US Servicemen prevent Moroccan terrorist's train massacre in France

[George Wallace]

Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act.

Hero US marine who prevented Moroccan terrorist's train massacre in France is 'in critical condition' after being shot in the neck - as he and his colleague are praised for 'extreme bravery'
Mail Online
By DARREN BOYLE FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 18:34 GMT, 21 August 2015 | UPDATED: 23:48 GMT, 21 August 2015
A suspected Moroccan terrorist opened fire with a Kalashnikov on board a high speed train in northern France
Eyewitnesses said two U.S. Marines on the train disarmed the 26-year-old gunman and pinned him to the ground
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve praised the Marines who almost certainly 'averted a disaster'
The gunman is understood to have boarded the train, which had more than 500 passengers, in Brussels, Belgium

One of the hero Marines who foiled a planned terror attack on a French train was fighting for his life after being shot in the neck while disarming the crazed gunman on Friday.

The two unarmed servicemen spotted the 26-year-old Moroccan acting suspiciously and heard him trying to arm his weapon in the toilet of the high speed train between Amsterdam and Paris.

The gunman got on the train in Brussels and attempted his attack soon after crossing the French border.

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 Marines were nearby and overpowered him before he could massacre passengers.

The suspected terrorist had at least nine full magazines of ammunition holding almost 300 rounds. He was also carrying a knife.

Unfortunately, one of the Marines was shot and is believed to be in a critical condition. It is feared that he was shot in the neck by the gunman.

It is understood that the gunman boarded the train, which had more than 550 passengers on board, in Brussels and made his move as soon as it crossed into France.

French media claim that the suspect was previously known to French security services and was living in Spain. He has already been linked to a number of radical Islamic groups. He was classed, according to FranceInfo.fr as 'potentially dangerous'. 

Speaking in Arras, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve praised the Marines 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.

Belgian journalist Marin Buxant Tweeted that the US Marines were on leave in Brussels when they spotted the man and followed him on the train. When the suspect went into the toilet, the Marines recognised the sound of a weapon being armed and decided to act immediately. 

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 two US Marines detained the gunman until emergency services arrived.

The incident happened at approximately 6pm local time. 

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.

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.

'We are aware of reports that shots were fired on a train in France earlier today. The French authorities have responded. There are no reports that British nationals have been injured.'

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.’

Photos, Video and more on LINK.

[Edited Title to reflect Media correcting their facts on the Identities of the US pers involved.]

 

[cupper]

Semper Fi Marine, thoughts are with you.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Well done, Marines. 

Now, get well soon.

Semper Fi.

 

[George Wallace]

Fox News report on incident.

 

[tomahawk6]

BZ for situational awareness and a speedy recovery,fortunately his wound is not life threatening.

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

Article stated he was fighting for his life.

I wonder what it was exactly that tipped them off.

 

[X Royal]

CNN reporting it was not Marines.
Their report states "a member of the Air Force, an inactive National Guard member and a civilian -- responded quickly".
Either way good for them.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/21/europe/france-train-shooting/

 

[The Bread Guy]

I look forward to hearing more details, but well done for saving lives, whoever did it and whatever uniforms they wear (or don't, in the case of the civilian). 

 

[jollyjacktar]

Well done, that takes some balls.  Hopefully there won't be a spate of more dikheads with AKs running amok.

 

[tomahawk6]

The dust has settled and the facts are emerging.Three Americans a college student,an airman and a member of the Oregon National Guard who had just returned from a tour in Afghanistan,rushed the tango who had begun shooting on entering their rail car.His AK jammed and the three subdued him with the aid of a British passenger.The airman is in hospital which is why he isnt in the photos.The three americans were childhood friends.Talk about being in the irght place at the right time.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34023361

A French-American passenger was injured by the bullet, and the American passengers intervened shortly afterward, he said.

"Spencer got to the guy first and grabbed the guy by the neck," Mr Skarlatos told Sky News.

"I grabbed the handgun, got that away from the guy and threw it. Then I grabbed the AK-47, which was at his feet, and started muzzle-bumping him in the head with it.

"Everybody just started beating the guy while Spencer held the chokehold until he went unconscious."

"The guy pulled out a cutter and started cutting Spencer - he cut behind his neck and nearly cut his thumb off."

The second seriously injured man, who has not been identified, suffered severe cuts to his neck. Spencer Stone went to help him despite his own injuries. Mr Stone remains in hospital.

"I'm really proud of my friend that he just reacted so quickly and so bravely," Anthony Sadler said.

"He was really the first one over there. Even after being injured himself, he went to go help the other man who was bleeding also. Without his help, he would have died.

"That man was bleeding from his neck profusely."

