France train suspect watched jihadi video, prosecutor says

[webfact]

France train suspect watched jihadi video, prosecutor says
By THOMAS ADAMSON and GREG KELLER

PARIS (AP) — Minutes before he slung an assault rifle across his chest and walked through a high-speed train, the Moroccan suspect in the foiled attack watched a jihadi video on his cellphone, the French prosecutor said in formally opening a terrorism investigation Tuesday.

The actions by Ayoub El-Khazzani on the Amsterdam-to-Paris train Friday night and information from other European authorities on his travels and apparent links to radical Islam prompted the investigation, said prosecutor Francois Molins.

El-Khazzani, 26, was tackled and tied up by five passengers, including three Americans and a Briton, averting what President Francois Hollande said "could have degenerated into monstrous carnage."

During questioning by authorities, El-Khazzani said he had no terrorism plans and had found a bag of weapons Thursday in a Brussels park and planned to use them to rob passengers, Molins said. But the suspect grew less and less lucid as he gave his explanation, the prosecutor added, and eventually stopped talking to investigators altogether.

One reason investigators suspect a premeditated attack was that El-Khazzani, who claimed to be homeless and living in a Brussels park, used a first-class ticket, Molins said. The suspect refused to take an earlier train, he added, although there were seats available — "the sign of a planned project."

He boarded the train Friday at a Brussels station.

Besides the assault rifle, El-Khazzani had 270 rounds of ammunition, a pistol, a box-cutter and a bottle of gasoline, Molins said.

Prosecutors also said they found a small explosive like those used in the tips of missiles hidden in the glass box containing the hammer used to break train windows in case of emergency. They did not elaborate.

"El-Khazzani watched a video of Islamic preaching onboard" on YouTube on his mobile phone shortly before he got up to start walking through the train with the weapons, Molins told reporters at a news conference. The suspect's phone was found in a bag left on the train.

The gunman was subdued by a group of three American friends and a British businessman. Another man who tried to stop him — a French-American named Mark Moogalian — remained hospitalized with a gunshot wound.

With the formal investigation opened, investigating magistrates are expected to file numerous preliminary charges against El-Khazzani, including multiple counts of attempted murder in connection with terrorism, possession of weapons in connection with terrorism, and participation in a terrorist conspiracy.

The suspect had traveled through several European countries and had been repeatedly incarcerated in Spain and flagged for surveillance in France, Molins said. After five to seven months in 2014 in France, he lived in Brussels, Cologne and Vienna.

French surveillance helped authorities spot the suspect on a May 10 flight from Berlin to Istanbul, then a return flight from Antakya, Turkey, to Tirana, Albania, via Istanbul, Molins said. El-Khazzani denied going to Turkey.

He may also have tried to go to Syria.

The train incident has highlighted growing difficulties in protecting public spaces from individual attackers.

In his speech Tuesday, the French president said the country remains "exposed" to violent extremism, and "this aggression is new proof that we should prepare ourselves for other assaults."

Hollande did not elaborate on a specific threat, although France has been on high alert for attacks all year. He stressed his commitment to counterterrorism efforts at home and abroad against extremists.

The prosecutor said El-Khazzani boarded the train on Friday at a Brussels station.

Investigators in Brussels searched two buildings in the Molenbeek-Saint-Jean neighborhood where the suspect may have stayed, the Federal Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. No one was detained, although investigators said they seized "some objects" for further examination. The statement did not elaborate.

According to French law, authorities must file preliminary charges against El-Khazzani by Tuesday night or seek a special extension to his temporary custody.

The next step will be determining where his weapons came from, how he financed them, and whether he had any accomplices, Molins said.

One of the Americans who helped thwart the attack, U.S. Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone, flew to a U.S. military base in southern Germany, where he was treated at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and doing well, said spokesman Chuck Roberts. Stone, who arrived Monday, seemed in good spirits, smiling and shaking hands with officials at the hospital.

