Scenes of horror as a Paris night becomes a bloodbath

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Scenes of horror as a Paris night becomes a bloodbath
JOHN LEICESTER, Associated Press


PARIS (AP) — The assailants' weapons were those of war: automatic rifles and suicide belts of explosives. The killing was indiscriminate, spread across a swath of the city, in at least six different sites. An ordinary Friday night in Paris transformed into a bloodbath. The word Parisians used over and over as they tried to make sense of the horror was "carnage."

At the packed Bataclan concert hall in eastern Paris, the attackers opened fire on a crowd waiting to hear American rock band Eagles of Death Metal perform. One witness told France Info radio he heard them yell "Allahu Akbar" — God is great in Arabic — as they started their killing spree and took hostages. The city's police chief, Michel Cadot, said the assailants also wore explosive belts, which they detonated.

About a mile (1.5 kilometers) from there, attackers sprayed gunfire at the Belle Equipe bar, busy as ever on a Friday night with patrons unwinding from their week. One witness, also speaking to French radio, said the dead and wounded dropped "like flies" and that "there was blood everywhere. You feel very alone in moments like that."

The preliminary death toll there appeared to be 18 dead, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said. White sheets were laid over bodies.

To the north, loud explosions reverberated around the national stadium, packed with some 80,000 fans watching France beat Germany in a soccer exhibition match. One of the loud detonations in the chill air so startled French player Patrice Evra that he paused in mid-run, seemingly lost, and kicked away the ball.

A police union official, Gregory Goupil, said the two explosions were suicide attacks and a bombing that killed at least three people — near two of the entrances to the stadium and a McDonalds. The stadium was the first site targeted.

From there, the wave of killings quickly spread.

There were 14 dead on one street, five on another, Molins said. The spread of the killings added to the confusion and made a coherent picture slow to form. But the shock was instantaneous, as was the understanding that this was terror and killing on a scale unseen in Paris since World War II.

"The terrorists, the assassins, sprayed the outsides of several cafes with machine guns and went inside," Cadot, the police chief, said. "So there were victims in terrible and atrocious states in numerous places."

Pierre-Henri Lombard was dining in a restaurant in the trendy neighborhood when he heard sounds like the fireworks for France's Bastille Day national holiday.

Then the panic began.

"Waiters went outside and said it was a shooting. We saw dozens of people rundown the street, a couple were bleeding," he said.

As police, soldiers and the emergency services sprang into action, sirens wailing, helicopters whirring overhead, medical personnel started reporting for work of their own accord to help treat the injured. Five subway lines were shut down entirely, and Paris police told people to stay at home and avoid going out unless absolutely necessary.

At the Bataclan, police launched an assault to free hostages. Haggard-looking survivors were bused away.

At the stadium, fans streamed onto the pitch after the match, preferring the relative safety of inside of the stadium to the chaos outside. Police forensic officers dressed in white scoured the blast sites for evidence.

French President Francois Hollande was quickly evacuated from the stadium and soon after declared a state of emergency.

___

Greg Keller, Samuel Petrequin and Sylvie Corbet contributed to this report.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-11-14

[Jingthing]

The was a historically significant act of war of Islamists against the entirety of western civilization.

Charlie Hebdo could be "explained" and more marginalized as revenge against a provocative satirical magazine and also the usual Jew hatred (muddied by conflating all the Jews in the world as active soldiers of the state of Israel).

So the general public could still feel, well it's only about "them" those others that provoke the Islamists and of course Jews who are widely hated anyway.

They could choose not to provoke the Islamists with cartoons and Jews, who really cares about Jews?

This is different. Bigger. This is a message for ALL of us in the world who are NOT Islamists.

I think this change in tactics was intentional and this message was intentional. It's not only about free speech cartoons, it's not only about Jews ...

they're after ALL of us.

Message received.

Edited November 14, 2015 by Jingthing

[tominbkk]

An awful awful situation.

