12 dead in attack on Paris newspaper; France goes on alert
JAMEY KEATEN, Associated Press
LORI HINNANT, Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — Masked gunmen shouting "Allahu akbar!" stormed the Paris offices of a satirical newspaper Wednesday, killing 12 people before escaping. It was France's deadliest terror attack in at least two decades.

French President Francois Hollande called the attack on the Charlie Hebdo weekly, which has frequently drawn condemnation from Muslims, "a terrorist attack without a doubt" and said several other attacks have been thwarted in France "in recent weeks."

France raised its security alert to the highest level and reinforced security at houses of worship, stores, media offices and transportation. Top government officials were holding an emergency meeting and Hollande planned a nationally televised address in the evening.

A witness who works nearby, Benoit Bringer, told the iTele network he saw multiple masked men armed with automatic weapons at the newspaper's office in central Paris. The attackers went to the second floor and started firing indiscriminately in the newsroom, said Christophe DeLoire of Reporters Without Borders.

"This is the darkest day of the history of the French press," he said.

Luc Poignant, an official of the SBP police union, said the attackers left in a waiting car and later switched to another vehicle that had been stolen.

Paris prosecutor's spokeswoman Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre confirmed that 12 people were killed in the attack.

Video images on the website of public broadcaster France Televisions showed two gunmen in black at a crossroads who appeared to fire down one of the streets. A cry of "Allahu akbar!" — Arabic for "God is great"— could be heard among the gunshots.

The extremist Islamic State group has threatened to attack France and minutes before the attack Charlie Hebdo had tweeted a satirical cartoon of that extremist group's leader giving New Year's wishes. The cartoon entitled "Still No Attacks in France" had a caricature of an extremist fighter saying "Just wait — we have until the end of January to present our New Year's wishes."

Charlie Hebdo has been repeatedly threatened for its caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad and other controversial sketches. Its offices were firebombed in 2011 after a spoof issue featuring a caricature of the prophet on its cover. Nearly a year later, the publication again published crude Muhammad caricatures, drawing denunciations from around the Muslim world.

Wednesday's attack comes the same day of the release of a book by a celebrated French novelist depicting France's election of its first Muslim president. Hollande had been due to meet with the country's top religious officials later in the day.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-01-07

Lone wolf attack. Absolutely nothing to do with Islam. Just nutters.

No, I don't believe that either. It's just that I'd thought I'd get in first before the apologists.

Just watched a video on Facebook of them gunning down a French policeman.

Savages!

Will we see a Paris protest march against Islam rallies soon ?

This happened because of French racism, unemployment, and poverty. We know this because the talking heads on CNN says that it is so. It's the French's fault. And now we must worry about all those "backlashes" that actually never really occur. Oh, by the way, 12 people were just killed but that isn't as important as the racism against muslims.

Just watched a video on Facebook of them gunning down a French policeman.

Is that the one where one of the terrorists fires his rifle point blank range into the neutralized policeman?

bloody sickening

Will we see a Paris protest march against Islam rallies soon ?

Off course not. That would be racist.

Let us hope the authorities catch and punish these bastards quickly and severely.

When you invite the wolf onto your farm don't start complaining when it slaughters your chickens.

Religion is the root of so much evil on this planet.

My condolences to the families of the victims and for the murdered people may they rest in Peace.

These savage murderers have to be stopped.

It has nothing to do with religion but with the arrogance and ignorance of some people using religion to accomplish their murder instincts.

Hope they catch them soon and let them rot for the rest of their miserable lives in jail.

This is abhorrent. Extremism must be stamped out. Finally and with no mercy.

It's just a pity that the IGNORANT masses, all Charlie Hedbo readers included, think that a single religion consists of all extremists.

Allahu akbar! = God is great.

Yes, I'm sure he's sitting up there rubbing his hands and smiling with glee and delight at those who carried out this attack.

Evil, wicked scum who will surely end up in the eternal fiery pit.

Sick !

I agree with people saying this was not terrorism. I think this is war.

