Barcelona: Van plows into crowd...Two confirmed dead...

[T.Lex]

Ah - the Cambrils issue is coming more into focus. Apparently, about 8 hours after the Barcelona attack, an Audi drove through a crowd in Cambrils (which is not far from Barcelona). The vehicle flipped, and as the attackers got out and attacked people with edged weapons, a police officer shot them. They had the fake suicide belts.

 

[T.Lex]

One American confirmed dead in the attacks.

 

[T.Lex]

Dear Lord... reports of a 7 year old who was separated from his mother in the commotion. Mom's in the hospital in serious but stable condition, no one knows where the kid is.

That's gut wrenching.

I rarely quote myself, but the Twitterverse appears to have found a lifeless body in one of the graphic videos that matches the missing boy.

No confirmation yet.

 

[Liberty1916]

I rarely quote myself, but the Twitterverse appears to have found a lifeless body in one of the graphic videos that matches the missing boy.

No confirmation yet.

Sadly, there's going to be more in the future.

 

[T.Lex]

Apparently, and somewhat awkwardly, a far-right group chose to use the gathering of mourning to protest and promote their cause, which was then met by a counter protest of anti-fascists.

Wait.

What thread am I in?

No. This really happened in Las Ramblas.

 

[rob63]

Apparently, and somewhat awkwardly, a far-right group chose to use the gathering of mourning to protest and promote their cause, which was then met by a counter protest of anti-fascists.

Wait.

What thread am I in?

No. This really happened in Las Ramblas.

Some people already think the two events are related.

CNN's Wolf Blitzer Suggests Barcelona Attack Is A 'Copycat' of Charlottesville | HuffPost

 

[T.Lex]

Some people already think the two events are related.

CNN's Wolf Blitzer Suggests Barcelona Attack Is A 'Copycat' of Charlottesville | HuffPost

In my honest opinion, that is one of the most stupid, ignorant, self-promoting, non-sensical ideas I've heard in the last year. And that includes the tail end of last year's presidential campaign.

 

[Expat]

During the aftermath of the attack, I turned on FNC and they were wall to wall on Barcelona. I switched to BBC American and same thing. Switched CNN and they were covering the latest Trump controversy. I guess they felt if they were going to comment on the Barcelona attack they needed to keep Trump in the story some how...

 

[printcraft]

Some people already think the two events are related.

CNN's Wolf Blitzer Suggests Barcelona Attack Is A 'Copycat' of Charlottesville | HuffPost

 

[BehindBlueI's]

That's insulting to clowns.

 

[KellyinAvon]

Is it age-ist (or young-ist) of me, but 22 seems kind of young to head up a terror cell.

Mossos police confirmed to Fox News Saturday that Younes Abouyaaqoub, 22, a Moroccan native, was believed to still be at large and was the driver of the van that carried out the vehicle attack in a Barcelona street filled with tourists and shoppers. He is also the presumed leader of the Islamic extremist cell that carried out the attacks.

Barcelona terror attack van driver still on the loose, Spanish authorities say | Fox News

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Is it age-ist (or young-ist) of me, but 22 seems kind of young to head up a terror cell.

Remember who terrorists recruit, particularly in Europe. The exact same people street gangs recruit. They do not go to mosques and recruit the religious and the learned. They go to prisons, the ghettos, and find disaffected people who are already engaged in crime, willing to blame "society" for their situation, then give them a cause. They give them a way to justify their anti-society views and actions, a way to do what they want to do but view themselves through the lens of "good guy" or above human morality.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...0fa8d7a0db6_story.html?utm_term=.d3d8f04b8ff6

The Muslim community in the northern Spanish town of Ripoll has condemned the two deadly vehicle attacks that have been blamed on some local Moroccans.In a notice posted on a Ripoll mosque Saturday, the Annour Islamic Community of Ripoll said it wanted to offer its sympathy to the families of the victims and its solidarity with Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain.
It said: “Faced with this criminal act, the Annour Islamic Community of Ripoll reiterates its complete commitment to the fight against any form of terrorism, and we hope that those responsible for this attack are arrested and taken before a judge as soon as possible.”

 

[churchmouse]

In my honest opinion, that is one of the most stupid, ignorant, self-promoting, non-sensical ideas I've heard in the last year. And that includes the tail end of last year's presidential campaign.

Well said. I had a bit stronger opinion of Mrs. Blitzer and her insidious rampant Trump hate campaign.

 

[spec4]

That's insulting to clowns.

I first watched a little of this guy about 20 years ago and pegged him for a goof. Never went back. (Same with Chris Matthews) It's a sad commentary on any shred of professionalism he may have left that he resorts to distortions like this. Now, how about the mentality of those many followers he has? Shows how we got to where we are.

 

[T.Lex]

Spanish police are stating that the 22 year old driver of the van is still on the loose. They also found a 15th victim who was apparently carjacked in the getaway.

The 7 year old that was missing has been confirmed to be among the dead.

 

[Expat]

I heard another talking head saying we just need to accept this as part of the new normal. Get over it.
So this is just a small price to pay to be more inclusive.

 

[T.Lex]

I heard another talking head saying we just need to accept this as part of the new normal. Get over it.
So this is just a small price to pay to be more inclusive.

At a certain level, that talking head is correct. I don't see an end-game to this kind of terrorism. At least not in my lifetime.

The cost is not "inclusiveness" - we should be inclusive of people of good will.

The cost is vigilance. Perhaps even with a sprinkling of vigilantism. Mitigating the damage that is done by the extremists.

 

[Expat]

At a certain level, that talking head is correct. I don't see an end-game to this kind of terrorism. At least not in my lifetime.

They cost is not "inclusiveness" - we should be inclusive of people of good will.

The cost is vigilance. Perhaps even with a sprinkling of vigilantism. Mitigating the damage that is done by the extremists.

I saw some former Special Forces guy on the Guttfeld show. He said he thought we should give up on all the surveillance stuff as it doesn't work. All of our home grown terrorists were on the radar but nothing came of it. He said we should make it known we would deport the whole family including relatives of any terrorist attacker in the country. He said he thinks that would work.

 

[T.Lex]

I saw some former Special Forces guy on the Guttfeld show. He said he thought we should give up on all the surveillance stuff as it doesn't work. All of our home grown terrorists were on the radar but nothing came of it. He said we should make it known we would deport the whole family including relatives of any terrorist attacker in the country. He said he thinks that would work.

All ideas should be on the table, within the bounds of constitutionality. I'm not keen on giving up those principles to fight terrorism.

I caught part of the 60 Minutes thing on the Garland attack that was thwarted by armed guards. Apparently there was an FBI surveillance guy on or near the scene when that went down. Plenty of reports of the FBI having been involved with people who turned out to be terrorists. So, I think the surveillance CAN be effective, I just think the next steps - some kind of enforcement or warning - is where mistakes are being made.

Extradition of non-US citizen relatives makes sense. Although, we have a deep history of only punishing those responsible for criminal acts, and not their families. I would have concerns over the implementation of that, if it went beyond those who actually supported the terrorism. This concerns could be placated, though.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I saw some former Special Forces guy on the Guttfeld show. He said he thought we should give up on all the surveillance stuff as it doesn't work. All of our home grown terrorists were on the radar but nothing came of it. He said we should make it known we would deport the whole family including relatives of any terrorist attacker in the country. He said he thinks that would work.

It has worked. The Fort Dix attack was broken before executed. The FBI has stopped several lone wolf and small cell attacks, one in AZ not too long ago.

However we do still have a Constitution, and generally require proof before we start taking punitive actions.