Posted on Aug 21, 2015
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Unarmed US service members take down Kalashnikov-wielding gunman onboard a high-speed train between Amsterdam and Paris.
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A group of unarmed US service members on board a high-speed train between Amsterdam and Paris foiled a terrorist attack after a gunman opened fire with an assault rifle, wounding three people.
The 26-year-old Moroccan national, who was known to security services, came out of the toilet brandishing the gun and opened fire. Fortunately, two US service members were nearby and overpowered him before he could massacre passengers.
The suspected terrorist had at least nine full magazines of ammunition holding almost 200 rounds. He was also carrying a knife.
Unfortunately, one of the service members was shot and is believed to be in a critical condition.
Speaking in Arras, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve praised the service members for their timely intervention.
He said: 'Thanks to them we have averted a drama.
'(The Americans were) particularly courageous and showed extreme bravery in extremely difficult circumstances.'
The man was arrested by police near the town of Arras in northern France.
Train company Thalys confirmed the incident happened. A spokesman said: 'The situation is under control, the travellers are safe. The train stopped and the emergency services are on site.'
No one at the SNCF French railways was immediately available to comment on the report.
A report on Twitter said that three US service members detained the gunman until emergency services arrived.
The incident happened at approximately 6pm local time.
French newspaper Le Monde is reporting that one Briton may be among the injured.
The motives behind the attack were not immediately known, although a spokesman for the interior minister said: 'It is too early to speak of a terrorist link'.
The incident happened approximately 115 miles north of Paris near the town of Arras
Investigators from France's special anti-terror police are leading the investigation, a spokeswoman for the Paris prosecutor's office said.
Two of the victims are in a critical condition. The suspect is a 26-year-old Moroccan, said Sliman Hamzi, an official with police union Alliance.
A spokesman for the French state rail company SNCF said that the assailant was armed with guns and knives but gave no further details about the attack.
An American and a Briton were reportedly among those injured.
The gunman was arrested after the train pulled into the station in the northern French town of Arras, the SNCF spokesman told AFP.
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve arrived at the scene in Arras in the wake of the incident, which occurred shortly after 6pm local time.
His spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet confirmed to AFP that a man had opened fire on the train but said that at this stage "we do not know his motives".
The French actor Jean-Hugues Anglade, who appeared in the 1986 cult film 'Betty Blue' staring Beatrice Dalle, was lightly injured. It is understood he cut his hand while breaking the glass on the emergency alarm.
Anglade also played the hard-nosed cop Eddy Caplan in the gritty French crime drama Braquo.
Thalys said on its website that several trains had been delayed after the 'intervention of security forces at Arras station'.
'The train is at the station and emergency services are at the scene,' said Thalys, which is jointly owned by the national rail companies of Belgium, France and Germany.
France remains on edge after Islamic extremists attacked the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket in Paris in January.
In June, a man beheaded his boss and tried to blow up a gas plant in southern France in what prosecutors say was an attack inspired by ISIS.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: 'We are aware of reports of shots being fired on a train in France.
'The French authorities have responded, we are in contact with them and are urgently seeking more information.'
Interior ministry spokesman Pierre Henry Brandet said: ‘A man opened fire on this Thalys train between Amsterdam and Paris, one person was very seriously injured. Talking about a terrorist motive would be premature at the moment.’
Francois Hollande, the French president, has said: ‘I express my solidarity with the wounded from the attack on the train from Amsterdam to Paris. Everything is being done to shed light on this tragedy.’
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3206426/U-S-Marines-armed-gunman-onboard-high-speed-train-Amsterdam-Paris.html
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A group of unarmed US service members on board a high-speed train between Amsterdam and Paris foiled a terrorist attack after a gunman opened fire with an assault rifle, wounding three people.
The 26-year-old Moroccan national, who was known to security services, came out of the toilet brandishing the gun and opened fire. Fortunately, two US service members were nearby and overpowered him before he could massacre passengers.
The suspected terrorist had at least nine full magazines of ammunition holding almost 200 rounds. He was also carrying a knife.
Unfortunately, one of the service members was shot and is believed to be in a critical condition.
Speaking in Arras, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve praised the service members for their timely intervention.
He said: 'Thanks to them we have averted a drama.
'(The Americans were) particularly courageous and showed extreme bravery in extremely difficult circumstances.'
The man was arrested by police near the town of Arras in northern France.
