OpEdNews Op Eds 7/27/2016 at 15:25:00

Bastille Attack: Some troubling questions

By Tazeen Hasan             Permalink

After brutal terrorist attacks in Orlando, Istanbul, Baghdad, Dhaka and Medina, recent French and German attacks appear to mark a new set of tragic events in Europe. The heaviest death toll has been observed in France where the Riviera city of Nice was targeted violently on Bastille day. The killer has been identified as a 31-year-old Tunisian-born French citizen, Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel. More than 84 people lost their lives when he used his truck to mow down the crowd assembled to watch the fireworks on the coastal promenade. This is the third major terrorist attack in France since January 2015.

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Bastille Day Celebration Fireworks at Promenade de Angalias where the truck mowed down the crowd (Creative Common Licence 2.0)

Nice Attack: Why French Police ordered to delete CCTV footage?

Tazeen Hasan

This investigative analysis report of Bastille day attack is produced using mainstream news outlets like The Telegraph, Independent, Daily Mail, BBC, and French papers La Figaro and Liberation as sources. In-text links can be checked for authenticity and further references. (Creative Common License)

After brutal terrorist attacks in  According to a leading French Newspaper, La Figaro, French anti-terrorist executive has ordered the French city authorities to delete all CCTV footage of the Nice attack. The city authorities, however, have refused to delete evidence considering it illegal.  The French government absurdly claims that they wanted to prevent ISIS from gaining access to videos of the attacks for the purposes of propaganda. We know  that those who  seek to destroy the criminal evidence are actual perpetrators of the crime themselves. What does French anti-terror police trying to cover? and Why? Once again, the Bastille day investigations have revealed severe inconsistencies in the official narratives like San Bernardino and Orlando shooting incidents. The French citizens as well as the European Muslim community, has a right to know why anti-terror authorities expressed a desire to destroy the evidence?

French Police has ordered the city authorities to delete all CCTV footage of Bastille day attack

Is it a coincidence that the since Charlie Hebdu massacre in January 2015, almost every terrorism incident has followed the same pattern? The perpetrator is always killed and usually on the spot. The alleged terrorist of Nice tack, Muhamad Bouhlel has also been killed by the police. So no one is there to stand a trial or answer sensational questions. Once again his identity papers are found conveniently in the truck's cabin like the Syrian passport found in Paris attacks (remember Saudi pilot's passport found in World trade center rubble after 9/11.)

French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve has said there is no evidence yet linking Isis to Bouhlel.

It is also observed that video footage identifying the terrorist has never been found before even if the attack is carried out  in a closed public area like San Bernardino community Centre or Orlando night club. Ironically, independent footage existed in Bastille attack but is blatantly ordered to destroy by investigative agencies.

It is also worth noting that in most of the terrorist incidents the perpetrators are already known to local intelligence agencies or police suggesting it is a "known wolf attack" rather than a "lone wolf" one. Unofficial news reports claimed that Bouhlel had been known to the police for violence, theft, robbery and domestic violence but not for terrorism-related charges. 

Like the alleged Orlando shooter Omar Mateen, Bouhlel was not a practicing Muslim. A report published within three hours by British daily The Telegraph cited multiple interviews with neighbors and claimed that the alleged killer was obsessed with sex, alcohol, and drugs. "Bouhlel's phone is said to be full of messages, videos and photographs, including ones of men and women he had recently slept with," says the telegraph report.  The report also claimed  that Bouhlel was "regularly in trouble with the law."  However, police did not verify whether the suspect had a criminal record or not. 

Like preceding incidents of terrorism, contradictory reports emerged in French media shortly after the attack. For instance, one report cited that Bouhlel watched Isis beheadings online and dated a 73-year-old man. 

In recent terrorism incidents, it is observed that a confusion predominates the discussion pf motives and they are left loosely hanged intentionally by authorities and media

Recall the US authorities have been caught flip-flopping the official narratives frequently regarding links to ISIS in San Bernardino and Orlando shooting.  Same is true for Nice and Munich attacks. For instance, contradictory reports emerged about Omar Mateen that he is a gay but still pledged to ISIS, a cult  who convicts homosexuals to death. One report gave the impression that Omar Mateen revenge for American War on Terror in Afghanistan and was  a supporter of Taliban. While Taliban and ISIS both convict gays to death, they are fierce enemies of each other. Nevertheless, as the western audience doesn't know much geopolitics, media tactics work and achieve their goals.

