Paris bombings

[Magda Hassan]

New Canadian PM Trudeau, who has withdrawn Canada from military campaigns against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, has been repeated asked at Press conference if he is going to 'rethink' his decision...

I see one of the big refugee camps is already up in flames. Wonder how may will be dead from that?

[Peter Lemkin]

Here in continental Europe there is certainly a sense of fear and shock. Reports now are a minimum of 120 dead and that is expected to rise. As I write the six coordinated attacks took place between 4 and 5 hours ago - starting at about 10pm CET. France has taken the amazing precaution of closing its borders - surely more a show of resolve more than a tactical move - I'm sure whoever the attackers were they likely lived in France and spoke French. A state of emergency has also been declared in France, and all public events in Paris have been ordered closed for the remainder of the weekend, at least. Pres. Holland was actually at one public event [the main Paris football stadium] when two persons with suicide vests exploded them just outside - so he heard these explosions there from not far away. His security people removed him to relative safety, but I just heard that many ordinary football fans have only minutes ago been allowed to leave - several hours after the attack began.

Whatever this is - real attack or false-flag or a bit of both, with such carnage of between 100-200 to be dead by sunrise this will rock Europe and much of the World for quite a while. These victims were innocent of anything other than being French citizens. Two restaurants were shot up, one concert venue had the highest death toll, the football stadium, and two other locations I'm not sure of yet. Word now is that more gunmen are on the loose in Paris, which will add to the fear.....whether true or not. Obviously, this was a VERY well coordinated and planned set of attacks, and there may well be more coming soon in Paris or elsewhere. I've not heard of any reaction here in Czech Republic, but expect to see many more police and other security people about in the coming days. The EU is now effectively borderless, and one can drive from one country to another only very rarely seeing any controls at the borders. That may change, at least temporarily.

Thousands of French troops are in Paris streets now along with all police units called up. Paris is officially on lockdown and everyone is asked to stay indoors unless they have special reason to travel or be outside. Many Parisians opened up their homes to strangers on the street who didn't want to travel home. A State of Emergency exists in France for the first time since WW2.

Other European countries and major cities are considering enhanced security measures. Some jihadi websites are claiming this is revenge for French involvement in Syria. Too early to know if this is true, but it does seem likely to me. Keep in mind however that some 'jihadi' groups are backed by 'Western intelligence and military'; some are not.

I suggest we separate these posts from the Charlie Hebdo thread - while related, this is a whole new ugly episode - and making it a new thread. Obviously, the death toll will grow in the next hours. This is far from over; many of the injured will die and Paris and in fact Europe is much more in shock than with Charlie Hebdo [which I feel was partly, at least, false-flag or LIHOP]. Too early to tell what this was - except horrible.

Even the public transport throughout Paris has been closed and car traffic is being limited in some areas to emergency travel only.

[R.K. Locke]

Eyewitness accounts:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2...aclan.html


James Corbett has linked to this Sofrep report stating that French and German police knew that an attack was coming:

http://sofrep.com/44480/french-and-germa...z3rQM86ve0

[Magda Hassan]

Pres. Holland was actually at one public event [the main Paris football stadium] when two persons with suicide vests exploded them just outside - so he heard these explosions there from not far away. His security people removed him to relative safety, but I just heard that many ordinary football fans have only minutes ago been allowed to leave - several hours after the attack began.

Well, that's nice for him. The game continued to the end as far as I can see. Maybe so as not to panic people and identify some of the spectators. But no arrests there that I have heard of. They were all held there until recently. How are they going to get home? Not sure the public transport system is working as normal.

Two restaurants were shot up, one concert venue had the highest death toll, the football stadium, and two other locations

At least one of the others was a drive by shooting. I was thinking with dread about the Moscow theatre siege when I first heard about the concert when I woke this morning. 100 people is a truly terrible loss but there were 1,500 people inside. It could have been so much worse.

The EU is now effectively borderless, and one can drive from one country to another only very rarely seeing any controls at the borders. That may change, at least temporarily.

You can be sure that capital will continue to have freedom of movement.