Train company Thalys confirmed the incident happened. A spokesman said: 'The situation is under control, the travellers are safe. The train stopped and the emergency services are on site.'
No one at the SNCF French railways was immediately available to comment on the report.
A report on Twitter said that three US service members detained the gunman until emergency services arrived.
The incident happened at approximately 6pm local time.
French newspaper Le Monde is reporting that one Briton may be among the injured.
The motives behind the attack were not immediately known, although a spokesman for the interior minister said: 'It is too early to speak of a terrorist link'.
The incident happened approximately 115 miles north of Paris near the town of Arras
Investigators from France's special anti-terror police are leading the investigation, a spokeswoman for the Paris prosecutor's office said.
Two of the victims are in a critical condition. The suspect is a 26-year-old Moroccan, said Sliman Hamzi, an official with police union Alliance.
A spokesman for the French state rail company SNCF said that the assailant was armed with guns and knives but gave no further details about the attack.
An American and a Briton were reportedly among those injured.
The gunman was arrested after the train pulled into the station in the northern French town of Arras, the SNCF spokesman told AFP.
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve arrived at the scene in Arras in the wake of the incident, which occurred shortly after 6pm local time.
His spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet confirmed to AFP that a man had opened fire on the train but said that at this stage "we do not know his motives".
The French actor Jean-Hugues Anglade, who appeared in the 1986 cult film 'Betty Blue' staring Beatrice Dalle, was lightly injured. It is understood he cut his hand while breaking the glass on the emergency alarm.
Anglade also played the hard-nosed cop Eddy Caplan in the gritty French crime drama Braquo.
Thalys said on its website that several trains had been delayed after the 'intervention of security forces at Arras station'.
'The train is at the station and emergency services are at the scene,' said Thalys, which is jointly owned by the national rail companies of Belgium, France and Germany.
France remains on edge after Islamic extremists attacked the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket in Paris in January.
In June, a man beheaded his boss and tried to blow up a gas plant in southern France in what prosecutors say was an attack inspired by ISIS.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: 'We are aware of reports of shots being fired on a train in France.
'The French authorities have responded, we are in contact with them and are urgently seeking more information.'
Interior ministry spokesman Pierre Henry Brandet said: ‘A man opened fire on this Thalys train between Amsterdam and Paris, one person was very seriously injured. Talking about a terrorist motive would be premature at the moment.’
Francois Hollande, the French president, has said: ‘I express my solidarity with the wounded from the attack on the train from Amsterdam to Paris. Everything is being done to shed light on this tragedy.’
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3206426/U-S-Marines-armed-gunman-onboard-high-speed-train-Amsterdam-Paris.html
France
Terrorism
Trains
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 98
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Love our Marine Corps cousins!
I always wonder why, on a bus/train/plane people don't tackle a hijacker rather than let one man take over. Does it surprise me that it was U .S. Marines who took the initiative and the risk to bum rush this dickhead? Not at all.
All the details aren't in yet but I'm following the story closely (I'm a journalist and we have the Associated Press wire streaming into our newsroom) but whatever it turns out happened, I'm proud of ALL our Marines.
BTW, a Reuter's (I believe) article used "marines" for Marines, but maybe worse is that it claimed they were "unarmed." An unarmed Marine? Come on!
I always wonder why, on a bus/train/plane people don't tackle a hijacker rather than let one man take over. Does it surprise me that it was U .S. Marines who took the initiative and the risk to bum rush this dickhead? Not at all.
All the details aren't in yet but I'm following the story closely (I'm a journalist and we have the Associated Press wire streaming into our newsroom) but whatever it turns out happened, I'm proud of ALL our Marines.
BTW, a Reuter's (I believe) article used "marines" for Marines, but maybe worse is that it claimed they were "unarmed." An unarmed Marine? Come on!
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
SPC(P) Mark Newman "I always wonder why, on a bus/train/plane people don't tackle a hijacker rather than let one man take over. "
It's "Herd Instinct." There's actually a psychological effect for it. It can be tested simply in a shopping mall (and has been). Someone has a heart attack. Say "Someone call an ambulance" and people will stand around shocked. Whereas if that same person looks at a SPECIFIC person and says "Call an ambulance" they will react instantly.
It's "Herd Instinct." There's actually a psychological effect for it. It can be tested simply in a shopping mall (and has been). Someone has a heart attack. Say "Someone call an ambulance" and people will stand around shocked. Whereas if that same person looks at a SPECIFIC person and says "Call an ambulance" they will react instantly.