These incidents following the same pattern are intermittently staged on terrorism theater since January 2015.  Why they were non-existent before that? 

Regardless of the fact that attackers were religiously motivated or not, these incidents following almost same pattern are intermittently carried out in the west since January 2015. Why were there no such occurrences so frequently before 2015? at least not on such massive scale. On the other hand, inconsistencies and a frequent shift in official accounts, as well as lack of transparency, suggest false flag operations.

French people used Twitter hashtag #ISISclaim to mock the terrorist group for accepting responsibility for every terrorist incident

Since the beheading of western journalist in 2014, every ISIS video is released by Rita Katz who claims to hack ISIS websites to gain access to these videos 

While French authorities haven't discovered any link, ISIS has accepted the responsibility through Amaq News agency disseminated once again by SITE Intelligence (Search for International Terrorism Elite) --ran by renowned terrorism analyst Rita Katz. Katz publicly claims to find ISIS released videos before anyone else since the death cult began beheading western journalists  in 2014.  However, this time, the claim has been mocked by French people using a Twitter hashtag #DaeshRevendique, or #ISISClaims. Everything from losing the Euro 2016 final to climate change and from Donald Trump accepting the presidential nomination to Brexit has jokingly been attributed to the terrorist group under the hashtag #ISISclaims. Interestingly, later SITE removed the alleged ISIS claim regarding Nice attack from its website.

Donald Trump accepted the Presidential nomination. #ISISclaims the responsibility

French intelligence chief already predicted 20 days back that ISIS would be using Trucks as weapons in the next terrorist attack

The terrorist, however,  has changed gear this time and has used a truck as a weapon to carry out the carnage. According to La Figaro, French domestic intelligence chief Patrick Calvar predicted in advance ( exactly 20 days earlier on 26th of June 2016) that ISIS or Daesh would use trucks as weapons. This has also become an established pattern now that accurate predictions are made by intelligence before the terrorist attacks but the same institutions remain powerless to prevent those terrible incidents.

How Could Bouhlel make its way through the promenade blocked by 64 national and 42 municipal police officers?

No bloodstains were seen in the Bastille day footage on Promenade de Anglais 

It should be noted that the Promenade de Anglais was supposed to be blocked by traffic police vehicles on Bastille day. How  could Bouhlel make its way through the blocked promenade?  Initially, the police was silent but later authorities changed the narrative that  the truck “forced its way through, by driving onto the sidewalk,” bypassing a checkpoint where police vehicles blocked the entrance to the promenade. It added that 64 national and 42 municipal police officers had worked together to secure the area, along with 20 soldiers. Later  Cazeneuve  backtracked on his claim that national police were stationed at the entrance to the promenade in Nice. French newspaper Liberation has claimed that Cazeneuve lied about the whereabouts of the national police officers and cars, and accused French authorities of lacking transparency. Lack of Security and transparency as well as changing narrative by the interior minister, give birth to another set of alarming questions.

No Blood Stains are seen on road in the footage published by mainstream media outlets after the incident which claims heavy death toll

Questions have also been raised about the absence of any blood stains on the road in the footage recorded in the aftermath of the carnage which killed 84 people and injured more than 200 -at least 25 of which are in critical condition on life-saving machines. Consider, this large collection of photos by Daily Mail. 

Isn't it unusual that despite reports of a large number of injured on life saving machine, death toll has not changed since July 15th?

Interestingly the official death toll has not been changed since despite the official narrative that 25 injured people are on life-saving machines. 

The French citizens as well as European Muslim Community has a right to know why anti-terror police desired to destroy the evidence?

Suspiciously, according to leading French newspaper LaFigaro, French anti-terrorist executive has ordered the city authorities to delete all CCTV footage of Bastille day attack -in written without citing any reason. The city refused to delete evidence as it is illegal. Moreover, the officer in charge said he doesn't have the jurisdiction to delete footage. Ridiculously, the French government has claimed that it wanted to prevent ISIS from gaining access to videos of the attacks for the purposes of propaganda. The French citizens as well as the European Muslim community,  has a right to know why anti-terror authorities expressed a desire to do so?