Roberts said Stone is being treated for a cut to his thumb, for which a full recovery is expected with ongoing therapy, as well as a "non-critical" eye injury and other minor wounds. It's not clear when Stone will be transferred back to the U.S.

In Georgia, the sister of Mark Moogalian described him as forthright and determined, and is not surprised by his unselfish actions on the train.

"Mark is one of the most compassionate people I've ever known," Jacqueline Moogalian-Pittman told The Associated Press. "He's a free spirit. When he sets his mind on what he wants to do, he just does it — which is one of the reasons I wasn't surprised when I heard he went after the actual gunman."
___

Lorne Cook in Brussels, David Rising in Berlin, Angela Charlton in Paris and Johnny Clark in Austell, Georgia, contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-08-26

[ezzra]

Not according to his lawyer though, according to he's nothing but a poor man who was trying to

rob passengers on the train because he was hungry, yes, a poor man with an AK 47 and 9

loaded magazines and other weapons. here's an idea, SEEL THE AK AND AMMO AND

BUY BREAD FELLA...

[Lissos]

How did we fail him?

[zaphod reborn]

Not according to his lawyer though, according to he's nothing but a poor man who was trying to

rob passengers on the train because he was hungry, yes, a poor man with an AK 47 and 9

loaded magazines and other weapons. here's an idea, SEEL THE AK AND AMMO AND

BUY BREAD FELLA...

I actually believe his story about finding the weapons cache in a Brussels park. Yes, after his repeated contact with a Muslim jihadist terror network, the network stashed the weapons in the park, informed El-Khazzani of the location, and he made the pick-up. He then boarded a train which was the target designated by the terror network. Also, the network bought him first class airline tickets as they moved him around, making it more difficult for him to know where and what his exact target was going to be, in case he fell into the wrong hands, or backed out and went to the authorities.

Every day, that ridiculous "lone wolf" story run by AP is looking more like the propaganda of the Muslim terrorist lawyer network.

[klauskunkel]

"The emaciated, destitute, confused and hungry poor man who only wanted to rob the train passengers so he can eat" according to his lawyer, well he had a first class train ticket and a smart phone - that's worth a couple of burgers without pork.

[Steely Dan]

"The emaciated, destitute, confused and hungry poor man who only wanted to rob the train passengers so he can eat" according to his lawyer, well he had a first class train ticket and a smart phone - that's worth a couple of burgers without pork.

If you can swallow that you can swallow anything. According to the o.p He watched a YouTube video of a religion of peace preacher just before carrying out the attack. Yet we are told simultaneously that the terrorists keep misunderstanding Islam and besides which this had nothing to do with Islam. Perhaps many eating disorders are indeed caused by people blowing all their money on first class travel instead of traveling cattle class and grabbing a bacon butty from the train canteen, or something similar.

[JDGRUEN]

From listening to French TV on and off for two days... The French Authorities are not buying any of the Terrorist's B.S. ... The chief prosecutor has repeated used the words ISLAM in describing the jihadi youtube videos and the word violence and words about espousing violence... inciting to violence etc.

I also noticed that Spain made a raid on some suspected terrorists in the last few days... And as we know this poor homeless hungry Islamic Radical originated his escapades from Spain...

[Steely Dan]

From listening to French TV on and off for two days... The French Authorities are not buying any of the Terrorist's B.S. ... The chief prosecutor has repeated used the words ISLAM in describing the jihadi youtube videos and the word violence and words about espousing violence... inciting to violence etc.

I also noticed that Spain made a raid on some suspected terrorists in the last few days... And as we know this poor homeless hungry Islamic Radical originated his escapades from Spain...

800 of the poor waifs reaching Spain are suspected terrorists by the way.

http://gatesofvienna.net/2015/08/the-european-migration-crisis/

Edited August 26, 2015 by Steely Dan

[Harsh Jones]

Not according to his lawyer though, according to he's nothing but a poor man who was trying to

rob passengers on the train because he was hungry, yes, a poor man with an AK 47 and 9

loaded magazines and other weapons. here's an idea, SEEL THE AK AND AMMO AND

BUY BREAD FELLA...