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Well done guys!!! God knows how many innicents you saved with your heroic actions.
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Its pretty freakin' awesome! I couldn't be prouder if they were my own soldiers! The British gentleman summed it up rather nicely......"I would rather die fighting against a terrorist than being shot while sitting in a corner." Just awesome.
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Good Job. The initial reports where that they where Marines. Doesn't matter. Between the National Guard and the Air Force we still done what we where trained to do! HOOAH!
There was one in the video was talking about a hand gun. So where was it and why didn't the news say anything about it!
There was one in the video was talking about a hand gun. So where was it and why didn't the news say anything about it!
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I just watched their press conference with the US Ambassador to France & I am very proud of these three young men... But I get the feeling they are very uncomfortable with all of this attention & they just want to get on with their vacation. Sometimes it takes several days before an event like they went through to sink in.. They make America Proud & I wish them well. Americans will now thank them for their heroic actions.. I can only imagine what the Islamic Terrorist would have done with all of those AK-47 Magazines and pistol...
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SGT (Join to see)
It wouldn't have been pretty, Sgt Tom Cunnally. Those that stopped him would have probably died.
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Sgt Tom Cunnally
SGT (Join to see) - Airman Spencer Stone is to receive the Air Medal & being considered for a Purple Heart...His Air Force buddies nicknamed him "Captain America"...now these three heroes should be honored in the Rose Garden by Obama & the Joint Chiefs of the Military ...So we shall see if Valerie Jarrett wants to do this & convinces her boss...so stay tuned
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SGT (Join to see)
That's just awesome Sgt Tom Cunnally. I think in this case of heroism, our POTUS needs to step up and have them at the Rose Garden. We'll see.
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SSG Keith Cashion
It's a great thing, and it shows that our military personnel are always on the watch. Like Sgt Tom Cunnally said, it would be a horrible thing to think what could have happened had they not reacted.
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An Oregon National Gaurd infantry soldier, and an AD Airman, and their civilian friend took direct action when faced with an AK-47 and 9 MM pistol and box cutter armed terrorist was about to unleash hell on a bunch of civilian passengers on a high speed commuter train between Paris and Amsterdam. The Airman was serious wounded during the struggle to disarm and subdue the terrorist who had known links to ISIS sympathizers and Muslim Radicals in France and Spain, and he might have traveled to Syria to receive training. It was time to "let's roll," as one of the passengers (Todd M Beamer) on the doomed United Airlines flight 93 during 9/11 told a Customer Service Supervisor in his last phone call. This offensive attitude of "Let's Roll" has obviously infused many Americans who refuse to be passive participants in their own murders when faced with a potential terrorist attack on a plane, boat, train or Bus. I am so proud to be a Citizen of the United States that still produces this kind of warrior! God Bless these young Americans and the country that helped make these young Americans.
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Capt Lance Gallardo
PV2 (Join to see) - Thank you PV2 Wilcox. I watched in the middle of the night here on the West Coast, these three Americans getting France's highest award pinned on their chests by the President of France for their courageous and selfless actions on that train. He called their actions an "Inspiration to Humanity!"
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PV2 (Join to see)
Capt Lance Gallardo - Wow! That's pretty awesome that they are getting an award. The morning news was on at my gym and these guys seem rather shy and like they didn't want the attention but they are heroes nonetheless.
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Capt Lance Gallardo
True heroes are always humble. They know what could have been and who died so that they can stand up there and get an award. Invariably they say, "I am no hero, but I met a few along the way." They usually mean the men and women who will not becoming home to their families or will come home severely injured from their combat experience. There were two other passengers who fought and were severely injured by the terrorist before the three Americans who were honored today got involved. Both are still in the hospital recovering from their injuries. One is a dual national US Citizen and French citizen. Their stories will come out soon as well and they will also be honored with the French Legion of Honor.
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This will sound a little weird, but this is VERY good for the US's international image, and specifically good for our service members' image. We sometimes come off as... well arrogant bastards... to other nations. This is something that will help that image for a while.
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SGT (Join to see)
LCDR (Join to see), Not weird at all. Their bravery should show the doubters that America won't cow down to terrorism.
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Glad to see the right people getting credit for their actions. It always sucks when you do the right thing and someone else gets the credit even when you did it because it was the right thing to do and not to get credit.
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