Shortly after Charlie Hebdu Massacre, Limouge's Deputy Police Commissioner Herlic Fredou, who was investigating the background of the accused Kouachi brothers, was found dead in his office mysteriously.

It should be noted that mainstream media always ignores the contradictions in the official story even if they are sensational enough to raise their ratings. Gearoid O Colmain, an Irish Journalist, and Political analyst based in Paris has pointed out some inconsistencies in the official Bastille day story writing "there is something rotten with the France judicial police" and "the video evidence so far presented does not match the story." Colmain further recalls that shortly after Charlie Hebdu attacks, Limouge's deputy Police Commissioner Helric Fredou was found dead in his office mysteriously before the publication of a report on the relationship between Jeanette Bougrab, a former press secretary of Nicolas Sarkozy, and one of the deceased in the attack, satirical caricaturist and journalist, Stéphane Charbonnier also known as Charb. Fredou's family was not allowed to see his dead body for 24 hours. The police commissioner had said he shot himself because he was suffering from depression; a claim denied by Fredou's family doctor. These inconsistencies are constantly ignored by mainstream media which otherwise seems to investigative minute evidence concerning terrorism incidents. "The relationship between Bougrab, who is close to all the leaders of the French Zionist movement, and Charb, was one of the most controversial aspects of the Charlie Hebdo massacre story. Fredou was also investigating the background of the Kouachi brothers who were accused of the massacre. They had lived in the town of Limoges," Colmain further writes.

It is almost inexplicable that when no link was found between ISIS and alleged terrorist, why French President expressed his desire to strengthen military action in Iraq and Syria?

While  Cazeneuve admitted that no link has yet been found between ISIS and the attacker Bouhlel, French president Francois Hollande extended the ongoing state of emergency for three more months reiterating that France, "is under threat from Islamic terrorism.” and he would strengthen military "action in Syria and Iraq." Prime minister Manual Valls has rushed to declare  "France will have to live with terrorism.” Recall same happened after 9/11 and Paris attacks that immediate reaction was sending troops abroad as if troops and military equipment are ready to be moved in advance.

More than 60 percent of France population expressed anti-EU sentiments in polls.

The media coverage in the aftermath of the attacks remained focused on the point that terrorism has become a normal part of our lives and that Europe needed a permanent state of emergency.  Some of the geopolitical analysts shockingly maintained that extension of the state of emergency is a pretext for Martial law enforcement in France. Furthermore, there are strong conjectures that such incidents could well push France toward Frexit (French exit from the European Union), as various poll results including Pew Research Centre's poll have indicated that 61 percent  of the French citizens have already display anti-EU sentiments.

Public places in Europe were bombed by joint operations of CIA and some European governments during Gladio operations

Independent analysts are comparing this fresh wave of terrorism in Western Europe to Gladio Operation  in which public places were bombed by CIA and some European Governments during the Cold War to destroy the image of Communist parties. It should be noted that the Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti officially acknowledged the existence of Gladio Clandestine operation on 24 October 1990. If this point of view is considered, the current scenario replaces the communist threat by the refugee threat.

This fresh wave of worldwide terrorism has engulfed our beautiful planet since the emergence of the death cult called ISIS or Daesh. These terrorism incidents with a marked pattern should be carefully examined avoiding the subjective 'Clash of Civilization' loaded worldview if we really want to find out the solution. This child-murdering so called Jihadist cult has killed more Muslims around the world than non-Muslims proving itself ruthlessly anti-Muslim rather than pro-Muslims.

Whatever be the motives, they are simply pushing France towards a Frexit.

An objective analysis is needed keeping in mind the touchstone who is benefiting from all this gruesome spate of blood? These incidents are certainly serving  anti-refugee political  powers in Europe to ban the influx of refugees caused by NATO adventure in the Middle East. They may also provide an excuse to prolong military operations as French Government is pledging to increase resources to the bombing campaign in Iraq and Syria since the recent attack.  This may also be a pretext to extend emergencies and enforce martial law. Whatever be the motives, they are simply pushing France towards a Frexit.

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Preview YouTube video Woman who found the ISIS execution video

After brutal terrorist attacks in Orlando, Istanbul, Baghdad, Dhaka and Medina, recent French and German attacks appear to mark a new set of tragic events in Europe. The heaviest death toll has been observed in France where the Riviera city of Nice was targeted violently on Bastille day. The killer has been identified as a 31-year-old Tunisian-born French citizen, Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel. More than 84 people lost their lives when he allegedly used his truck to mow down the crowd assembled to watch the fireworks on the coastal promenade. This is the third major terrorist attack in France since January 2015.

