Will the islamophobia never end?

France arrests seven suspected jihadists over ‘violent’ terror plot

FRENCH counter-terrorism officials have arrested seven men suspected of plotting an attack and preparing to flee to conflict zones in Iraq and Syria, French radio Europe 1 reported on Monday.

By Romina McGuinness, The Express, January 21, 2020:

The suspected extremists were detained following an anti-terrorism operation carried out by France’s DGSI internal intelligence agency in the western coastal city of Brest and the surrounding region.

They were reportedly planning to launch a “violent” attack on French soil, sources close to the case told Europe 1, after which they planned to join a militant group in Iraq or Syria.

]he men have been charged with “conspiracy to commit terrorist or criminal acts,” while an investigation has been launched to determine how far they had advanced in their attack plans and flight to the conflict zone.

Some of the men were on the government’s “Fiche S” list of potential security risks because of their links to extremist networks, the sources added.

France, which adheres to a strict brand of secularism known as “laïcité,” has been on high alert since a brutal wave of attacks claimed by the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group that began in 2015 and which have killed more than 250 people.

It remains on its second-highest alert level, with sporadic, small-scale attacks by radicalised individuals continuing to claim lives.

Flowers are laid in front of the Bataclan Theatre

The military presence was ramped up after the ISIS-led November 2015 attacks in Paris and remains at a high level, with around 10,000 troops deployed nationwide.

In more recent attacks, a Paris police employee who had converted to Islam and whose radicalisation had gone unreported stabbed four of his colleagues to death in October.

In the latest incident, a 22-year-old convert to Islam who suffered from “psychological problems” went on a stabbing spree in a park near Paris on January 3, killing one man and injuring two women.

France had the largest contingent of militants go to ISIS-controlled territories at the height of the conflict, but has been reluctant to repatriate them for fear they could still pose a security threat.

On Monday, ISIS’ new leader was named as Iraqi Amir Mohammed Abdul Rahman al-Mawli al-Salbi, The Guardian reported.

Two intelligence services confirmed he had taken over from Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi after the ex-ISIS chief blew himself up in October. He was made leader just hours after Mr al-Baghdadi’s death, despite his name being reported as Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi.

This was a nom de guerre not recognised by senior leaders or intelligence agencies.

Mr al-Salbi is one of the terror group’s founding members. He brought in brutal Sharia Law in Iraq and Syria, orchestrated the enslavement of Iraq’s Yazidi minority and has overseen terror operations across the globe.

The United States put a $5 million (£3.8 million) bounty on his head – as well as two other senior terrorists – before Mr al-Baghdadi died.

He claims he is a direct descendant from the Prophet Mohammed.