I actually believe his story about finding the weapons cache in a Brussels park. Yes, after his repeated contact with a Muslim jihadist terror network, the network stashed the weapons in the park, informed El-Khazzani of the location, and he made the pick-up. He then boarded a train which was the target designated by the terror network. Also, the network bought him first class airline tickets as they moved him around, making it more difficult for him to know where and what his exact target was going to be, in case he fell into the wrong hands, or backed out and went to the authorities.

Every day, that ridiculous "lone wolf" story run by AP is looking more like the propaganda of the Muslim terrorist lawyer network.

The bright side of the story is that the apologist side seems to be losing members with each passing attack. We still havnt heard from an apologist on this thread

[JimGant]

Another story about arrogant Americans interfering in a foreign situation -- this time the French railway system. Even the first on the scene was French-American -- so obviously the arrogant American part of him overcame his cheese eating lineage. Go home Yanks.

[F430murci]

Not according to his lawyer though, according to he's nothing but a poor man who was trying to

rob passengers on the train because he was hungry, yes, a poor man with an AK 47 and 9

loaded magazines and other weapons. here's an idea, SEEL THE AK AND AMMO AND

BUY BREAD FELLA...

I actually believe his story about finding the weapons cache in a Brussels park. Yes, after his repeated contact with a Muslim jihadist terror network, the network stashed the weapons in the park, informed El-Khazzani of the location, and he made the pick-up. He then boarded a train which was the target designated by the terror network. Also, the network bought him first class airline tickets as they moved him around, making it more difficult for him to know where and what his exact target was going to be, in case he fell into the wrong hands, or backed out and went to the authorities.

Every day, that ridiculous "lone wolf" story run by AP is looking more like the propaganda of the Muslim terrorist lawyer network.

The bright side of the story is that the apologist side seems to be losing members with each passing attack. We still havnt heard from an apologist on this thread

Lol, I am sure they are carefully considering what the heck to say and when to say it.

[F430murci]

Another story about arrogant Americans interfering in a foreign situation -- this time the French railway system. Even the first on the scene was French-American -- so obviously the arrogant American part of him overcame his cheese eating lineage. Go home Yanks.

Holy cow, what is your dysfunction?

[JimGant]

Holy cow, what is your dysfunction?

Must be that tongue in my cheek......

[F430murci]

Holy cow, what is your dysfunction?

Must be that tongue in my cheek......

My apologies then.

[ABCer]

OP <quote> " ... the Moroccan suspect in the foiled attack watched a jihadi video on his cellphone, the French prosecutor said in formally opening a terrorism investigation..."

"... information from other European authorities on his travels and apparent links to radical Islam prompted the investigation..."

"... claimed to be homeless and living in a Brussels park, used a first-class ticket..."

" ... Besides the assault rifle, El-Khazzani had 270 rounds of ammunition, a pistol, a box-cutter and a bottle of gasoline..."

" ... suspect had traveled through several European countries and had been repeatedly incarcerated in Spain and flagged for surveillance in France..."

"... authorities spot the suspect on a May 10 flight from Berlin to Istanbul, then a return flight from Antalya, Turkey, to Tirana, Albania..."

"... The train incident has highlighted growing difficulties in protecting public spaces from individual attackers."

" ... French president said the country remains "exposed" to violent extremism ... and should prepare ... for other assaults..."

" ... The next step will be determining where his weapons came from, how he financed them, and whether he had any accomplices..."

From the above quotes summarily follows the singular conclusion: -

the authorities of various countries collectively known as EU are complete and utter idiots, their Legal System and Laws are designed to be abused and are abused

and their respective Governments jointly and severally are responsible for failure to protect their population.

Not only are they responsible for creating a situation where things like described in this report are possible, not only they are failing to preclude such incidents but even when they have information about potential danger to the public - they are criminally inactive in prevention. Which is still considered totally politically correct. EU is mad. EU is dead. EU is ready for burial.

Edited August 28, 2015 by ABCer