The world sat in shock and glued to our TV’s as details of this news trickled out of Paris, France on the coordinated terrorist attacks at six (6) different locations in and around Paris on Friday evening. 129 have died so far from the attacks with hundreds more wounded.
In the aftermath of the coordinated Isis terrorist attacks evidence is being gathered. The prime suspect who masterminded the attacks is a Belgium born extremist Muslim Arab who now resides in Syria. The two other attackers were from the Paris area.
In a twist on the Syrian refugee movement one of the dead terrorists, all of who carried automatic weapons and wore suicide bomb vests, was a Syrian refugee who entered Greece from Syria on October 3rd, and then made his way to Paris to kill.
France, like most of Europe, has open borders and one can drive from one country to the next like driving from one State to the next in the United States. After the coordinated attacks, France closed its borders.
Suspects have been arrested in Belgium and in France. 23 have been arrested in France and over 100 placed on home arrest. Dozens of weapons were seized.
One of those murdered by the jihadist extreme Muslin terrorist was Nohemi Gonzalez, a U.S. citizen and student at the University of California at Long Beach. She was studying for a semester abroad in Paris. She was gunned down in a restaurant while out with friends on a lovely evening in Paris.
England acknowledged that they have foiled 6 planned jihadist attacks in this year alone. England has much stronger border controls and counter terrorism measures than much of the free world – including the United States.
These attacks are not the end, but the beginning of more of the same. What France, the rest of Europe and the United States do on border control and counter-terrorism actions will determine the outcome of future terrorist attacks. In the United States, the President called ISIS a “JV Team”.
There will be a lot of media coverage over the coming weeks as more information comes to light. Our hearts and prayers are with the victims and their families. We know all too well the terrible aftermath of grief and pain after 9/11 and we offer solidarity and support.