Fears Extremists May Avenge Toulouse Gunman
France's interior minister has warned the country to be "vigilant" for Islamist extremists who may be seeking revenge for the death of Toulouse serial killer Mohamed Merah.
Claude Gueant said authorities had observed an increased "desire" and "enthusiasm" among such groups to avenge the death of the man suspected of killing three Jewish children, a rabbi, and three French soldiers in three separate attacks in southern France in March.
Merah, a Frenchman of Algerian descent who claimed links to al Qaeda, said he acted to "avenge Palestinian children".
He died in a stand-off with police last month.
The 23-year-old, who filmed the attacks in Toulouse and Montauban, was shot in the head as he tried to escape capture by special forces after a 32-hour siege at his flat.
Mr Gueant, who watched the drama unfold from behind an armoured vehicle at the shootout, has called on communities to be "vigilant and attentive" during an interview with French radio station Europe 1.
Claude Gueant speaks to the media following the death of Merah
The warning comes amid a crackdown on extremism in France in the wake of the Toulouse shootings.
Several radical Islamist preachers have been deported from the country after a series of raids by French police in areas including Marseilles and Valence, and several suspects detained on suspicion of having criminal links to extremist groups and terrorist networks.
Controversial Egyptian-born cleric Sheikh Yusuf al Qaradawi has been barred from entering the country by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Sheikh Qaradawi had been invited to attend a current four-day Islamic conference in Paris which runs until April 9.
The move has attracted fierce criticism from the Dublin-based International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS).
"We are surprised, and we admonish France for refusing to grant Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi a visa," said Sheikh Ali al Qaradaghi, secretary general of the IUMS.
"He is a moderate scholar who contributed to combating extremism in Islamic thoughts."
Just weeks after Merah's killings sparked one of the biggest manhunts in modern French history, French authorities are hunting for another possible serial killer who is believed to be responsible for three murders in the southern suburbs of Paris.
Although the latest killing was also carried out by a gunman on a motorbike, preliminary police investigations indicate there is nothing yet to suggest any political or religious motives.
Source http://news.sky.com/home/world-news/article/16204044
Claude Gueant said authorities had observed an increased "desire" and "enthusiasm" among such groups to avenge the death of the man suspected of killing three Jewish children, a rabbi, and three French soldiers in three separate attacks in southern France in March.
Merah, a Frenchman of Algerian descent who claimed links to al Qaeda, said he acted to "avenge Palestinian children".
He died in a stand-off with police last month.
The 23-year-old, who filmed the attacks in Toulouse and Montauban, was shot in the head as he tried to escape capture by special forces after a 32-hour siege at his flat.
Mr Gueant, who watched the drama unfold from behind an armoured vehicle at the shootout, has called on communities to be "vigilant and attentive" during an interview with French radio station Europe 1.
Claude Gueant speaks to the media following the death of Merah
The warning comes amid a crackdown on extremism in France in the wake of the Toulouse shootings.
Several radical Islamist preachers have been deported from the country after a series of raids by French police in areas including Marseilles and Valence, and several suspects detained on suspicion of having criminal links to extremist groups and terrorist networks.
Controversial Egyptian-born cleric Sheikh Yusuf al Qaradawi has been barred from entering the country by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Sheikh Qaradawi had been invited to attend a current four-day Islamic conference in Paris which runs until April 9.
The move has attracted fierce criticism from the Dublin-based International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS).
"We are surprised, and we admonish France for refusing to grant Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi a visa," said Sheikh Ali al Qaradaghi, secretary general of the IUMS.
"He is a moderate scholar who contributed to combating extremism in Islamic thoughts."
Just weeks after Merah's killings sparked one of the biggest manhunts in modern French history, French authorities are hunting for another possible serial killer who is believed to be responsible for three murders in the southern suburbs of Paris.
Although the latest killing was also carried out by a gunman on a motorbike, preliminary police investigations indicate there is nothing yet to suggest any political or religious motives.
Source http://news.sky.com/home/world-news/article/16204044
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