[Toadman]

Today:

"French President Francois Hollande was quickly evacuated from the stadium and soon after declared a state of emergency."

But the warnings were spoken:

Published on Oct 10, 2015

Le Pen vs Hollande at the European Parliament English subtitles

Front National-leader Marine Le Pen and French President Francois Hollande in a confrontation at the European Parliament on 7 October 2015.

Please TV readers: watch this video... only 12 minutes of your time to understand that this tragedy could have been avoided, if.... If Ms. Le Pen had been the leader!

Ms. Merkel... you personally disgust me!

To the French people... I have nothing to say but I weep with you today! Hopefully tomorrow I can stand by your side inspirit when you rid your country of your ills!

Bless you! Edited November 14, 2015 by Toadman

[nottocus]

Has come back to beat the PC liberals

[stickylies]

[uptheos]

Obama said 'Those Who Think That They Can Terrorize the People of France or the Values That They Stand for Are Wrong'

Really Mr Obama, is that a serious statement of are you just making jokes again?

I would imagine a lot of people in Paris feel terrorized, especially those who have just lost loved ones or friends!

[Toadman]

An awful awful situation.

So is the toilet when I am finished... but someone has to depress the flush button.

Who will it be... me, or someone after me?

People will die!

[MobileContent]

I wonder, will this now become a Le Pen forum?

[Toadman]

Obama said 'Those Who Think That They Can Terrorize the People of France or the Values That They Stand for Are Wrong'

Really Mr Obama, is that a serious statement of are you just making jokes again?

I would imagine a lot of people in Paris feel terrorized, especially those who have just lost loved ones or friends!

Were I any country right now, a message from Obama would be the last thing I would want right now.

What an utterly disgusting and reprehensible individual it is.

[Matej]

This is not the last time we see something like this ... sadly.

I'm avoiding western Europe, including Germany and Austria since summer 2014 ...

Rest in peace to all the victims.

[Prbkk]

Le Monde shows footage shot by a journailst whose apartment overlooks the concert hall. Graphic

http://www.lemonde.fr/attaques-a-paris/article/2015/11/14/daniel-psenny-journaliste-au-monde-j-ai-senti-comme-un-petard-qui-explosait-dans-mon-bras_4809665_4809495.html

[stickylies]

it's war and no war is ever clean. shall i distribute a couple of history books....

[trogers]

The West has become so broad minded that their brains have all fallen off.

The old and wise have taught that 'Prevention is better than cure', but the young would never listen and would always think that technology has changed their world.

But, alas, human nature remains unchanged...

[oncearugge]

I really "love" all you right wing zealots, you war hawks, you haters and Islamophobs!

Don't you get it?

It is not the people who want to negotiate and who want dialogue, who brought this upon all of us!

It is YOU, with your drone-strikes and mortar- fire, with your endless wars, that killed every Mohammad, Abdulla and Emine in a 3 mile radius, that left whole villages or cities destroyed, men, women and children crippled or dead, who had NOTHING to do with your "problems"!

You sow wind and you reap the storm!

But go on: beat on the "PC", if that makes you feel better!

You are the ones with blood on your hands!

The only mistake made by the "zealots" was in failing to drop *really* big bombs !

Now. Why not trot off and do a bit of "negotiating" with the Barbarians .............?

[Matej]

I wonder, will this now become a Le Pen forum?

Incompetence of standard political parties, lack of leadership and realistic visions is only helping extremist like Le Pen ...

That's the real danger ...

[ravip]

Different excuses!

Different lies!

In that video, these 2 sentences speaks volumes...

If only some people would listen... a breeze could be stopped before it became a hurricane!

No! It will not happen! Our egos are flying too high!

[cdnvic]

Some of these (removed) comments are getting silly and way over the top. Dial it back or get silenced.

[oncearugge]

I wonder, will this now become a Le Pen forum?

Incompetence of standard political parties, lack of leadership and realistic visions is only helping extremist like Le Pen ...

That's the real danger ...

