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world news Diahuebs 9 september 2021

Paris terror trial opens for 20 accused in 2015 attacks

(AP) — The trial of 20 men nying them answers to many about to decide are inscribed
accused in a series of co- of the remaining questions in their historic intensity as
ordinated attacks on Paris about the attacks and the among the international and
in 2015 that spread fear people who planned them. national events of this cen-
across Europe and trans- Abdeslam, whose broth- tury,” he said.
formed France opened er was among the suicide
Wednesday in a custom- bombers, appeared wearing a Dominique Kielemoes,
built complex embedded black short-sleeved shirt and whose son bled to death at
within a 13th-century black trousers, his long hair one of the cafes, said hearing
courthouse. tied back. victims’ testimonies at the
trial will be crucial to both
Nine Islamic State group When asked to state his pro- their own healing and that of
gunmen and suicide bomb- fession, he declared he was “a the nation.
ers struck within minutes of fighter for Islamic State” after
one another at several loca- intoning a prayer. “The assassins, these terror-
tions around Paris on Nov. ists, thought they were firing
13, 2015, leaving 130 people Abdeslam, who fled the night into the crowd, into a mass of
dead and hundreds wounded. of the attacks after ditching people. But it wasn’t a mass
It was the deadliest violence his car and a malfunctioning — these were individuals first appeared. 1,800 plaintiffs and over 300
to strike France since World suicide vest, is the only de- who had a life, who loved, lawyers.
War II and among the worst fendant charged with mur- had hopes and expectations, The same IS network that hit
terror attacks to hit the West. der. The other defendants and that we need to talk Paris went on to strike Brus- For the first time, victims can
present face lesser terrorism about at the trial. It’s impor- sels months later, killing an- also have a secure audio link
The worst carnage was at the charges. tant,” she said. other 32 people. to listen from home if they
Bataclan concert hall, where want with a 30-minute delay.
three men with assault rifles The presiding judge, Jean- Of the 20 men charged, six Authorities have to extraor-
gunned down scores of peo- Louis Peries, acknowledged will be tried in absentia. Ab- dinary lengths to ensure se- The trial is scheduled to last
ple and grabbed a handful the extraordinary nature of deslam will be questioned curity at the trial, building nine months. The month
of hostages. Others targeted the attacks, which changed multiple times — but it re- an entirely new courtroom of September will be dedi-
the national soccer stadium, security in Europe and mains to be seen if he will within the storied 13th-cen- cated to laying out the po-
where the president was at- France’s political landscape, break his silence beyond the tury Palais de Justice in Paris, lice and forensic evidence.
tending a game, as well as and the trial to come. France sort of allegiance he offered where Marie Antoinette and October will be given over
cafes filled with people on a only emerged from the state Wednesday to Islamic State Emile Zola faced trial, among to victims’ testimony. From
mild autumn night. of emergency declared in the groups. others. November to December, of-
wake of the attacks in 2017, ficials including then-French
The lone surviving attacker after incorporating many of “We were expecting it, and Survivors of the attacks as President François Hollande
from that night, Salah Ab- the harshest measures into we were prepared for it and well as those who mourn — who was at the Stade de
deslam, is the key defendant law. in fact, we’re not expecting their dead on Wednesday France on the night of the
— but he has so far refused anything from him,” Kiele- packed the complex’s rooms, assaults — will testify, as will
to speak to investigators, de- “The events that we are moes said after Abdeslam which were designed to hold relatives of the attackers.

UK, France grapple with surge in migrant Channel crossings

(AP) — Britain’s interior have landed on beaches in trucks or on ferries, or — tel has suggested she could seekers to safely come to the
minister was meeting her southeast England in recent increasingly since the coro- withhold it if France does not U.K.
French counterpart on days amid calm, summery navirus pandemic disrupted do more to stop the smug-
Wednesday as the U.K. weather, with 785 arriving on international travel — in din- gling boats from departing. Bella Sankey, director of De-
pressed France to do more Monday alone, according to ghies and other small boats She will talk with French In- tention Action, said Patel
to stop a surge of migrants Britain’s Home Office. More organized by smugglers. terior Minister Gerald Dar- should “reach an agreement
trying to cross the English than 12,000 have made the manin during a two-day G-7 with her French counterpart
Channel in small boats. crossing this year, according The British and French gov- interior ministers’ meeting in to develop a humanitarian
to Britain’s Press Association ernments have worked for London that begins Wednes- visa which would give safe
Dozens of women, men and news agency. In 2020, about years to stop the journeys, day. passage to those likely to be
children, wrapped up in blan- 8,500 people made the jour- without much success. Ear- recognized as refugees in the
kets, were brought ashore ney, and several died in the lier this year, Britain agreed British Prime Minister Bo- U.K.”
Wednesday in the southeast attempt. to give France 54 million ris Johnson said stopping the
England port of Dover by pounds ($74 million) to crossings depended largely French lawmaker Pierre-
British Border Force boats Migrants have long used help fund a doubling of the on the French authorities. Henri Dumont, who rep-
after being picked up from northern France as a launch- number of police patrolling resents the Calais region of
dinghies in the Channel. ing point to reach Britain, French beaches. “We depend to a large extent northern France, said author-
Thousands of migrants either by stowing away in on what the French are do- ities there were doing all they
But Channel crossings con- ing, but clearly as time goes could.
tinue to soar. According to on and this problem contin-
the French Maritime Prefec- ues, we are going to have to “The fact is, we’ve got 300 to
ture in charge of the Chan- make sure that we use every 400 kilometers (190 to 250
nel, this year through July possible tactic at our disposal miles) of shore to monitor
has seen 556 “operations” to stop what I think is a vile every day and every night,
involving 12,148 migrants at- trade and a manipulation and it’s quite impossible to
tempting to cross or crossing of people’s hopes,” he told have police officers every 100
the Channel by boat. That lawmakers in the House of meters (330 feet) because of
compares to 868 such events Commons. the length of the shore,” he
involving 9,551 migrants in told the BBC.
all of 2020. Refugee charities said the
tough talk from the British “We cannot stop all the cross-
Britain has not yet paid the government was pointless, ings,” he added. “We need to
promised money, and U.K. and urged the government address the causes of migra-
Home Secretary Priti Pa- to make it easier for asylum- tion.”