What are the motives behind ISIS impersonators and hoaxers?

Tazeen Hasan



Joshua Ryne Goldberg, a non-muslim American who ran an online network from his basement in Florida impersonating ISIS Jihadist inciting attacks in America was supported by renowned terrorism analyst Rita Katz as she briefed the world about ISIS activities on the basis of information retrieved from Goldberg Online persona

Tazeen Hasan

While the mainstream media displays outrage over the string of terrorist attacks that have been plaguing the world since the emergence of the death cult in the Middle East called ISIS, it largely overlooks appearance of impersonators and fabricators of the false jihadist attacks on terrorism theater. For instance, shortly after San Bernardino attacks in California last year, a 45-year-old French teacher claimed to be attacked by a masked ISIS assailant. Within four hours of investigation, he admitted blatantly that the story was his fabrication. As usual and expected the blatant liar stimulated a media hype instantly against radical Islamist terrorism.

The French teacher who had claimed to be attacked by a masked ISIS assailant admitted that the story was his fabrication

It is interesting to note that more than one media outlet that hastened to publish this horrendous crime perpetrated by ISIS did not remove the fabricated story from their websites even after the story proved false. Outlets however, added a one-liner update link, hardly visible to the readers but remained silent over the motivations behind the hate crime. In fact, nobody is saying that this false accusation itself is a hate crime. It is not difficult to imagine how boisterous and noisy they might have behaved otherwise. Nobody bothered to discuss that if this false attack would have been believed, what may be the consequences for the citizens of already terrorized French Capital, for the vulnerable refugees who are fleeing from outcomes of war on terror, on the Western Muslims who have remained in a constant state of trial since 9/11. Finally, how would the pundits forecasting the clash of civilization would have reacted?

This is not the first time that ISIS impersonators, non-Muslim hoaxer or self-wounded victims of terrorism have reported false stories to the police and authorities. Below are some of the hoax stories. All attested by major news outlets and can be confirmed on given links.

The 20-year old non-Muslim impersonated as a ISIS Jihadist publicly called for a series of attacks in western countries.

In September 2015, FBI arrested a Florida Jew, Joshua Ryne Goldberg impersonating an Australian ISIS Jihadist as 'Australi witness' on the internet when Australian Federal police informed FBI of his presence in Florida. The 20-year-old who claimed online that he was working with other ISIS jihadists and publicly called for a series of attacks in western countries. Goldberg admitted sharing bomb recipes like those used in Boston Marathon and urged Muslims to attack Kansas city 9/11 memorial commemoration with such bombs. He also used Twitter to incite attacks at an exhibition in Texas, Garland.  Upon his  advice, two Muslim men attempted an attack at the exhibition and were killed by police. Goldberg as 'Australi Witness' then praised them online as martyrs.

It is obvious that this was a well-designed project not the mindless activity of a nerd but the ease with which he was released indicates that there was an influential lobby behind him.

Remarkably, Goldberg admitted all the charges including making a bomb similar to those used in Boston bombing but he was released on the grounds that he is mentally incompetent to stand the trial. It is obvious that this was a well-designed project not the mindless activity of a nerd but the ease with which he was released indicates that there was an influential lobby behind him. It should be particularly noticed that renowned terrorism analyst Rita Katz had been briefing the western parliaments on the basis of information retrieved from Goldberg's online personas.

The fake jihadist personas were also used to besmirch Amnesty International and the Human Rights Law Centre

According to Sydney morning Herald, "Goldberg also allegedly created a number of fake jihadist accounts, which interacted with the fake Thorne account, and then allegedly sent screengrabs of the interactions to journalists, at least one of whom published a fake interaction in an article of The West Australian  in April 2015." Article further reveals,"the fake jihadist personas were also used to besmirch Amnesty International and the Human Rights Law Centre by claiming the fake jihadists had employment ties or donated money to the organizations."