I wouldn't be surprised if the two are ISIS fighters who came back to France.

some possible actions coming to mind:

- send the foreign legion to help the Kurds against ISIS. The legion can do the fighting and the Kurds can control the liberated territory

- State-subsidise a new Charlie Hebdo with offices located within a secure location

Thank allah it's a peaceful religon, because we'd all be screwed if it wasn't.

Another Bunch of murdering Muslims. Religion of peace, my ass

Sick !

I agree with people saying this was not terrorism. I think this is war.

I wouldn't be surprised if the two are ISIS fighters who came back to France.

some possible actions coming to mind:

- send the foreign legion to help the Kurds against ISIS. The legion can do the fighting and the Kurds can control the liberated territory

- State-subsidise a new Charlie Hebdo with offices located within a secure location

Quite sure its those ISIS guys coming back. All countries are on higher alert because of this.

Savages, hope they get them.

Hope we are going to see big protests condemning this.

When you invite the wolf onto your farm don't start complaining when it slaughters your chickens.

Religion is the root of so much evil on this planet.

Islam is not a religion. Its an ideology. religions assimilate, idiologies dont

This will certainly help the right wing in French politics.

The lefties across Europe have allowed this situation to develop.

Perhaps now the Calais route to the UK will be closed down.

It has nothing to do with religion

It has EVERYTHING to do with religion.

It drives their actions and gives their sad lives some meaning.

It's their life. They live and breathe it.

How much more evidence do we need to stop the Islamification of Europe and recognise the inherent danger of Islamists in the west.

WAKE UP!!

And white liberal lefties fret and wring their hands at the success of brave patriots Pergida (insulted as 'IGNORANT massses' by apologists) in Germany. Pergida is just the beginning. It will spread

This has EVERYTHING to do with religion.

This is abhorrent. Extremism must be stamped out. Finally and with no mercy.

It's just a pity that the IGNORANT masses, all Charlie Hedbo readers included, think that a single religion consists of all extremists.

Maybe you could point us to the extremists from the other religions as well?

Now don't start about what happened in the middle ages, we are in the 21st century.

I posted yesterday that the world needs to wake up.

I agree MRTOAD "Another Bunch of murdering Muslims. Religion of peace, my ass"

Now who is going to do something to change or end this destructive religion?.........SOUND OF CRICKETS

This has EVERYTHING to do with religion.

One PARTICULAR religion.

Will we see a Paris protest march against Islam rallies soon ?

When the right wing German neo nazis are the good guys, you know the other must really be slime

Will we see a Paris protest march against Islam rallies soon ?

When the right wing German neo nazis are the good guys, you know the other must really be slime

Which "right wing German neo nazis" are you referring to?

This will certainly help the right wing in French politics.

The lefties across Europe have allowed this situation to develop.

I respectfully disagree. Liberals, not the left allowed this situation to develop in my opinion. Would Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev, Mao, Kim il Sung, Deng Xiaoping et al have just stood idly by scratching their backsides and looking the other way?

Time to close the borders!!

Who has entered already can stay if integrating!! If not, a one-way ticket to Mecca!!

This will certainly help the right wing in French politics.

The lefties across Europe have allowed this situation to develop.

I respectfully disagree. Liberals, not the left allowed this situation to develop in my opinion. Would Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev, Mao, Kim il Sung, Deng Xiaoping et al have just stood idly by scratching their backsides and looking the other way?

Not the liberals.

The very leftist socialist media in France. Instead of defending everyone's liberties and rights, they preached excessive tolerance and manipulated the country into becoming a doormat for every minority.

French media bear a large part of responsibility in my eyes.

My condolences to the families of the victims and for the murdered people may they rest in Peace.

These savage murderers have to be stopped.

It has nothing to do with religion but with the arrogance and ignorance of some people using religion to accomplish their murder instincts.

Hope they catch them soon and let them rot for the rest of their miserable lives in jail.

It has everything to do with religion.

How many more terrorist attacks in the name of the prophet before you change your mind?

This is going to get alot worse.

Religion is the problem and Islam is the worst of all these stinking religions.

Merkel's discussions about protests look rather ridiculous now.

Awful events.

Time for another series of crusades me thinks