Terror suspects killed in police raid in Belgium: ‘A second Paris has been avoided’

[Valin]

Washington Times:

Cheryl K. Chumley

Thursday, January 15, 2015

 

As many as three suspected jihadists were killed in an anti-terror raid by Belgian police in Verviers on Thursday.

 

Fox News reported that the police operation, conducted on the heels of a tip, could actually be larger. The highly respected newspaper Le Sour in Brussels reported that the terror operation was part of a bigger attack that was being planned for several spots in the region, and that police may be detaining others.

“A second Paris has been avoided,” a source with the ministry of justice told Nieuwsblad newspaper.

Various media have reported that at least two terror suspects were killed in the police raid, and a third may be dead, also. Authorities on the scene haven’t confirmed the kills.

“I heard two explosions and saw two young men run away,” said one local resident, of the raid, The Telegraph reported. “They were between 25 and 30 years of [age] and of Arab origin.”

 

(Snip)

 

[Valin]

[Valin]

http://youtu.be/edBPuOB1I50

 

Belgian counter-terrorism raid: Two killed, one arrested in eastern town of Verviers
By Europe correspondent Philip Williams, wires

 

(Snip)

 

Judiciary officials confirmed the raid took place near the centre of Verviers, which is located between the city of Liege and the German border.

 

A third suspect was taken into custody and there were no casualties among the security forces involved.

 

RTBF said it was an operation intended to check on suspected radicals - one of several being conducted against people believed to have returned to Belgium after taking part in the Syrian civil war.

 

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[Valin]

AP

 

(Snip)

 

Earlier Thursday, Belgian authorities said they are looking into possible links between a man they arrested in the southern city of Charleroi for illegal trade in weapons and Amedy Coulibaly, who prosecutors say killed four people in a Paris kosher market last week.

 

The man arrested in Belgium "claims that he wanted to buy a car from the wife of Coulibaly," said federal prosecutor's spokesman, Eric Van der Sypt. "At this moment this is the only link between what happened in Paris." Van der Sypt said that "of course, naturally" we are continuing the investigation.

 

At first the man came to police himself claiming there had been contact with Coulibaly's common law wife regarding the car, but he was arrested following a search on his premises when enough indications of illegal weapons trade were found.

 

Van der Sypt stressed there was no established weapons link with the Paris attack at this moment.

 

Several countries are now involved in the hunt for possible accomplices to Coulibaly and the two other gunmen in the French attacks.

[clearvision]

State of the Union coming up on the 20th. Seems like a good terror target in either place or just timing to interrupt. Hope security is higher than usual for the event.

[Valin]

State of the Union coming up on the 20th. Seems like a good terror target in either place or just timing to interrupt. Hope security is higher than usual for the event.

 

 

I suspect it will be. Our friends at the various alphabet agencies are busy little beavers I'd say. These type of events have really good security...Malls...freeways, etc...are a different story. There are 3 things needed to stop Islamic terrorists 1. intelligence 2. Intelligence & 3. Intelligence. Something I read years ago, In the Cold War the enemy was easy to find but hard to kill, in this war the enemy is hard to find but easy to kill.

 

 

I sincerely apologies for using the words Enemy & Kill, War I hope no one was offended by this.

[Valin]

More Here At Hot Air

[clearvision]

Now hang on a minute. You say these bad guys had guns?

 

In 2006 the Belgian Parliament approved a new gun law. All firearms are banned unless a permit is obtained from the provincial governor. In Belgium since June 2006 nobody is allowed to own a gun or a rifle unless he has a special permission but it is extremely difficult to get one, this includes also hunters. Each gun or rifle is registered and the owner has a file in the police database.

 

For policemen of course it is different as a gun is part of their work equipment. But this has changed too. Since the passing of the new law, Belgian cops are not allowed anymore to take their guns home; cops are required to leave their service firearms in the locker at the end of the work day.

 

In Belgium, civilians are not allowed to possess military weapons, automatic firearms, and their ammunition, concealable firearms, silencers, laser sights, etc.

[Valin]

Now hang on a minute. You say these bad guys had guns?

 

In 2006 the Belgian Parliament approved a new gun law. All firearms are banned unless a permit is obtained from the provincial governor. In Belgium since June 2006 nobody is allowed to own a gun or a rifle unless he has a special permission but it is extremely difficult to get one, this includes also hunters. Each gun or rifle is registered and the owner has a file in the police database.

 

For policemen of course it is different as a gun is part of their work equipment. But this has changed too. Since the passing of the new law, Belgian cops are not allowed anymore to take their guns home; cops are required to leave their service firearms in the locker at the end of the work day.

 

In Belgium, civilians are not allowed to possess military weapons, automatic firearms, and their ammunition, concealable firearms, silencers, laser sights, etc.

 

 

 

I know. Imagine my shock surprise & dismay at reading that. Someone should have told them it was against the law.

[Valin]

State of the Union coming up on the 20th. Seems like a good terror target in either place or just timing to interrupt. Hope security is higher than usual for the event.

 

Islamic State Sympathizer Plots US Capitol Attack as DHS Steps up Security

Amanda Vicinanzo, Senior Editor

01/15/2015

 

(Snip)

 

Islamic State Inspired plot to attack the US Capitol

 

Amid the call for increased vigilance, Christopher Lee Cornell, a 20-year-old resident of the Cincinnati area, was charged with attempt to kill a US government official and possession of a firearm in furtherance of attempted crime of violence.

 

The criminal complaint filed in US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio stated Cornell allegedly planned to detonate pipe bombs at the US Capitol and open fire on any nearby employees and officials in order to fulfill “the directives of violent jihadists.”

 

Between summer 2014 and January 2015, Cornell established and used Twitter accounts under the alias Raheel Mahrus Ubaydah to post videos, statements and other content showing his support for IS. Cornell voiced his support for violent jihad, including attacks committed in North America and elsewhere.

 

(Snip)