 

[tomahawk6]

Col Tim Collins had an opinion piece in the Daily Mail.Quite complimentary.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11818121/France-train-attack-Would-you-take-on-a-terrorist.html


It was a particularly unlucky would-be murderer, no doubt driven by the tenets of the Islamist death cult, that he chose to do his mischief on Friday in a railway carriage where three Americans, two of them off-duty US servicemen, just happened to be sitting. It was very lucky for the many other tourists and commuters that Spencer Stone of the US Air Force, Alek Skarlatos of the National Guard and their friend Anthony Sadler were there.

Had the traditional European reserve been in play it is likely that there would have been wholesale murder. As it was the strong tradition of US servicemen to be "always on duty", they no doubt saved lives.

In my experience, the US serviceman does not experience the excruciating levels of self-consciousness that dogs the European armies. Despite a low during the Vietnam era, US service personnel are proud of their country’s uniform and service and the nation is proud right back.

Listen carefully in any US airport for the frequent announcements inviting US service personnel to special lounges. When they fly in uniform they will always be offered an upgrade and they will always refuse, regarding sitting with the other citizens their duty. Is it any wonder that they respond by serving their country so well?

Contrast the indifference to the servicemen and women of our own country. It was recently reported that a hotel in Scotland asked a veteran of the Iraq War to take off his services charity shirt as it featured a Union flag. That would never happen in the US.

It is true to say, that while brash and likely to complain in restaurants and shops, the US are among the most polite folk you could meet. On the many occasions I have served with US Forces I am always struck at their patience and sense of fair play.

It is the cornerstone of their huge nation that the common good is symbolised by the country’s flag, where our military motivation here in the UK is more tribal – hence the (now threatened) regimental system. I would like to think that any British serviceman would have done the same on the train at Arras.

But it is not just servicemen in the US who would come forward in a crisis, as illustrated by the heroes of Flight 93 on 9/11 who died in their attempt to tackle the hijackers. It is an American thing. I salute it.

Col Tim Collins OBE is a former SAS officer who commanded the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment during the invasion of Iraq. He is a specialist in the field of counterinsurgency and security.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Col Collins can rest easy about UK servicemen.  My wife was flying from Halifax to London to meet me for a reverse HLTA in 09.  Midway across the pond a nutjob three rows in front of my wife stood up, brandishing a device in his hand, told everyone to get to the front of the plane as he had a "bomb" onboard.  Fortunately, there was no bomb (and his trigger was a tv remote) and also there was a mix of Canadian and UK servicemen on the flight.  He was taken out swiftly (less than 30 seconds) by these men and the plane was safely diverted back to St John's.  The cabin crew divided the servicemen amongst the other passengers to assist them on the way back to NFLD.  My wife had a very nice young Royal Marine as her companion. 

 

[Leeworthy]

Bravo Zulu Marines.

 

[Good2Golf]

Col Collins hits the nail on the head!  Well done to the three men representing a cross section of American society: active duty serviceman, citizen soldier and civilian.

Americans receive grief and criticism around the rest of the world, but they wear their hearts on their sleeves and while there is no doubt a "We're #1" sentiment out there, they won't pause a fraction of a second to give the shirt of their back to #2 on down... :nod: 

BZ Airman Stone, Guardsman Skarlatos, and Mr. Sadler! 

 

[tomahawk6]

A1C Stone is assigned to Lajes Field in the Azores.USAF press release with a couple of images of Stone providing first aid in a class setting.He assigned to base 65th medical  operations squadron.

http://www.usafe.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123456624

 

[jollyjacktar]

The POS now claims he didn't intend to kill anyone, just rob them, with guns he "found" in a children's playground.  They didn't beat him nearly enough or long enough to suite me.  And Daddy claims "he's a good boy", of course...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3207822/Train-gunman-laughs-accusations-planning-terror-attack-says-wanted-rob-passengers.html

 

[tomahawk6]

According to a French poster on Lightfighter the penalty is far less for a common thief than a terrorist.He says that every captured tango plays that card.He has been caught red handed so to speak.He has a military grade weapon and 9 magazines which is a serious offense in itself.No question that he is going to prison for many years.

 

[daftandbarmy]

According to a French poster on Lightfighter the penalty is far less for a common thief than a terrorist.He says that every captured tango plays that card.He has been caught red handed so to speak.He has a military grade weapon and 9 magazines which is a serious offense in itself.No question that he is going to prison for many years.

Hopefully after a bit of 'intensive questioning'.  :nod:

 

[cupper]

Damn kids, just leaving their toys around for any one to pick up.  :

 

[tomahawk6]

A1C Stone,Specialist Skarlatos,Anthony Sadler and Brit Chris Norman will be awarded the Legion d'Honneur Monday,by President Hollande.Two French citizens will also receive the  Legion d'Honneur at a later date.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34034840

The awards ceremony.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34037580