21st Century Wire says…
Brace yourself. Here we go again…
Multiple terrorists attacks have hit Paris this evening in an incredibly coordinated tragedy.
At least one man opened fire at a restaurant in the 11th district and then three explosions occurred outside a bar near the Stade de France. These attacks have killed at least 45 people so far.
A further 100 people have been taken hostage at the Paris Bataclan concert hall.
People who were in the Stade de France are being held inside by French authorities.
French President Francois Hollande (photo, above) was inside the Stade de France at the time of the explosions.
Just hours before the France-Germany match, the German national team was evacuated from their hotel in Paris after the hotel received a bomb threat. The hotel received an anonymous phone call with the tip.
Attackers are said to have shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’, yet we should remember this does necessarily make them Islamic terrorists.
Shortly after those first three attacks, another shooting has now been reported at Les Halles shopping mall near the Louvre art gallery.
Stade de France (Photo Credit: Liondartois)
This is a large scale, coordinated, well planned, and probably also well funded, attack. The coordination means it was probably planned months in advance. No one has yet taken responsibility.
What is the significance of this attack taking place in France and what will be the consequences?
If this is indeed blamed upon Islamic extremists, an attack of this immense scale could undoubtedly be used to justify a strong response; perhaps on the scale of the Afghan invasion that followed 9/11.
In his speech on the situation, President Obama directly compared it to 9/11 and said the US was ready to assist and respond with the French.
How will domestic policy change in France after this? With its proximity to the Hebdo events just last year, France may become a full blown police state almost overnight after this chaos.
Hollande has already ordered an immediate closure of all French borders, which will have huge consequences for the ongoing Refugee Crisis. It could also mean that other nations in Europe could follow suit, as they seek to avoid a similar terrorist situation occurring on their home soil.
France has also raised its threat level to ‘Red’ for the first time ever, essentially putting the entire nation on lockdown, and the military is now on the streets of Paris.
Will this only add fuel to the fire of rising nationalist sentiments in Europe?
We wish the people of Paris safety and will update you with a full analysis on the situation soon.
READ MORE ON THE ISIS CRISIS: 21st Century Wire ISIS Files
