French security agencies failed to stop the recent Paris attacks despite knowing at least one the Takfiri terrorists beforehand, raising questions on why the supposed tracking of terror suspects still makes such heinous acts possible not long after another deadly attack against a French magazine in January.
Five out of seven of the terrorists killed during the Friday night attacks have been identified and their relatives remain in police custody for further questioning.
Back in 2010, Omar Ismail Mostefai, one of the terrorists who blew themselves up, was put on the list of people with a high-risk of radicalization apart from having a criminal record with eight convictions, the Global Research website reported.
Mostefai was born in Paris’s Courcouronnes neighborhood in 1985.
An investigation is currently underway to determine if Mostefai traveled to Syria last year before the atrocities that left at least 132 people dead and some 350 injured in a horrendous shooting and bombing spree late Friday.
A similar scenario occurred back in January before the Charlie Hebo attacks in Paris. The perpetrators were being tracked by French security agencies for almost a decade before the incident. One of the terrorists was arrested twice and imprisoned once. Two were tracked and known to have trained with terrorist organizations. But French security agencies never moved in on the terrorists and closed their case before they killed 12 people.
The late Friday spree also included Ahmed Almuhamed and Abbdulakbak B, both 25, who are thought to be Syrian nationals who entered Europe via Greece a few months ago.
French authorities have identified two other French nationals as the dead terrorists, a 20-year-old and a 31-year-old both of whom lived in Belgium.
Not all the terrorists were obviously killed that night, with at least one "dangerous" one yet remaining at large. French police have released a handout photo of 26-year-old Belgian-born Abdeslam Salah, who is suspected of being directly involved in the bombings.
Salah, seen in the handout picture below released by the French Police Nationale information services, was detained in the aftermath of the attacks but was let go. Daesh militants claimed responsibility for the coordinated attacks that shocked the French capital.
French, US spy chiefs met before Paris attacks
Questions in regard to what really happened on the night of the terrorist attacks gained a more profound aspect after reports emerged of a meeting between the United States top spy chief and his French counterpart prior to the horrendous night.
According to the White House correspondent for French television network Canal+, Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan met with French intelligence (DGSE) director Bernard Bajolet on October 29.
During a live interview with MSNBC’s Brian Williams on Friday, Laura Haim said that Brennan and Bajolet took part in the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security panel centering on “The Shared 21st Century International Mission” along with former UK MI6 Chief John Sawers and former Israeli National Security Advisor Yaacov Amidror.
Baghdad’s intel sounding ‘every day’
Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Ja’afari said Sunday that Baghdad had already shared intelligence on the risk of possible attacks on France, the United States, and Iran.
“Sources in Iraqi intelligence obtained information that some countries would be targeted, especially France, America and Iran, and they were informed of this,” Ja’afari said in a statement.
A senior French official told the AP that such intelligence is received by French security services "all the time" and "every day."
Earlier on Sunday, Iranian Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi said the recent attacks in France as well as Lebanon are also an alarm to the Islamic Republic, which demands more precautions.