The emergence and strengthening support for the extreme right in Europe is a disturbing fact

There was a politician who had foresight and warned of the dangers in 1968. He was vilified by the "hand wringers" and his career destroyed.

The full text of that prophetic speech can be read in the link

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/3643823/Enoch-Powells-Rivers-of-Blood-speech.html

[MobileContent]

I wonder, will this now become a Le Pen forum?

Incompetence of standard political parties, lack of leadership and realistic visions is only helping extremist like Le Pen ...

That's the real danger ...

The left and center right has been in power for the past 50 years. I understand the French and the Europeans that they are sick of the current politicians and if the right-wing will win, let them build the next government. As I am not French I really have not much else to say. BOth Sakozy and Hollande have failed France and I expect a lot of protest votes in the next Presidential Election. Hollande is weak and not a leader and so is Merkel.

[WitawatWatawit]

What happened to the much-vaunted French intelligence service? Were they all sitting on the Maginot Line eating cheese off white linen cloths? Surely the planning for an attack of this size and complexity must have sent up some smoke signals?

[Matej]

There was no real leader in european politics for decades.

On the other hand, in crises are born leaders sometimes - Churchill

Now we have government from wonderland, they are trying to save the whole world ...

[glaswegian]

a black day for france, we aa scots share your grieve for tha victims of terrorists attacks in paris, france is not the furst kintra being attacked by these bloodsucker terrorists, nor will it be tha lest,, other eu kintras, germany france, turkey, england, scotland included are unner this threat!! lets hope that tha people in power take the matters in hand an do somethin afore its too late

[Thorgal]

What happened to the much-vaunted French intelligence service? Were they all sitting on the Maginot Line eating cheese off white linen cloths? Surely the planning for an attack of this size and complexity must have sent up some smoke signals?

Apparently the attackers were French born autochtones and euh...the French police forces reacted fast in the 5 first attacks to eliminate the threats. Attacks were perpetrated on 7 different locations...

Note : sorry, didn't got this news updates from Fox, CNN consorts...I can't post them because they aren't in English...

Edited November 14, 2015 by Thorgal

[domdom]

New numbers given per french TV just now.. 128 dead + 8 terrorists, 225 hurt including 99 in very very serious condition..

Have a good afternoon

[BuaBS]

Scenes of horror as a Paris night becomes a bloodbath

Really ? 6 or 7 places of attack and only a 100 to 140 people dead ? In the middle east , that number is often reached by only 1 suicide bomber.

Hardy a bloodbath. A Yemen droned wedding party can get a body count like that , and hardly any-one cares.

The ISIS boyz ( if it was them) have low effiency & badly planned & executed. As usual choosing pointless targets , but with a good MSM coverage.

So our privacy gets continually violated , by all agencies , not just the nsa..... and what now did they prevent from happening ????

[Kitsune]

There are at least 128 dead.

I am in shock, please respect people affected by it.

There is a time for grief and there is a time to fight.

[Basil B]

Has come back to beat the PC liberals

My first thoughts was knock down all the mosques in France...

But then that was probably the the aim of these terrorists, to have retaliation on all Muslims so they all will side with the terrorists.

[Thorgal]

Scenes of horror as a Paris night becomes a bloodbath

Really ? 6 or 7 places of attack and only a 100 to 140 people dead ? In the middle east , that number is often reached by only 1 suicide bomber.

Hardy a bloodbath. A Yemen droned wedding party can get a body count like that , and hardly any-one cares.

The ISIS boyz ( if it was them) have low effiency & badly planned & executed. As usual choosing pointless targets , but with a good MSM coverage.

So our privacy gets continually violated , by all agencies , not just the nsa..... and what now did they prevent from happening ????

France declared state of emergency: news outlets should/can be restricted to a minimum...

Any comments of the investigations are normaly prohibited.

[klauskunkel]

This is not an attack on democracy, it is an attack and declaration of war on western civilization, culture and values. Governments have lost their last shreds of credibility by failing in their mandate to protect their citizens.