A sleeper cell of militants was said directing attackers sent back to France from Islamic State’s de-facto capital in Raqqa, Syria

This morning it was confirmed what we already could hear on certain media stations yesterday, namely that the day before the attacks, senior Iraqi intelligence officials had warned France and other members of the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State that assaults by the militant group could be imminent.

A victim lies on the ground covered by a white sheet following an attack at rue Bichat. (Getty)

We can understand that intelligence forces often want to wait as long as possible before intervening, being able to have enough proof and to catch as many as possible involved in a certain case. But when the dispatch obtained by The Associated Press is true why did the French government did not take straight ahead more measures to avoid the bloodshed?

When French intelligence gets this kind of communication “all the time” and “every day” than they should question if their sources are really good sources and if there is not money spend at moles who can destabilise unnecessary.

But Iraqi intelligence officials told the AP that they also shared specific details with French authorities before the attack — including the size of a sleeper cell of militants they said was directing attackers sent back to France from Islamic State’s de-facto capital in Raqqa, Syria.

These additional details were not corroborated by French or Western security officials according Lori Hinnant, Jamey Keaten from the Seattle Times and according The Associated Press.

The river Semois by Bouillon in the Southern Belgian Ardennes. Also known as Ardennes Forest the Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges formed by the geological features of the Ardennes mountain range and the Moselle and Meuse River basins excellent for holiday and adventure camps, but also used for paramilitary training.

When we look at the co-ordinated strategy and the evident weaponry skill displayed by the attackers it is clear that those attackers must have had some training somewhere. It is not unknown that there have been training camps in the Belgian Ardennes, but it might well be that there are even more training sites in Europe as well do we know that Belgian, French and youngsters from the Netherlands have received training in Iraq and other places in the Middle East.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the IS group’s leader, had ordered supporters to use guns and bombs and take hostages in the days ahead in coalition countries as well as Iran and Russia, Thursday’s dispatch said. A sleeper cell of militants they said was directing attackers sent back to France from Islamic State’s de-facto capital in Raqqa, Syria.

The Seattle Times let us know that nearly all the French, Iraqi and U.S. officials providing information for this story spoke on condition of anonymity because they lack authorization to share details publicly.

The Belgian security forces could already stop some Muslim fundamentalists their plans to seriously damage our Western society. They got in time in making an end to a cell in Verviers but in Molenbeek they either still oversee many individuals and do not know or do not react yet unto certain groups. Yesterday it was alread sure that at least one of the dead assailants and five of the people arrested in raids on Saturday had spent time in the poor immigrant Brussels neighbourhood of Molenbeek and that from this hotbed for jihadism the 26 year old Salah Abdeslam, from Molenbeek, and his two brothers were just a few from that Brussels neighborghood.

Either he or his Muslim brother Abaaoud is the mastermind for those terrible attacks on the French capital. Salah Abdeslam was at least the logistics coordinator for the attackers and rented the cars used in the attacks.
Salah Abdeslam is still on the run, but police have launched a massive search for associates of the attackers, detaining suspects in France and Belgium.

Abdelhamid Abaaoud Photograph: Handout/Reuters

According Belgian officials his brother, Ibrahim, had died in the three-hour massacre and another brother, Mohamed, had been detained Saturday in the Molenbeek area of Brussels with their father and other suspects.
Some say the suspected mastermind behind the Paris attacks is Abdelhamid Abaaoud was sentenced to 20 years in prison earlier this year after being tried in absentia for recruiting for Islamic State in Syria. He was among 32 people charged with running one of Belgium’s largest jihadi recruitment networks, although many of the defendants – including Abaaoud – were tried in absentia and remain at large.