A white man identified himself as Abdul Yasin, made a 911 call and threatened to blow the Statue of liberty

On April 24, 2015, Jason Paul Smith, identified himself as Abdul Yasin, made a 911 call and threatened to blow the Statue of liberty. He used a phone service for the hearing impaired service, and impersonated as an ISIS jihadist resulting in the evacuation of more than 3200 tourist from liberty Island in New York. The prosecutors revealed Smith had made other 911 calls too with the same iPad, identifying himself as "Isis allah Bomb maker" and had threatened to attack Times Square and kill police officers at the Brooklyn Bridge. Smith has been pleaded guilty but surprisingly there is no Wikipedia page about this incidence.

Psychology professor was charged with false reporting that her car was vandalized with anti-Semitic slurs

In 2004, a Claremont McKenna College Psychology professor Kerri Dunn, 39, was convicted of falsely reporting that her car was vandalized and spray-painted with racist and anti-Semitic slurs while she was speaking at a campus forum on racial tolerance. She became a suspect after two witnesses reported seeing her vandalizing the car herself. Investigators also said she gave them conflicting reports about what had happened.

A French woman claimed   that she was assaulted on a Paris train later admitted making up anti-semitic story

On 9 July 2004, a young French woman who became known as Marie L. declared to the police that she was assaulted on a Paris suburban train between the stations of Louvres and Sarcelles with her thirteen-month-old baby by six young men whom she described as Arabs and blacks. She told that assailants allegedly beat her, cut her hair, and ripped her clothes with a knife. They then drew three swastikas on her stomach and knocked over the stroller with her baby. She claimed about 20 passengers on train witnessed the incident. Later when no witness could be traced and surveillance camera reports denied any such activity, she admitted making up the story of the anti-semitic attack.

The revelation that the anti-semitic attack story was fabrication  was met with almost total political silence.

According to the journal of Jerusalem Centre for public affairs initially all French public institutions condemned the anti-semitic attack but the revelation that the story was fabricated  was met with almost total political silence. 

While mainstream international media didn't bother to find out the motives, it is quite obvious that such stories are made up to accelerate the already rampant Islamophobia in the western world. Every terror attack, linked with radical jihadists, leaves millions of peaceful Muslims flummoxed and speechless, especially those living in the western hemisphere. Ironically, responsibility is always accepted proudly by the death cult even if evidence and circumstances tell another story. It is also noticeable that this sinister Middle Eastern death cult prefers to deliver their videos to Maryland-based SITE research Institute(the acronym for Search for International Terrorist entities) ran by Katz.

Apart from manipulating western people's perception towards Muslims, there may be more sinister plots of radicalizing Western Muslims through online activities. International media boasts the sophisticated and hi-tech online network of ISIS. From Goldberg's example, it is obvious that he was successful in radicalizing Muslim Youth at least once in Garland, Texas. It is notable that is the only hoaxer story that has been made public  through Australian Federal Police and the objective reporting of Sydney Morning Herald. None of the North American mainstream media outlets published the story in its objective context. There may be other groups working behind him but FBI is too busy to trace future Jihadist plots by the Islamist terrorist. 

These groups may be exploited and backed by terrorism experts like Katz who claim to get access to Al-Qaeda and ISIS videos before their scheduled release dates. It is not out of the question that these organized representatives are running the actual media cell of ISIS who is allegedly supported financially and militarily by western powers and their Middle Eastern allies. After all, these impersonators are more capable of convincing and radicalizing western teenagers than the Middle Eastern fighters of the cult from Iraq and Syria. It is surprising that a considerable ISIS manpower comes from these West European Muslim converts. The point here being who can run such a successful advertising campaign for a backpacking trip to Syria and Iraq for24-hour our western Muslim convert.  

More surprising than the actions of these hoaxers is the attitude of media, intelligence and the judiciary towards them. Their activities are rarely revealed. Media overlooks their stories. Their motives are never investigated and questioned by the media and politicians.Apart from inadequate media coverage, their names are not released to the public as in the case of the French teacher. Even if they are arrested and prosecuted as in the case of Joshua, they are released without conviction on the basis of mental incompetence. Joshua who taught bomb making techniques, incited terror attacks on July 4th and was responsible for Texas incident in which two teenagers were radicalized and then killed was released by the court saying that he is mentally incompetent to stand a trial. 

Their actions are not only promoting hatred towards Muslims but also responsible in radicalization of Whites and Muslims alike. In fact they themselves are radicalized against Muslims and media pundits should try to find the answer that who radicalized these impersonators and for what purpose?