[Peter Lemkin]

While most of the gun men were killed during the attacks and their choice of a target may not be known, it is interesting that the concert hall attacked [and there are many of that size in Paris full on a Friday night] had an American group playing that night. I'm speculating, but that may have been why this location was picked over others in the same general area. I also imagine the suicide bombers [apparently two] who detonated their vests just outside the football stadium likely knew that Holland was inside watching the game - a friendly match against Germany. More and more it seems like it might be blowback or retribution for bombings in Syria and perhaps Iraq against ISIL or some other jihadist group[s]. The quest for control of the Middle East by outside forces (and its consequences) has a long and bloody history, but seems to have entered an even bloodier period since W's/Cheney's/Rumsfeld's war on Iraq. The US and allied attack on Afghanistan also put more fuel on the fire - along with the invented Islamophobia and War 'on' Terror. These invented concepts may have generated real reaction that is now coming back to the US and European nations involved. Of course, this will in turn create a new spiral of crackdowns, fear, repression, police control of societies, Islamophobia, more violence in the Middle East and more blowback in Europe, the US and maybe now even Russia....an endless and increasing cycle of violence - very 'real' now, even if invented in its infancy. I'd personally lay all of this current violence at the feet of those who perpetrated 9-11-01 [and I do NOT believe they were Muslim - and certainly NOT Iraqis, Afghanis, Lybians, nor Syrians!]. The two middle east nations strongly tied to 9-11-01 [Saudi Arabia and Israel] have escaped being targets of anger or even investigation by the 'authorities' in the US. Pakistan, another Islamic nation also played some role in the events of 9-11-01 and also is an allied nation on the intelligence level. However, I believe the main planners behind September 11th were American - but had help from 'friends'; I also see it as MIHOP rather than LIHOP, as I believe the evidence shows.

The news is now reporting eight attackers killed, and several others suspected of still being at large. Paris is not going to be a fun place to be the next days......and I expect all of Europe to be on edge.

[Peter Lemkin]

I just realized another potential 'victim' to be...the Paris Global Climate Summit [COP-21, Nov. 30-Dec. 12] has long been seen by the Environmental Activist Community as our last realistic chance to get the larger nations at least slightly onboard re: Climate Change and doing something to reverse it. This summit will be attended by persons from just about all nations as delegates, and huge numbers of supporters and demonstrators, also from Worldwide.

I worry aloud if this conference and the attendant demonstrations will now be able or allowed to proceed. I don't know the exact venue, but it was to be in the heart of Paris over many weeks - with both pre and post conference activities and demonstrations planned.

[Magda Hassan]

Yes, our PM is in Germany now on his way there. Doing a charm offensive to apologise for our previous PM Abbott.

[Lauren Johnson]

Hollande says: "We will lead the fight, it will be ruthless."

The army is now moving into Paris. The borders close.

This thing starting smell like a false flag attack. The motives can be multiple. But the Paris talks sure seem convenient.

[Magda Hassan]

I doubt Hollande sees any irony or connection. What goes around comes around. Though the Kalishnikovs probably were bought via Eastern Europe but paid for by whom? None of what happened yesterday was detected by SIGINTEL. All those billions of dollars for nothing.

France and Saudi Arabia plan to sign deals worth $12 billion (€10.7 billion), French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Wednesday, in the latest sign of growing commercial ties between Paris and the Middle East.

France is also considering building two EPR nuclear reactors in Saudi Arabia, Fabius told reporters, following a meeting with Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Paris.
The contracts will see the Gulf state buy 23 Airbus H145 helicopters worth $500 million.
The H145, previously known as the EC145, is a light twin-engined helicopter typically used for emergency services or border patrols, though a military version is used by the US Army.
Saudi Arabian Airlines is also set to buy 50 Airbus passenger jets worth about $8 billion a deal first announced at last week's Paris Air Show.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said he was still discussing the price for a contract for French naval patrol boats, built by DCNS.
The contracts, the latest to be agreed between Paris and a Gulf Arab state, come after French President François Hollande was invited by Gulf Arab leaders in May to address their summit in Saudi Arabia, a rare privilege for a foreign head of state.
France has been reinforcing links with the conservative kingdom despite persistent criticism of its human rights record, while Riyadh is keen to broaden its ties with Western powers beyond its traditional alliance with the United States.

[Danny Jarman]

More and more it seems like it might be blowback or retribution for bombings in Syria and perhaps Iraq against ISIL or some other jihadist group[s].

Oh Please...

Just incase our appetite for war was dwindling, we're sent reminders like this tradegy now and then.

Another Israel & US made atrocity by their drugged up mercenaries. Just like in Beirut.