Paris shootings

[JohnM]

On the BBC TV News just now, their reporter in Paris was interviewing friends and neighbours of Hasna Aitboulahcen. It seems that she was an outgoing and friendly girl and no one thought she would ever do a thing like this.

 

In another interview, “Her brother Youssouf Aitboulahcen said she had no interest in religion and only started covering her face with a veil a month ago. In a statement, Mr Aitboulahcen said: “She spent her time criticising everything. She was living in her own world. She was not interested in studying her religion. I never saw her open the Koran. She was permanently on her phone, looking at Facebook or WhatsApp.  “I told her to stop all of this but she would not listen, she ignored my numerous attempts to give her advice.”

This is not the first time that friends, neighbours and relatives have expressed surprise that someone was a terrorist. Given also that terrorists don’t generally go round saying what they are until the very very last moment.  Clearly the Prevent strategy has a role to play, but given the above, what should we do to combat this evil?

[Bedford Roughyed]

On the BBC TV News just now, their reporter in Paris was interviewing friends and neighbours of Hasna Aitboulahcen. It seems that she was an outgoing and friendly girl and no one thought she would ever do a thing like this.

 

In another interview, “Her brother Youssouf Aitboulahcen said she had no interest in religion and only started covering her face with a veil a month ago. In a statement, Mr Aitboulahcen said: “She spent her time criticising everything. She was living in her own world. She was not interested in studying her religion. I never saw her open the Koran. She was permanently on her phone, looking at Facebook or WhatsApp.  “I told her to stop all of this but she would not listen, she ignored my numerous attempts to give her advice.”

This is not the first time that friends, neighbours and relatives have expressed surprise that someone was a terrorist. Given also that terrorists don’t generally go round saying what they are until the very very last moment.  Clearly the Prevent strategy has a role to play, but given the above, what should we do to combat this evil?

 

Scary speed from a normal disinterested person to a terrorist.

[Wolford6]

This is not the first time that friends, neighbours and relatives have expressed surprise that someone was a terrorist.

 

Suppose I was questioned by the press after a member of my social circle or family had just been exposed as a terrorist.

 

If I was a latent terrorist myself, I would hardly say "Oh, I knew he/she was a true warrior of Islam and really wanted to kill kafeers; I'm looking forward to killing a few myself"

[Shadow]

Suppose I was questioned by the press after a member of my social circle or family had just been exposed as a terrorist.

 

If I was a latent terrorist myself, I would hardly say "Oh, I knew he/she was a true warrior of Islam and really wanted to kill kafeers; I'm looking forward to killing a few myself"

I genuinely don't know whether to envy your utter black and white fixed world view where you have all the answers or despair at your world filled with fear of anyone different from your narrow ideals.

[D Collins]

That Andrew Neil speech in full;

Welcome to This Week. The week in which a bunch of loser jihadists slaughtered 132 innocents in Paris to prove the future belongs to them rather than a civilisation like France.

I can't say I fancy their chances. France, the country of Descartes, Boulet, Monet, Sartre, Rousseau, Camus, Renoir, Berlioz, Cézanne, Gauguin, Hugo, Voltaire, Matisse, Debussy, Ravel, Sanson, Bizet, Satie, Pasteur, Molière, Frank, Zola, Balzac, Blanc. Cutting edge science, world class medicine, fearsome security forces, nuclear power, Coco Chanel, Chateau Lafite, Coq Au Vin, Daft Punk, Zizou Zidane, Juliette Binoche, liberté, égalité, fraternité and crème brûlée.

Verus what? Beheadings, crucifixions, amputations, slavery, mass murder, squalor - a death cult barbarity that would shame the Middle Ages.

Well IS or Daesh or ISIS or ISIL or whatever name you're going by - I'm sticking with IS, as in Islamist scumbags - I think the outcome is pretty clear to everybody but you. Whatever atrocities you're currently capable of committing, you will lose.

In a thousand years Paris, the glorious city of lights, will still be shining bright as will every other city like it. 

While you will be as dust, along with the ragbag of Fascists, Nazis and Stalinists who have previously dared to challenge democracy and failed.

[Wolford6]

I genuinely don't know whether to envy your utter black and white fixed world view where you have all the answers or despair at your world filled with fear of anyone different from your narrow ideals.

 

Too many words for one sentence.

[Martyn Sadler]

Scary speed from a normal disinterested person to a terrorist.

 

It seems to happen quite a lot that someone is brought up in a religious family, rebels to a greater or lesser degree as a teenager, and then returns to an extreme version of the faith.

 

There also seems to be a surprising number of converts who gravitate towards a fundamentalist viewpoint.

[Wolford6]

There also seems to be a surprising number of converts who gravitate towards a fundamentalist viewpoint.