Omar Ismail Mostefai who always wore trainers and a cap, was tall, had long hair and a short beard and didn’t dress in a religious way was the 29 year old one of three unmasked men who pulled up in a black Polo car in Paris on Friday night and entered a rock gig at the Bataclan concert hall before opening fire on the crowd with Kalashnikovs. Terrified survivors spoke of utter “carnage”, in which the men shot at random and, when people threw themselves to the ground, turned their automatic weapons on them and kept firing. At least 89 people died there in the bloodiest of the coordinated attacks, bringing the total up to at least 129 people dead and hundreds wounded.

 

 

Mourners gather outside a service at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Sunday, two days after terror attacks targeted sites across the city. – Tomas Munita from the New York Times

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Preceding articles:

Is ISIS a product of American in-action or a product of direct action

Brussels-born Salah Abdeslam key suspect Paris terrorist attacks

Syrian but also Belgian connection to French attacks

Public not informed enough about Jihad terrorism in Belgium

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Additional reading:

• Abdelhamid Abaaoud brain of Molenbeek’s network dismantled in their hideaway at Verviers

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Find also to read:

1. How the terror attacks in Paris unfolded
2. Paris attacks: Suicide bomber identified; ISIS claims responsibility for 129 dead
3. The Paris attacks: What we know now
4. Paris terror: Video captures terrified customers fleeing café amid fears of another attack
5. Salah Abdeslam: Police stopped Paris attack suspect near Belgian border hours after killings – but let him go
6. Salah Abdeslam: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
7. After Paris attacks, fugitive slipped through police dragnet
8. Brussels Connection Under Spotlight After Paris Killings
9. The Nihilistic Assaults On Paris – OpEd
10. Paris attacks: Anonymous launches its ‘biggest operation ever’ against Isis, promises to ‘hunt down’ attackers
11. Paris attacks: How the minute’s silence was held around the world
12. Socio-Political Ethics In Islam And The West: A Comparative Perspective
13. Search continues for Paris attack suspect as France launches airstrikes on Islamic State targets
14. Paris on edge as panic erupts among crowds of mourners
15. Paris attacks: Isis threatens strike on US capital in ‘new video’ – live
16. Suspected terrorist cells in 2 European countries raided; 2 killed
17. The Islamic State’s trap for Europe
18. Paris attacks could shift US presidential race
19. Syria’s civil war now Europe’s war after Paris attacks

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Furhter reading:

1. US, French Defense Ministers Discuss Campaign Against Islamic State
2. The Nihilistic Assaults On Paris – OpEd
3. Ordinary peace-loving person tries to make sense of terrorism
4. The Liberal Islam Problem
5. The France theater Attacks
6. Paris attacks: What we know so far about the victims
7. In Photos: As France mourns, Europe holds moment of silence in honour of Paris victims
8. Post About it, Be About it: thoughts on social media activism
9. Terrorists Infiltrated Europe Disguised as Refugees
10. Reuters: Islamic State threatens attack on Washington, other countries
11. Making ☮ : Where does the peace symbol come from?
12. Paris, Pussies And Pinterest
13. A Moment of Silence
14. Passport found near Paris suicide bomber shows few security checks exist for migrants in the Balkans
15. Facebook defends using Safety Check after Paris attacks
16. “We The People Speak” Marketing Campaign
17. When Compassion Imperils our Security
18. TV Quiberon 24/7 WORLD – Minute’s silence for Paris victims
19. I’m with you
20. Celebrities mourn Nick Alexander, merch manager killed in Paris attack
21. Anonymous declares war on Islamic State after Paris attacks
22. BidenJam Returns: Lame-Duck VP Brings L.A. Road Closures Monday & Tuesday
23. A Message About The Paris Attacks, And Also Peace
24. French fighter jets bomb ISIL capital in Syria as ‘massive’ retaliation for Paris attacks
25. Make no mistake, the Paris attacks were a result of Religious Fundamentalism
26. Paris attacks deepen Republican opposition to Syrian refugee influx
27. On the attacks in Paris.
28. Disturbing comparisons
29. Investigation on Paris attacks continues as authorities look for suspects

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