security would not comment on the video but
said it has not received information indicating a potential attack.
French warplanes pounded Islamic State positions in Syria on Sunday as police in Europe widened their investigations into coordinated attacks in Paris that killed more than 130 people.
Islamic
State has claimed responsibility for Friday's suicide bombings and
shootings, which have re-ignited a row over Europe's refugee crisis and
drawn calls to block a huge influx of Muslim asylum-seekers.
French
police have launched an international hunt for a Belgian-born man they
believe helped organize the assaults with two of his brothers. One of
the brothers died in the attacks, while the second one is under arrest
in Belgium, a judicial source said.
A further two French suicide
attackers have been identified, police said, while the identity of four
other assailants, who all died in the violence, was still under review.
France
has been bombing Islamic State positions in Iraq and Syria for months
as part of a U.S.-led operation. Following Friday's mayhem, Paris vowed
to destroy the group. Underlining its resolve, French jets on Sunday
launched their biggest raids in Syria to date, hitting its stronghold in
Raqqa.
"The raid ... including 10 fighter jets, was launched
simultaneously from the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. Twenty bombs
were dropped," the Defence Ministry said. Among the targets were a
munitions depot and training camp, it said.
IS fighters said they carried out the gun and bomb massacre - calling Paris "the capital of prostitution and obscenity".
Sky's
Sam Kiley, in northern Iraq, said the French airstrikes should not be
seen as a "wanton act of revenge" or carpet-bombing campaign.
"I
think it's very clear that the French and the wider coalition have
decided in a sense to give France the iron fist at least for the next 24
hours or so," he said.
PARIS — French warplanes struck Islamic State militants
in Syria on Sunday, a French government official said, two days after
attackers linked to the terrorist group carried out a coordinated assault on Paris that killed 129 people.
Prior to the attack on Paris, France had been sparing in its strikes against targets in Syria.
News
reports in France said the airstrikes were focused on Raqqa, the city
in northern Syria that is the self-proclaimed capital of the Islamic
State.
The attackers in
Friday’s terrorist assault in Paris communicated at some point
beforehand with known members of the Islamic State in Syria, officials
on both sides of the Atlantic say, adding evidence to the assertions
that the radical group coordinated or helped carry out the attacks
rather than simply inspired them.
President François Hollande of France has characterized the attacks as “an act of war” carried out by the Islamic State, also known as ISIS
or ISIL. He provided no specific information, but the Islamic State
released statements on Saturday claiming responsibility for the attacks,
part of increasing indications that the group is becoming more capable
of extending its reach far beyond its base in Syria and Iraq.
A
manhunt is under way for Saleh Abdeslam after he was reportedly
questioned and released despite being identified by authorities.
21:29, UK, Sunday 15November 2015
A man wanted over the Paris terror attacks had been questioned and released by police hours after the massacres, it is claimed.
Salah
Abdeslam, 26, reportedly helped with logistics and rented a black
Volkswagen Polo used by the gunmen who stormed the Bataclan concert hall
and killed at least 89 people on Friday night.
He was apparently
spoken to by officers on Saturday morning when they pulled over a car
carrying three people near the Belgian border.
Police then checked Abdeslam's ID and subsequently let him go, officials told the Associated Press.
The
incident came just hours after authorities had identified him as the
person who rented the Polo which was abandoned at the scene of the
attack.
One
of his brothers, Ibrahim Abdeslam, was reportedly among the seven
suicide bombers in the co-ordinated assaults targeting six sites across
the French capital.
A third brother was apparently arrested in Belgium and questioned before being released.
Salah Abdeslam, who was born in Brussels, is described as 1m 75cm (5ft 8in) tall and has brown eyes.
Police
released a photo of him and warned the public he is dangerous and said
"do not intervene yourself". There are reports he may have fled to
Spain.
Another man, Bilal Hadfi, has been named as among the
attackers and he also lived in Belgium as did Salah and Ibrahim
Abdeslam, said the Washington Post.
If
investigators determine that the Islamic State is responsible for the
catastrophic attacks in Paris, as the group claims and France alleges,
the assaults represent a major leap in the group’s abilities.
Until
now, the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, has relied mainly
on “lone wolf” followers to attack the West, with relatively low-tech
assaults — shootings, the taking of hostages, hit-and-runs — that draw
wide attention but do not cause mass casualties.
“This is much
different than a normal lone wolf inspired attack,” said Patrick M.
Skinner, a former C.I.A. operations officer now with the Soufan Group, a
security consultancy. “This was choreographed.”
“The fact that
they could do this, especially in Paris, where the intelligence service
is really good, clearly there’s a hole somewhere,” Mr. Skinner said.
