A man previously known to French authorities for radicalism has rammed his car into a bus filled with police on the iconic Champs-Élysées in the heart of Paris this afternoon.
This is yet another “Known Wolf” terror attack. Virtually all terror attacks are committed by someone already known to authorities:
🔴 #BREAKING: Suspected attacker has crashed a vehicle into police van on #ChampsÉlysées pic.twitter.com/HlkWki94s4
— FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) June 19, 2017
Driver of vehicle rams and 'tries to blow up bus' of French gendarmes on Champs-Elysées Paris https://t.co/o5D7r0VQmb
— Emma-Kate Symons (@eksymons) June 19, 2017
#BREAKING Champs-Elysees car attacker was on terror watchlist, probe sources say
— AFP news agency (@AFP) June 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/OnlineMagazin/status/876824878145515520
https://twitter.com/365StudioNews/status/876825941028347904
On top of the arc de triomphe street closed at champs elysees at least 15 cop cars from what I can tell #paris #ChampsElysees pic.twitter.com/SHkI2PEOly
— cindy (@ls1cindy) June 19, 2017
Reports claim that the car exploded upon impact and that the suspect had an AK-47 but was reportedly killed at the scene:
🔴 #BREAKING: Suspected attacker has crashed a vehicle into police van on #ChampsÉlysées pic.twitter.com/HlkWki94s4
— FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) June 19, 2017
JUST IN: Champs Elysee car contained explosives, driver dead – French interior minister. See more: https://t.co/SogsGyTBnf via @ReutersTV pic.twitter.com/t0aNZnrjfS
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 19, 2017
The French interior minister has said the act appears to be deliberate:
MORE: France's interior ministry spokesman says driver's act appears deliberate; driver was armed and may be dead. https://t.co/PA2mBwKK32
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 19, 2017
French reports indicate that the still-unnamed suspect was on on the “fiche S” terror list for radicalism and previously known to authorities:
https://twitter.com/LCI/status/876822375286833153
#France #Paris – What is a "Fiche S"? (Wikipedia) pic.twitter.com/I7Sn5WH0ZM
— Terror Events (@TerrorEvents) June 19, 2017
The 32 y.o. #French jihadist behind the #ChampsElysees terror attack was on #France's terror list since 2015
— Olivier Guitta (@OlivierGuitta) June 19, 2017
Less than two weeks ago, French police were attacked outside Notre Dame Cathedral by a hammer-wielding man who was upset about Syria:
'Man With Hammer' Attacks Police Officer Outside Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris https://t.co/RDKZhjgHcP #trending pic.twitter.com/a8t3G27ncW
— PJ Media (@PJMedia_com) June 6, 2017
https://twitter.com/Michael_0000/status/873170965580193793
And, as I reported here at PJ Media back in March, French police shot another “Known Wolf” attacker at the Orly Airport in Paris:
5 Days and Two '#KnownWolf' Terror Attacks, Yet No Apparent Concern from Western Governments. h/t @pspoole https://t.co/Bv2qfJB0pO
— Nick Short 🇺🇸 (@PoliticalShort) March 23, 2017
We’ve seen a number of ramming attacks in Europe (and the U.S., for that matter) since the Bastille Day attack in Nice last July:
#NEWSGRAPHIC Vehicle ramming attacks in Europe since July 2016 @AFP pic.twitter.com/BPNTL0zwdi
— AFPgraphics (@AFPgraphics) June 19, 2017
I also reported here earlier this month following the London Bridge attacks that all three suspects were well-known to British authorities:
London Attack Reveals 'Known Wolf' Terror Problem Is Worse Than You Could Imagine https://t.co/WWrG5vaTqk #HomelandSecurity via @pjmedia_com
— Debra Heine (@NiceDeb) June 7, 2017
Before the Notre Dame and London Bridge attacks, I warned that we could be looking at another “Summer of Terror” similar to last year:
Get Ready For a 'Summer of Terror' https://t.co/A2oYpaYk62 #SummerofTerror via @pjmedia_com
— Patrick Poole (@pspoole) June 6, 2017
Closing Out 2016's 'Summer of Terror': Since Nice 90 Days Ago, 20 Terror Attacks in the West, One Every 100 Hours https://t.co/A0hoNrTcMF pic.twitter.com/B0NBKDTNDU
— Patrick Poole (@pspoole) October 12, 2016
This past weekend, I reported on the most recent terror statistics from Europol showing that 2016 saw a record number of terror arrests.
