France promises 'merciless'
response to attacks, Obama administration moves to
accelerate Syrian refugee admission, Merkel vows 'tolerance', 11/14/15, WND
President Francois Hollande on
Saturday promised a “merciless” response to a wave of attacks by gunmen and
bombers in Paris on Friday. Latest
updates indicate 129 dead and 352 injured, with 99
in critical condition.
Four gunmen slaughtered at least 87
young people at a rock concert being held at the Bataclan concert hall. Dozens
of survivors were rescued, and bodies were still being recovered on Saturday
morning. The
Christian Post notes 40 more people were killed in five
other attacks in the Paris region, including an apparent double suicide bombing
outside the Stade de France national stadium, where Hollande and the German
foreign minister were watching a soccer game between France and Germany. It is
now known a suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest was
blocked from entering the Stade de France soccer venue. It
was the worst such attack in Europe since the Madrid train bombings of 2004, in
which 191 died.
In the aftermath of the coordinated
attacks, reports are emerging that one of the terrorists was a Syrian refugee
who arrived in Greece just last month. One of suicide bombers outside the Stade
de France had a Syrian passport on his body. Greek journalist Yannis Koutsomitis
tweeted the country’s Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection has
confirmed that the terrorist was “registered as refugee on Leros island in
October.” Police declined to give the terrorist’s name.
This comes as a blow to Angela
Merkel and other European leaders who allowed a flood of hundreds of thousands
of migrants despite the potential threat from ISIS to infiltrate the west. Merkel
responded to the massacre by calling for
people to express “tolerance” towards the migrants and respect for “the right
of everyone to seek his fortune and live.”
“We believe in the right of everyone
to seek his fortune and live, to the respect for the other and tolerance,” said
Merkel.
“We know that our free life is
stronger than any terrorist. Let’s give the terrorists the answer by living our
values confidently. And as we affirm these values throughout Europe. Now more
than ever.”
Numerous experts have warned “that
rolling out the red carpet to migrants from the Middle East would substantially
heighten the risk of terrorists
being able to cross into Europe, although such concerns were dismissed by many
at the time as fearmongering,” noted
InfoWars.
ISIS is claiming responsibility for
the Paris attacks. In an online statement in Arabic and French which authorities
say appears to be genuine, the attacks are
called a “miracle” carried out by “eight brothers wearing explosive vests and
assault rifles.” The statement called Paris the “capital of abomination and
perversion.”
The
Guardian reports security analyst Charlie Winter
said he has seen huge amounts of ISIS propaganda and he believes the statement
is definitely from the group, though it was “put together hastily” and it is
not clear whether the attacks that killed 127 people were directly ordered by
ISIS or only inspired by the group.
European pushback against migration
is increasing. Hollande’s promised “merciless” response may not be enough for
his angry fellow citizens.
Far-right National Front party
leader Marine Le Pen issued a call for “urgent action” on Saturday, saying,
“Islamist fundamentalism must be annihilated, France must ban Islamist
organizations, close radical mosques and expel foreigners who preach hatred in
our country as well as illegal migrants who have nothing to do here.”
Polls have indicated Le Pen’s past
strong speeches against immigration are helping her campaign in the 2017
presidential race, reported Reuters. Prior to the attack, she was considered
likely to win regional elections in northern France in December and to make it
to the second round afterwards, although not winning the run-off. It remains to
be seen if the Paris massacre boosts her support further.
“It is absolutely necessary that
France regains control of its borders,” she said – a message likely to resonate
with French voters worried over the recent massive influx of Muslim migrants.
In a little-noticed
story from a German newspaper,
Bavaria’s state premier Horst Seehofer told a party conference there was
“reason to believe” that a 51-year-old man arrested last week with several
weapons in southern Germany was linked to the Paris attack.
The article reports Seehofer
explicitly linked the arrest to the refugee crisis, saying it “shows how
important it is for us to have some clarity on who is in our country and who is
travelling through our country.” He reiterated his call for reinforced controls
at Europe’s external borders as well as at each European country’s national
border.
Poland’s future minister for
European affairs said his
government will not accept EU-mandated
quotas for refugees following the terrorist attacks in France. Upwards of 50,000
Poles protested on Wednesday against the European
Union and unfettered migration.
Even Sweden is saying “enough” to
migrants and began imposing border controls on Thursday. A line of at least 20
police officers is being permanently present on the platform of the Hyllie
train station, meeting every train which comes over the Oresund bridge from
Denmark.
The
Telegraph reports the breaking point politically for
Sweden came on Monday “when Anna Kinberg Batra, the leader of Sweden’s
centre-right Moderate Party, called for Sweden to send back any asylum-seeker
who had stepped foot in another EU country en route, a draconian application of
the EU’s original regulations. ‘If we do not act now, we will have a collapse
in the system,’ she warned.”
Meanwhile a high-speed
train undergoing a test run in northeast
France derailed on Saturday. The train burst into flames and split apart before
plunging into the Marne au Rhin canal, killing at least seven people and
gravely injuring 11. A spokeswoman said there were no immediate indications the
crash had anything to do with the Paris attacks the day before.
In England, a
terminal at Gatwick Airport was evacuated
“for the protection of the public” this morning after a gun was found. Police
confirmed a man from France was being questioned. He was described as
“landside” at the airport and “had not checked in or passed through any
passport or security checks.” He was seen acting suspiciously before throwing a
package in a garbage can.
England has upped security in the
wake of the Paris attacks. “The police have stepped up their security measures
on a precautionary basis and UK border force are working with their French
counterparts in light of the tighter border controls in France,” a
spokesman said.
At
least two Americans are among those injured in the
Paris attacks. Cal State Long Beach is
reporting a 20-year-old design student named
Nohemi Gonzalez was among those killed.
Yet on Friday, the Obama
administration moved
to increase and accelerate the number of Syrian
refugees who might be admitted into the United States by opening new screening
outposts in Iraq and Lebanon.
http://www.wnd.com/2015/11/france-promises-merciless-response-to-attacks/
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