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.”

pic.twitter.com/oPqednOVma

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) October 18, 2019

SAD NEWS FOR SKY BAHAMAS AIRLINE

Sadly after months of battling to stay open, Sky Bahamas Airline has officially closed it's doors. Bahamas Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA) formally confirmed its decision to deny renewal of the permit that allows them to carry fare-paying passengers.

An insensitive video circulated on social media showing the company's sign being taken down and tossed into a garbage bin. Which seems to be the action of an eviction.

The airline had about 63 employees who had to enter survival mode, when the key permit needed to operate was being reviewed. This caused a halt in flights and all aircrafts were grounded due to the wait process. Mr. Butler described the impact of the BCAA's actions as "heartbreaking" for Sky Bahamas' employees; who had all "gone home", as well as creditors, vendors and partners who were either owed monies or relied upon the airline's continued operations.

Revealing that he had spent $200,000 of his own monies to "pay bills" and reimburse Sky Bahamas employees, Captain Butler said the airline's enforced shutdown had cost "hundreds of thousands of dollars" as well as endangering his own personal reputation.

Captain Randy Butler, Sky Bahamas' Chief Executive, recently stated that the private, Bahamian-owned carrier has incurred a cost of "$4.2 million and counting".

Sky Bahamas was told by the Bahamas Civil Aviation Authority, the industry regulator, to “discontinue” commercial passenger services from July 8, 2019. The airline needed an Air Operator Certificate (AOC), the approval required for an airline to carry fare-paying passengers, which had expired on June 29, 2019.
Captain Butler said normal protocol was for the previous license to remain in effect until the new one was granted, provided it was not “suspended, revoked or terminated”.

However; he was called to a meeting on July 9 at The Bahamas Civil Aviation Authority and stated that the regulator “came up with some ridiculous findings” in relation to a recent safety inspection conducted on the airline.

We certainly wish Captain Butler the best! He stated that he refuses "to lay down and play dead" as he is beginning the appeals process in a bid to overturn the regulator's decision.