Jihadist Arrests in EU Doubled Last Year, Rising for Third Year in a Row: Europol https://t.co/xkOSh7Egqo via @pjmedia_com pic.twitter.com/ylwbhP5Px3
— Patrick Poole (@pspoole) June 16, 2017
But the rapid pace of attacks just this month gives indication that we may be on track to outpace last year’s grim milestone. And the attack in Paris today gets added to my ever-growing list of “Known Wolf” terror attack reporting and chronicle of Western government inaction.
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Below, find Poole’s prior coverage of the “Known Wolf” scandal:
Oct. 24, 2014: ‘Lone Wolf’ or ‘Known Wolf’: The Ongoing Counter-Terrorism Failure
Dec. 15, 2014: Sydney Hostage Taker Another Case of ‘Known Wolf’ Syndrome
Jan. 7, 2015: Paris Terror Attack Yet Another Case of ‘Known Wolf’ Syndrome
Feb. 3, 2015: French Police Terror Attacker Yesterday Another Case of ‘Known Wolf’ Syndrome
Feb. 15, 2015: Copenhagen Killer Was yet Another Case of ‘Known Wolf’ Terrorism
Feb. 26, 2015: Islamic State Beheader ‘Jihadi John’ Yet Another Case of ‘Known Wolf’ Terrorism
Apr. 22, 2015: Botched Attack on Paris Churches Another Case of “Known Wolf” Terrorism
May 4, 2015: Texas Attack Is Yet Another Case of ‘Known Wolf’ Terrorism
June 26, 2015: France’s Beheading Terrorist Was Well-Known By Authorities
July 16, 2015: Report: Chattanooga Jihadist Was Yet Another ‘Known Wolf’ Terrorist, Anonymous Feds Dispute
Aug. 22, 2015: European Train Attacker Another Case of ‘Known Wolf’ Terrorism
Oct 14, 2015: Yet Again: Turkey, Israel Terror Attacks Committed by “Known Wolves”
Nov 14, 2015: One Paris Attacker Was Previously Known to Authorities, Marks Fifth ‘Known Wolf” Attack in France This Year
Feb 16, 2016: Machete Attack in Ohio Yet Another Case of ‘Known Wolf’ Terrorism
May 16, 2016: News Reports Yet Another Case of ‘Known Wolf’ U.S. Terrorists
June 12, 2016: Orlando Night Club Attack by “Known Wolf” Terrorist Previously Investigated by FBI
July 14, 2016: Senate Intelligence Committee to Investigate “Known Wolf” Terrorism Problem
July 26, 2016: ISIS Suspect in Normandy Priest’s Killing Already Known to French Authorities
August 10, 2016: Canadian ‘Known Wolf’ Terrorist Planned Suicide Bombing of Major City, Killed in Overnight Police Operation
August 19, 2016: Man Who Stabbed Rabbi Thursday in Strasbourg, France Involved in Prior Attack
Sept. 20, 2016: NY-NJ Bomber Ahmad Khan Rahami Already Known to Law Enforcement Authorities
Sept. 28, 2016: “Known Wolf” SCANDAL: In at Least 12 of the 14 Terror Attacks Under Obama, FBI Already Knew Attackers
Dec. 21, 2016: Suspect Sought for Deadly Berlin Terror Attack, Anis Amri, Yet Another Known Wolf
March 23, 2017: Five Days and Two ‘Known Wolf’ Terror Attacks, Yet No Apparent Concern From Western Governments
March 26, 2017: ’60 Minutes’ Whitewashes Massive FBI Failure in 2015 ISIS Texas Terror Attack
May 23, 2017: Manchester Bomber Is Yet Another “Known Wolf”
June 4, 2017: At Least one London Bridge Terrorist Was a “Known Wolf”
June 6, 2017: London Attack Reveals that ‘Known Wolf’ Terrorism Is Worse Than You Could Imagine
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