PARIS
Firebombs and pig heads thrown into mosques. (click here) Veiled women subjected to crude insults in the street. The Internet awash with threats against Muslims. Europe's Muslims are feeling the heat of a fierce backlash following last week's terror attack against French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
A climate of fear is taking hold in Europe, as ordinary people increasingly heed rightist rhetoric equating the millions of peaceful Muslims with the few plotting murder and mayhem.
Abdallah Zekri, head of the National Observatory Against Islamophobia, said that in a 48-hour period after the Wednesday massacre at Charlie Hebdo, 16 places of worship around France were attacked by firebombs, gunshots or pig heads — a major insult to Muslims who don't eat pork....
In the Arab papers it was known where and when the brothers learned their trade. They did not come from Syria, but, they did go abroad to learn to kill. The lack of manpower in relation to the Arab Spring vs. intelligence gathering is the reason they slipped through the intelligence gathering net.
The travel of these men was realized after the attack in France. One has to realize the Arab nations take account of those inclined to violence against others. Saudi Arabia takes control of those suspected to be seeking violent measures. They have a terrorist list that is published every year with numbers between 20 to 30. They usually find them. The other countries in North Africa practice intelligence to know what may effect their government.
The West's populations aren't very familiar with the way governments in Northern Africa operate. They are very concerned about violence. They are worried about flash points and what can cause chaos and deaths afterward. It isn't as though the brothers were not being counted as they came and went. Their movements were noted, but, the Arab Spring was the focus of the security forces. Because of that the brothers slipped through the intelligence net and successfully found their way back to Paris. The Arab nations are as surprised and concerned as any country of the West.
I am confident China and Russia are equally as concerned. China's large population causes it to protect from any flashpoints because anarchy and chaos would cause far more deaths than one realizes. China has demonstrators and they are peaceful; these are not tendencies of violence.
While it is completely understandable how fear can increase with such violent events, the fact of the matter is there are strong intelligence networks in this part of the world.
I think these are good questions, however, being on a no fly list does not impede a person's way of life. The lists are detailed only for the airlines. The fact the brother's names were on the lists indicates the UK and US were attempting to limit their access to travel by air. There was a question about them for some time.
The attackers were MISSED by intelligence, they didn't have the level of covert abilities to be undetectable. The attacks in Paris were more or less opportunistic simply because of the distraction of the Arab Spring. The attackers didn't have abilities that defeated any nation's network to prevent their goals; they were among the 'odds' that exists in any attempt to stop attackers from being successful. It was a loophole no one expected.
12 January 2015
by Robert Hackwill
The Charlie Hebdo massacre (click here) has raised a number of questions in France pertaining not so much as to the why but as to the how ; how could such an attack have taken place, and how was it that it was not stopped?
As the killers were known to the police why were they not more closely monitored? Beyond any typical security service failings, where one agency does not inform another and opportunities are lost, the French are currently facing a wave of French-born Muslims turned Islamic militants returning from places like Syria and Iraq, where they have gained combat experience and military techniques. There are simply too many of them returning home for the security services to keep tabs on them all. However, the fact the Kouachi brothers were on US and UK no-fly lists suggests that at least Washington and London thought they were high-priority suspects. So why not Paris? That may be because, as often in the past, the French like to “turn” terrorists to do their bidding. The Kouachis may have been candidates for such treatment, but no-one in Paris is ever likely to admit that, even if it is a legitimate form of counter-espionage. Not now.
Charlie Hebdo had been attacked several times by various groups including the French far-right before, so why was it not better protected? Part of this may be due to the fact that some of the staff at Charlie were not keen on having police stationed outside, and also because the magazine had few friends in the establishment who were prepared to treat the threats seriously....
Firebombs and pig heads thrown into mosques. (click here) Veiled women subjected to crude insults in the street. The Internet awash with threats against Muslims. Europe's Muslims are feeling the heat of a fierce backlash following last week's terror attack against French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
A climate of fear is taking hold in Europe, as ordinary people increasingly heed rightist rhetoric equating the millions of peaceful Muslims with the few plotting murder and mayhem.
Abdallah Zekri, head of the National Observatory Against Islamophobia, said that in a 48-hour period after the Wednesday massacre at Charlie Hebdo, 16 places of worship around France were attacked by firebombs, gunshots or pig heads — a major insult to Muslims who don't eat pork....
In the Arab papers it was known where and when the brothers learned their trade. They did not come from Syria, but, they did go abroad to learn to kill. The lack of manpower in relation to the Arab Spring vs. intelligence gathering is the reason they slipped through the intelligence gathering net.
The travel of these men was realized after the attack in France. One has to realize the Arab nations take account of those inclined to violence against others. Saudi Arabia takes control of those suspected to be seeking violent measures. They have a terrorist list that is published every year with numbers between 20 to 30. They usually find them. The other countries in North Africa practice intelligence to know what may effect their government.
The West's populations aren't very familiar with the way governments in Northern Africa operate. They are very concerned about violence. They are worried about flash points and what can cause chaos and deaths afterward. It isn't as though the brothers were not being counted as they came and went. Their movements were noted, but, the Arab Spring was the focus of the security forces. Because of that the brothers slipped through the intelligence net and successfully found their way back to Paris. The Arab nations are as surprised and concerned as any country of the West.
I am confident China and Russia are equally as concerned. China's large population causes it to protect from any flashpoints because anarchy and chaos would cause far more deaths than one realizes. China has demonstrators and they are peaceful; these are not tendencies of violence.
While it is completely understandable how fear can increase with such violent events, the fact of the matter is there are strong intelligence networks in this part of the world.
I think these are good questions, however, being on a no fly list does not impede a person's way of life. The lists are detailed only for the airlines. The fact the brother's names were on the lists indicates the UK and US were attempting to limit their access to travel by air. There was a question about them for some time.
The attackers were MISSED by intelligence, they didn't have the level of covert abilities to be undetectable. The attacks in Paris were more or less opportunistic simply because of the distraction of the Arab Spring. The attackers didn't have abilities that defeated any nation's network to prevent their goals; they were among the 'odds' that exists in any attempt to stop attackers from being successful. It was a loophole no one expected.
12 January 2015
by Robert Hackwill
The Charlie Hebdo massacre (click here) has raised a number of questions in France pertaining not so much as to the why but as to the how ; how could such an attack have taken place, and how was it that it was not stopped?
As the killers were known to the police why were they not more closely monitored? Beyond any typical security service failings, where one agency does not inform another and opportunities are lost, the French are currently facing a wave of French-born Muslims turned Islamic militants returning from places like Syria and Iraq, where they have gained combat experience and military techniques. There are simply too many of them returning home for the security services to keep tabs on them all. However, the fact the Kouachi brothers were on US and UK no-fly lists suggests that at least Washington and London thought they were high-priority suspects. So why not Paris? That may be because, as often in the past, the French like to “turn” terrorists to do their bidding. The Kouachis may have been candidates for such treatment, but no-one in Paris is ever likely to admit that, even if it is a legitimate form of counter-espionage. Not now.
Charlie Hebdo had been attacked several times by various groups including the French far-right before, so why was it not better protected? Part of this may be due to the fact that some of the staff at Charlie were not keen on having police stationed outside, and also because the magazine had few friends in the establishment who were prepared to treat the threats seriously....
