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TWO TEENAGE GIRLS from the French city of Nice are being held on suspicion of planning an attack directed by a notorious Syria-based French jihadist, a source close to the investigation said.
The suspects, aged 17 and 19, live in the same area of Nice as Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, the radicalised Tunisian man who drove the truck that killed 86 people in the city on July 14.
Searches failed to find any weapons at their homes.
The teenagers have told investigators they had been in contact with Rachid Kassim, a French jihadist based in the areas of Syria and Iraq held by the Islamic State group.
“They admitted they had been planning a violent attack under the influence of Rachid Kassim before abandoning their plans,” a source in the investigation said.
The 17-year-old, who was not on the intelligence services’ radar before, has admitted “hating soldiers”, the source said. She was charged with associating with terror suspects.
The 19-year-old is known to investigators, having been in contact with another French citizen who recruits IS fighters, Omar Diaby. At the age of 17 she had planned to travel to Syria.
Concern
Kassim is emerging as a major concern for French anti-terror investigators after he was found to be in contact on messaging app Telegram with numerous people who have either carried out attacks in France or been arrested on suspicion of planning terror strikes.
He has appeared in several Telegram videos made in Syria and Iraq urging attacks in France.
Kassim is believed to have inspired an attack this year in which a senior French policeman and his partner were knifed to death and another in which an elderly priest’s throat was cut.
Investigators believe he also directed three women suspected of seeking to blow up a car packed with gas cylinders near Notre Dame cathedral in central Paris this month.
More than 200 people have been killed in attacks in France since 2015, including 130 who died in November’s Islamic State attacks in Paris. Prime Minister Manuel Valls has warned the threat of a new atrocity remains at a “maximum” level.
- © AFP 2016.
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They breed jihadists young in France. Saudi Arabian money and imported Imans are doing the job well.
What was Tom Clonan saying about this being a male anger issue?
It is a majority male issue. But to zoom in on men alone as a tactical approach to solving terrorism is not feasible. A scope that large wouldn’t work in any setting.
We’d need to concentrate on something more manageable. Right now, Muslims as a group are far more manageable a focus than men. Purely because of the comparatively low numbers in the west. Especially in Ireland.
Globally, terrorism involves Islam over 90% of the time and these acts, and according to PEW polls are often supported by sisters, mothers and grandmothers of the “martyrs”. Making the idea to focus on men specifically an even worse idea, because it ignores the women involved in terrorism.
If we were to build policies with the aim of decreasing incidents of terrorism, we would need to keep Islam in mind. Obviously, researching this ideology, finding out how to best tackle it, without jeopardising people’s lives, is the best approach.
Unlike Tom’s suggestion which leaves Islam out of the equation all together.
Really, whenever an ideology is heavily linked to incidents of a crime, it’s a good idea to keep that ideology in mind when tackling the crime itself.
@George Brown: “Especially in Ireland.” Let’s keep it that way.
Well when we compare the numbers of men who have committed acts of terrorism over the last three years (for example) to the number of women who have, I’d say the balance would most likely shift quite strongly to the side of men.
In this case it’s clearly to do with religious radicalisation, but day-to-day serious violence is generally committed by men, and that does seem to be a gendered issue.
If all these terrorists happened to be scientologists instead of muslims then all muslims would be removed from the EU ages ago.
The religion of peace
Unique comment there egg.
Egg, you need to go out and improve your style of commenting when knowing nothing about Islam. You fail each time to differentiate the terrorism with religion.
@Jihad.info: The more you find out about Islam…the more fked up you discover it to be.
@jihad.info Do enlighten the rest of us, how does this article not relate to Islam.
@al ca. Absolutely. I saw nothing at all wrong with the Religon of Peace. Untill I started educating my myself on it after 9/11. And I saw nothing wrong with the Religon or culture while it was contained in It’s own geographical location. Unfortunately millions of Muslims have been migrating west and the Religon and culture is very visible and very “in your face” everywhere you go now in any European city . From halal slaughter to underage brides, multiple wives, cousin marriage, male arrogance, female submission, demands for accommodation in schools, hospitals every field of their existence in Europe is one of constant demands and victimhood. Over represented by far in the welfare rolls and the prisons, I would ask Is there anything at all they bring to the party.
Of course Jihad.
Well you mentioned hospitals. Quite a few Muslims working in our hospitals. Quite a few working in (and running) take aways and restaurants. There is also a large number of Muslims in the volunteer sector. There were quite a few Muslim women at the March for choice yesterday and my taxi driver last night was a Muslim, from Azerbaijan. Apart from that I guess they don’t bring anything.
The Myth: Jihad simply means ‘struggle’ and really just refers to a peaceful striving against sin rather than a holy war to spread Islam. The Truth: In Arabic “jihad” means struggle. In Islam it means holy war.
Jihah, I’m assuming you’re Muslim.
@Jihad.info – With this in mind, Muslim apologist ists generally admit that there are two meanings to the word, but insist that “inner struggle” is the “greater Jihad,” whereas “holy war” is the “lesser.” In fact, this misconception is based only on an a single hadith that Islamic scholars generally agree was fabricated. By contrast, the most reliable of all Hadith collections is that of Sahih Bukhari. Jihad is mentioned over 200 times in reference to the words of Muhammad. Each carries a clear connotation to holy war, with only a handful of possible exceptions (dealing with a woman’s supporting role during a time of holy war).
If so do you condemn the Nice attack.? I bet you won’t come out and say you do. Do you believe gay people are free to love who they want? I bet you don’t. Do you believe women are equal to men.I doubt it. If your answer isn’t yes yes, yes. Then your option has no validity, as you lack basic humanity.
@Jihad.info – Please explain…. Quran (8:12) - ”I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them” – No reasonable person would interpret this to mean a spiritual struggle.
Time to reopen Devils Island as the European Gitmo. Anyone even suspected of Islamic Terrorist sympathies should sent there.
…in a heartbeat. Ship them out. Jihadists and their sympathisers. They’re not hard to spot. To some craphole where they can see out their days. Give them a Koran and let them practice sharia on each other. Maybe we can call it BigBruv and watch them hack each other to bits.
Im currently trying to figure out a way to make them something like hispanic looking or maybe a family member had mental health issues or some way of just not telling the truth as such..thankfully there are plenty in the media who can do that for me.
Between 7 to 1o children per day are shot in the USA by use of fire arms and many more adults are killed but terrorism is perceived as the buggest risk.
The vast majority of the circa 1.2 billion Muslims in the world are peaceful.
Really Micheal well one of your lads shot 5 people in a shopping centre in the States , he possibly had mental issues
Yet a terrorist who was stabbing innocent civilians at a shopping centre was stopped by a civilian with a concealed carry firearm. This ended the attack before police arrived, undoubtedly saving lives.
@Jason Culligan: Jason, honest question, why don’t you live in America? You seem to really like all their policy and social constructs, and dislike the ones in Europe, so why not move there?
Your assumption is based on what exactly Veronica?
I am sure they were Buddhists
have your say