 

That's because there's something missing in their lives; they feel misfits in a twentyfirst century secular  society. They then look for an outside source of comfort. If they embrace a faith, it can give some surety to their lifestyle. They are prone to becoming more dogmatic and outspoken against the mores of their previous social profile. The danger with Islam is that it has an underlying faction dedicated to world domination over other faiths. That faction is keen to subvert the vulnerable.

 

On a more mundane level, it is evidencedby such instances as:

- an elevated hatred of smoking in reformed smokers

and

 - Shadow's wholehearted conviction that rugby league is the one true sport.

[JohnM]

Scary speed from a normal disinterested person to a terrorist.

Quite so. Makes youbwonder if there is a predisposition or if the power of radicalisation is hypnotic almost. Anyway, it is now being said that one of the (other) terrorists detonated her bomb.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3326778/Police-discover-body-scene-Paris-siege-Cowgirl-suicide-bomber-blew-terror-mastermind-killed-sniper.html

Mind you, the commenst from her brother are telling

In a statement, Mr Aitboulahcen said: “She spent her time criticising everything. She was living in her own world. She was not interested in studying her religion. I never saw her open the Koran. She was permanently on her phone, looking at Facebook or WhatsApp. “I told her to stop all of this but she would not listen, she ignored my numerous attempts to give her advice.”

[JohnM]

double post... on internet wet string

[gingerjon]

In a statement, Mr Aitboulahcen said: “She spent her time criticising everything. She was living in her own world. She was not interested in studying her religion. I never saw her open the Koran. She was permanently on her phone, looking at Facebook or WhatsApp. “I told her to stop all of this but she would not listen, she ignored my numerous attempts to give her advice.”

 

To repeat what others have said: sometimes Four Lions looks like a documentary

[ckn]

It now appears that there's a chance she may not have been a terrorist after all.  She wasn't the one who blew herself up.

[chuffer]

Distinct lack of Mali flags on Facebook today...

[Stevo]

Distinct lack of Mali flags on Facebook today...

 

A bloke across town gets burgled.

 

Your next door neighbour gets burgled.

 

Both occurred - but which do you care most about?

[chuffer]

So its purely geographical then?

[WearyRhino]

A bloke across town gets burgled.

Your next door neighbour gets burgled.

Both occurred - but which do you care most about?

Err... both equally.

[Wolford6]

Err... both equally.

 

Only if:

( a ) you and your neighbour don't get on particularly well

or

( b ) you are the burglar.

[Saintslass]

It now appears that there's a chance she may not have been a terrorist after all.  She wasn't the one who blew herself up.

There has been no change on where she stood in terms of her allegiences only doubts expressed about being the person who wore a suicide belt. 

[JohnM]

meanwhile.....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3329570/Son-Labour-councillor-suspected-extremist-arrested-Syrian-border-Britain-walking-streets-Rochdale.html

[Griff9of13]

Appalling stirring up of anti muslim sentiment in this mornings S*n: A rebuke from the Mirror

[Jasper]

I know this is about the Paris shootings, but moving a bit closer to home, over the weekend John Reid, ex- home secretary, said that if this government make a forecast 20% cut in front line police officers in their spending review on Wednesday, there would be less front line officers in the whole of England & Wales than the number that France sent into Paris to deal with the latest terror attacks. 

But not to worry, Michael  Fallon  has announced the formation of two 'Rapid Reaction' Military units to bolster the Police in a terrorist attack.  When pushed on the time scales for the formation of this unit he skirted around the question saying work was already under way.  Sky News later reported they have been told that these units won't be fully functional until 2025!!

[gingerjon]

meanwhile.....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3329570/Son-Labour-councillor-suspected-extremist-arrested-Syrian-border-Britain-walking-streets-Rochdale.html

 

More innuendo in that article than in a Carry on film.

[GeordieSaint]

Michael  Fallon  has announced the formation of two 'Rapid Reaction' Military units to bolster the Police in a terrorist attack.  When pushed on the time scales for the formation of this unit he skirted around the question saying work was already under way.  Sky News later reported they have been told that these units won't be fully functional until 2025!!

Just a side note to your bottom paragraph, there is already a mechanism in place to deploy up to 5000 troops to support the police plus large elements of UKSF to do some door kicking if required. SDSR being released today so no idea what these Rapid Reaction units are about.

[gingerjon]

 no idea what these Rapid Reaction units are about.

 

They are about making politicians look like they're doing something?

[Jasper]

Just a side note to your bottom paragraph, there is already a mechanism in place to deploy up to 5000 troops to support the police plus large elements of UKSF to do some door kicking if required. SDSR being released today so no idea what these Rapid Reaction units are about.

I think Mr Fallon is getting a bit mixed up.  On the news he announced the formation of these Rapid Reaction Units to be deployed 'all over the globe to combat Isis', and also said they would be used to bolster the British police in times of terror attacks, but as GS says, he already has them.

 

They are about making politicians look like they're doing something?

Think you are right.