France - Copycat September 11th Attack Intercepted

On Thursday, according to France's Interior Minister, a man was arrested for planning plane attacks, mimicking the World Trade Center bombing that took place in New York on September 11th, 2001. 

The intelligence services was successful in the interception however; French officials say the threat of attacks remains very high.

France has struggled for years to find best ways of responding to both  homegrown Jihadists and foreign militants following a series of attacks across the country. 

Rally at Sergels torg, or Sergel's Square, in Stockholm, Sweden
November 14, 2015, a day after the attacks in Paris. (Reuters Photo)

More than 230 people have been killed in France in the last four years from Islamist militant attacks. In particular in November 2015 after coordinated strikes across the capital, the attacks were claimed by Islamic State in Syria, and were carried out in part by French-born fighters.

Just recently on October 3rd, an IT Specialist with suspected Islamist sympathies, who also had a security clearance; killed three officers and one civilian employee before he was shot dead by a police officer.

According to Christophe Castaner, Minister of the Interior the latest interception was the 60th attempted attack since 2013. 

Officials now fear dozens of their nationals held in Kurdish-controlled camps in prisons could escape and return home following a Turkish offensive in northern Syria that is targeting Kurdish militias guarding them.

FRENCH REPORTER: “You have a very low unemployment rate in the U.S. & we have a very high unemployment rate in France. — How come?”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Well... maybe we have a better President than you do.”

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— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) October 18, 2019