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world NEWSTuesday 17 November 2015

France IDs top Paris attacks figure, seeks unity to bomb IS

GREG KELLER the victims came from at world has ever known and stormy seas — projected in shooting plots this year in
RAF CASERT least 19 nations, and the in- the international commu- Belgium and France, in-
Associated Press ternational community, led nity is still too divided and white lights near its base. cluding a planned attack
PARIS (AP) — France iden- by the United States and too incoherent.” on a passenger train that
tified a 27-year-old Belgian Russia, must overcome As he spoke, thousands French and other West- was thwarted by American
who once boasted about their deep-seated divisions gathered around candlelit passengers who overpow-
killing “infidels” and fought over Syria to destroy Islam- memorials at the Place de ern intelligence agencies ered the lone gunman.
for the Islamic State group ic State on its home turf. la Republique square and French police have used
face an urgent challenge emergency powers to
conduct 168 searches
to track down the surviv- since Sunday night that
netted 127 arrests and 31
ing members of the three weapons.
French Interior Minister
Islamic State units who in- Bernard Cazeneuve said
police seized a Kalash-
flicted the unprecedented nikov assault rifle, three
automatic pistols and a
bloodshed in France and, bulletproof vest from a sus-
pected arms dealer with
perhaps more importantly, jihadist sympathies, and a
rocket launcher and other
to target their distant com- military-grade gear from
his parents’ home.
manders in IS-controlled But police have yet to an-
nounce the capture of
parts of Syria. anyone suspected of di-
rect involvement in Friday’s
A French security official slaughter. Seven attackers
died — six after detonating
said anti-terror intelligence suicide belts and a seventh
from police gunfire — but
officials had identified Ab- Iraqi intelligence officials
told The Associated Press
delhamid Abaaoud, a that its sources indicated
19 participated in the at-
Belgian of Moroccan de- tack and five others pro-
vided hands-on logistical
scent, as chief architect of support. French police ac-
cidentally permitted the
the Friday the 13th attacks suspected driver of one
group of gunmen, 26-year-
on a rock concert, a soc- old Salah Abdeslam, to
avoid arrest at the border
cer game and popular Saturday and cross to his
native Belgium.q
nightspots in one of Paris’
Continued on Page 27
trendiest districts.

The official cited chat-

ter from IS figures that

Abaaoud had recom-

mended a concert as an

ideal target for inflicting

French President Francois Hollande arrives to deliver a speech at the Versailles castle, west of maximum casualties, as
Paris, Monday, Nov.16, 2015. French President Francois Hollande is addressing parliament about
France’s response to the Paris attacks, in a rare speech to lawmakers gathered in the majestic well as electronic com-
congress room of the Palace of Versailles.
munications between
(AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Abaaoud and one of the

Paris attackers who blew

in Syria as the mastermind “Friday’s acts of war were beneath the Eiffel Tower, himself up.

of the Paris attacks, and decided and planned in which like many top at- The official spoke on condi-

President Francois Hol- Syria. They were organized tractions in one of the tion of anonymity to discuss

lande vowed Monday in Belgium and perpetrat- world’s most-visited cit- the sensitive investigation.

to forge a united coali- ed on our soil with French ies reopened for business Abaaoud came to pub-

tion capable of defeating complicity with one spe- Monday in a defiant spirit. lic attention last year by

the jihadists at home and cific goal: to sow fear and The tower was bathed in boasting in an IS propa-

abroad. to divide us,” Hollande told red, white and blue flood- ganda video about his

Addressing lawmakers af- Parliament in a rare joint lights of the French tricolor, pride in piling the dead

ter France observed a min- session convened at the with the city’s centuries- bodies of “infidel” enemies

ute of silence honoring the Palace of Versailles. old slogan — “Tossed but into a trailer. Anti-terror

129 people killed and 350 “Syria has become the big- not sunk,” suggesting an agencies previously linked

wounded, Hollande said gest factory of terrorism the unsinkable city braving him to a series of abortive

World leaders vow to step up anti-terror efforts after Paris

VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV late U.S. military action and military means, but only a nificant new funding” to G-20 meeting in the Turkish
JOSH LEDERMAN open a large-scale ground multitude of measures.” tackle the flood of refu- seaside resort of Antalya
Associated Press war, saying he would in- While the summit resulted gees spilling out of Syria. was planned long before
ANTALYA, Turkey (AP) — stead intensify the Amer- in plenty of tough talk and “None of this is a substitute the Paris attacks, which left
World leaders vowed Mon- ican-led airstrike cam- blistering condemnations for the next urgent need of at least 129 people dead
day to boost intelligence- paign, as well as efforts to of the Paris attacks, lead- all: to find a political solu- and hundreds wounded.
sharing, cut off terrorist train and equip moderate ers spoke mostly in broad tion that brings peace to- But the violence intensified
funding and strengthen rebels. “We need to be strokes of their pledges to Syria and enables the mil- the discussions, resulting
border security in Europe, doing everything we can intensify the anti-Islamic lions of refugees to return in a flurry of meetings on
as they sought to show re- to protect against attacks State campaign. home,” Cameron said. The the sidelines of the summit
solve and unity following and protect our citizens,” Russian President Vladi- leaders’ meeting came about the situation in Syria,
the Islamic State’s deadly Obama said at a news mir Putin emphasized the against the backdrop of where the 4½-year civil war
terror attacks in Paris. conference closing two need to cut off the mili- heavy French bombard- has created a vacuum for
U.S. President Barack days of talks with leaders tants’ ability to generate ment of the Islamic State’s the Islamic State to thrive.
Obama said the militant from the Group of 20 rich revenue through oil smug- stronghold in Syria. The U.S. Leaders are particularly
group was “the face of and developing nations. gling. And British Prime was expanding its intel- concerned that the mili-
evil” and urged other na- Added German Chancel- Minister David Cameron ligence sharing with the tants appear to be increas-
tions to do more to com- lor Angela Merkel: “We announced plans to host French and helping them ingly focused on striking
bat the threat it poses. Still, agreed that the challenge a donor conference early identify targets, according targets outside their base
he resisted calls to esca- can’t just be tackled with next year to raise “sig- to American officials. The in Iraq and Syria.q