France promises ‘merciless’ response to attacks
Four gunmen slaughtered at least 87 young people at a rock concert being held at the Bataclan concert hall. Dozens of survivors were rescued, and bodies were still being recovered on Saturday morning. The Christian Post notes 40 more people were killed in five other attacks in the Paris region, including an apparent double suicide bombing outside the Stade de France national stadium, where Hollande and the German foreign minister were watching a soccer game between France and Germany. It is now known a suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest was blocked from entering the Stade de France soccer venue.
It was the worst such attack in Europe since the Madrid train bombings of 2004, in which 191 died.
In the aftermath of the coordinated attacks, reports are emerging that one of the terrorists was a Syrian refugee who arrived in Greece just last month. One of suicide bombers outside the Stade de France had a Syrian passport on his body. Greek journalist Yannis Koutsomitis tweeted the country’s Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection has confirmed that the terrorist was “registered as refugee on Leros island in October.” Police declined to give the terrorist’s name.
This comes as a blow to Angela Merkel and other European leaders who allowed a flood of hundreds of thousands of migrants despite the potential threat from ISIS to infiltrate the west. Merkel responded to the massacre by calling for people to express “tolerance” towards the migrants and respect for “the right of everyone to seek his fortune and live.”
“We believe in the right of everyone to seek his fortune and live, to the respect for the other and tolerance,” said Merkel. “We know that our free life is stronger than any terrorist. Let’s give the terrorists the answer by living our values confidently. And as we affirm these values throughout Europe. Now more than ever.”