The
Islamic State has been expanding beyond its base in Iraq and Syria
since it declared a caliphate, or Islamic state, in June 2014. The group
is focused on three parallel tracks, according to Harleen Gambhir, an
analyst at the Institute for the Study of War:
inciting regional conflict with attacks in Iraq and Syria;
building relationships with jihadist groups that can carry out military operations across the Middle East and North Africa;
and inspiring, and sometimes helping, ISIS sympathizers to conduct attacks in the West.
“The
goal,” Ms. Gambhir said, “is that through these regional affiliates and
through efforts to create chaos in the wider world, the organization
will be able to expand, and perhaps incite a global apocalyptic war.”
ISIS claimed responsibility for a horrific series of coordinated attacks throughout Paris that killed 129 people and
wounded 352 as official announced the assailants included three
Belgians, a Frenchman and possibly one Syrian migrant who passed
through Greece this year.
The
terror group warned in a Saturday statement that France “will remain at
the top of the list of targets of the Islamic State" and claimed that
eight of its fighters stormed carefully chosen targets in the “capital
of adultery and vice."
One of the fighters, who was killed in a suicide bomb, had a Syrian passport on him, officials said.
Officials
in Greece said that passport belonged to a migrant who had entered
Europe in October through Leros, one of the islands that tens of
thousands of people fleeing war and poverty in Syria and elsewhere have
been using as a gateway to the European Union in recent months.
It's not clear if the passport belonged to the fighter or if it was stolen from a refugee.
Another
one of the terrorists was a 30-year-old French national who had been on
authorities’ radar since 2010 for his ties to Islamic extremism,
officials said.
Devastation in France: What We Know About The Paris Attacks
By EMILY KNAPP
EMILY SHAPIRO
Nov 14, 2015, 5:30 PM ET
Christian Hartmann/Reuters
WATCH At Least 1 American Killed in Paris Terror Attacks
A
wave of devastating attacks on civilians across Paris Friday night has
left at least 129 dead, including an American, and many more injured.
As France initiates a state of emergency and begins several days of mourning, here is a breakdown of what we know so far:
Where
Six separate attacks were carried out across Paris, beginning after 10 p.m. local time Friday night.
One
of the targets was the Stade de France soccer stadium, where Germany
was playing France in a game that French President Francois Hollande was
attending. Hollande was evacuated from the stadium.
Christophe Ena/AP Photo
A
French supporter reacts after invading the pitch of the Stade de France
stadium at the end of a soccer match between France and Germany in
Saint Denis, outside Paris, Nov. 13, 2015.more +At
least 80 were killed inside the Bataclan concert hall, where American
rock band Eagles of Death Metal was playing. A witness in the theater
told ABC News she heard gunmen shout "Syria!"
The four other
attacks were at other locations in the 10th and 11th districts of Paris,
where gunmen targeted bars and restaurants. Police said some attackers
first sprayed cafes outside the venue with machine gunfire before
continuing the assault inside the concert hall.
Thibault Camus/AP Photo
A woman is evacuated from the Bataclan theater after a shooting in Paris, Nov. 13, 2015.
WATCH At Least 1 American Killed in Paris Terror Attacks
A
23-year-old American was killed in Friday night's devastating six-part
attack in Paris, according to California State University, Long Beach.
Nohemi
Gonzalez, a CSU Long Beach student, was in Paris attending Strate
College of Design for a semester abroad program, the school said.
Gonzalez
was one of 17 CSU Long Beach students studying abroad at Strate,
according to a school official. The 16 other students are safe,
according to the school.
Paris massacre: World mourns 120+ killed in series of terrorist attacks Live updates
The
world is mourning with France, the victims of Friday’s terror assaults
in Paris that claimed the lives of at least 129 people. Security has
been tightened up globally as Islamic State, who claimed responsibility
for the massacre, threatened more violence.
14 November 2015
21:46 GMT
A
second person who was reportedly involved in the Paris massacre is
“very likely” to have entered European Union via Greece, sources in the
Greek government told Reuters. Earlier Greece's deputy minister in
charge of police said a Syrian man whose passport was found at one of
the suicide bombing sites made it to the EU through Greece in October.
21:33 GMT
A
spokesman for the Accor hotel chain, which operates the Pullman Hotel,
also confirmed that the earlier incident was a false bomb alert.
21:24 GMT
A
spokesman for the French Interior Ministry has told Reuters that the
incident at the hotel in the center of Paris was a false alarm.
21:22 GMT
Heavily
armed police have been deployed at the Pullman Hotel in Paris' 15th
district, according to witnesses, who said the officers were searching
through rooms. An evacuation has also been reported to have taken place
near the Eiffel Tower.
21:08 GMT
Police in Paris have evacuated an area around the Eiffel tower, Reuters reports, citing witnesses.
Perfect storm: ‘Paris massacre may enflame public opinion on migrant crisis, NATO interventions'
French
President Hollande has declared a state of emergency across the country
as Paris comes to grip with a series of terrorist attacks that led to
the death of 127 people in the capital, which was placed under curfew
for the first time since World War II.
RT
interviewed several analysts for their opinions on what these deadly
coordinated attacks in the French capital mean not only for the freedom
of movement across Europe, but for the ongoing Syrian military
operation, which has brought together various state actors - including
the US and Russia - in an increasingly shrinking and volatile military
theater.
Alain Corvez, Former
Advisor to French Interior Ministry, provided insight into the question
as to how it is possible that Islamic State has such a long reach -
right into the very heart of Europe.
Corvez believes these attacks are “linked to the geopolitical system, and what we are doing in Iraq and in Syria is directly linked to attacks.”
I think all of the specialists and experts on terrorism knew that such an attack was possible," he continued. "This
is a world war against terrorists that we have to wage. And for the
first time, President Hollande said we have to fight terrorism on a
larger scale."
‘France has been intervening in the Middle East since 1917’
Washington-based
defense analyst Ivan Eland, asked whether this was the right time for
nations to put aside their differences and join together in the fight
against terrorism, he explained that it is important to consider the
problem long-term it is important to ask “what are the root causes of
this terrorism – we call them “blanket terrorism” – but there’s many
different groups in the world with many different causes and most of
them tend to be local causes, which become international causes when
Western countries, or other countries, intervene where they shouldn’t.”
“France
has been intervening in the Middle East since after World War I, when
Britain and France divided it; it was the colonial master in Syria and
now it’s taking a fairly assertive policy by bombing in Syria.
It’s no secret – this is not random - that France is the target.”
'Terrorists chose Paris as iconic target like twin towers' – ex-CIA officer
The series of apparent Islamic State attacks in Paris can be compared to the 2001 destruction of the WTC towers in the US, says Jack Rice, a former CIA officer. The French capital is an iconic European city, and terrorists target icons.
France has suffered one of the worst tragedies in its modern history with more than 150 people reported killed in seven separate gun and bomb attacks throughout the capital. The terrorist group Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attacks.
“Part of the strength that a terrorist group has is to take down an icon,” Rice told RT. “If we go back to 9/11 in the United States, they took down the World Trade Center and parts of New York. And we've seen efforts around the world to do similar things.
Russian passenger jet crash: Black boxes analyzed, show no sign of system failure Live updates
The search and recovery operation continues in Egypt’s Sinai after a Russian passenger plane crashed there, killing all 224 people on board Saturday. Russian and Egyptian investigators are looking into the causes of the tragedy.
08 November 2015
13:13 GMT
13:12 GMT
Investigators of the jet crash are "90 percent sure" that the noise heard in the final moments of the cockpit recording was a bomb exploding, a member of the investigation team told Reuters.
09:32 GMT
Emirates Airlines expects the plane tragedy will result in demands for stringent aviation security across the globe, the airline’s president, Tim Clark said, as cited by Reuters.
09:27 GMT
The luggage of Russian tourists who arrive from Egypt is undergoing stricter than usual checks, said Igor Pedan, an official from UTG aviation services, which maintains Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport.
“The procedure was non-standard, I can say,” he said. “All luggage was sent to a special zone, [it] was checked by cynologists [dog-handlers] with [sniffer] dogs, the luggage was checked by special equipment and only then was transferred to a clear zone, for passengers to pick it up, ” he added.
Read More Here
......................................................................................................
Unclear 'noise' recorded before A321 crash, its nature to be determined – Egypt’s investigators
The
Russian A321’s black box recorded an unclear noise before crashing in
Sinai, the head of Egypt’s investigation committee has confirmed.
However, spectral analysis is required to determine its nature.
The
head of the Investigations Committee, Captain Ayman Mokadem, said the
nature of debris scatter suggests an in-flight break up, but it is still
too early to draw conclusions on the causes of the crash. While both
flight data recorders have been found, the investigators are still
studying them.
Mokadem confirmed that some “noise” can be
heard on the recording right before the crash. He still said its nature
is unclear and a spectral analysis will be carried out to identify it.
An international team of investigators are at the scene still “collecting information,” he said.
Ayman el Mokadem says there are 47 investigators into Metrojet crash - 29 from egypt, 7 russia, France 6, Germany 2 - Ireland 3 #egyptcrash
According
to the flight data recorders, the incident occurred 23 minutes and 14
seconds after takeoff at an altitude of 30,888 feet in climbing mode, at
a speed of 281 knots-autopilot engaged, he said.
The
investigators have listened to the audio from the cockpit voice recorder
and are currently in the phase of writing the transcript, he added.
Access
to the crash site has been impeded by bad weather since Tuesday, he
said. An investigation team consisting of 58 experts plan to return to
the site as soon as weather conditions improve in the next few days.
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