Barcelona Van Attack

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

13 dead, over 100 wounded, at least 80 of which sent to the hospital, with the death toll expected to rise from some of the wounded.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/van-plows-through-crowd-in-barcelona-killing-13/ar-AAqfDqY?OCID=ansmsnnews11

Quote:UPDATE: MADRID, Aug 17 (Reuters) - A Catalan government official said the death toll from a van attack in Barcelona on Thursday could rise above the 13 so far confirmed.

Joaquim Forn, from the Catalan government's interior ministry, told a news conference that over 100 people had been injured when the van mowed down pedestrians in Barcelona's city center.

Two men arrested after a van attack in Barcelona which killed at least 13 people on Thursday were connected to the incident but neither was the driver of the vehicle, police said.

Police confirmed that another man who ran over two officers at a checkpoint in Barcelona was shot dead, but added that it did not appear that the incident was linked to the van attack.

The driver of the van which mowed people down on the busy Las Ramblas avenue left the vehicle on foot and did not appear to be armed, a Catalan police official told a news conference.

They said that one of the two men arrested was Moroccan and the other was from the Spanish enclave of Melilla in North Africa. They were arrested in two different towns in the region of Catalonia, Ripoll and Alcanar.

Separately, police said that the van attack appeared to be linked to an explosion at a house in Alcanar in the early hours of Thursday in which one person died and another was injured.

EARLIER: BARCELONA, Aug 17 (Reuters) - A van mowed through crowds of tourists on Barcelona's most famous avenue on Thursday, killing about a dozen people in an attack that was claimed by Islamic State.

The head of the Spanish region of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, said at least 80 people had been taken to hospital and around 12 had died.

He said two people had been arrested. It was still not clear how many attackers had been involved.

Witnesses said the white van zigzagged at high speed down Las Ramblas, a busy avenue thronged with tourists, knocking down pedestrians and leaving bodies strewn across the ground.

Islamic State's Amaq news agency said: "The perpetrators of the Barcelona attack are soldiers of the Islamic State and carried out the operation in response to calls for targeting coalition states" - a reference to a U.S.-led coalition against the Sunni militant group.

If the involvement of Islamist militants is confirmed, it would be the latest in a string of attacks in the past 13 months in which they have used vehicles to bring carnage to the streets of European cities.

That modus operandi - crude, deadly and very hard to prevent - has killed well over 100 people in Nice, Berlin, London and Stockholm.

Witness Tom Gueller told the BBC: "I heard screams and a bit of a crash and then I just saw the crowd parting and this van going full pelt down the middle of the Ramblas and I immediately knew that it was a terrorist attack or something like that.

"It wasn't slowing down at all. It was just going straight through the middle of the crowds," he added.

It was the deadliest attack in Spain since March 2004, when Islamist militants placed bombs on commuter trains in Madrid, killing 191 people and wounding more than 1,800.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Twitter he was en route to Barcelona. "Maximum coordination to arrest the attackers, reinforce security and attend to all those affected," he said.

The Spanish royal household said on Twitter: “They are murderers, nothing more than criminals who are not going to terrorize us. All of Spain is Barcelona. Las Ramblas will go back to being everyone’s.”

U.S. President Donald Trump said: "The United States condemns the terror attack in Barcelona, Spain, and will do whatever is necessary to help."

He added: "Be tough & strong, we love you!"

BODIES ON THE GROUND

La Vanguardia newspaper said one of the suspected perpetrators had been killed in a shootout with police on the outskirts of Barcelona, but this was unconfirmed.

Catalan police said a driver ran over two police officers at a checkpoint in Barcelona after the van attack, but it was not clear if the incidents were linked.

Mobile phone footage showed several bodies strewn along the Ramblas, some motionless. Paramedics and bystanders bent over them, treating them and trying to comfort those still conscious.

Around them, the boulevard was deserted, covered in rubbish and abandoned objects including hats, flip-flops, bags and a pram.

Belgium's foreign minister said a Belgian was among the dead.

Regional head Puigdemont said people had been flocking to hospitals in Barcelona to give blood.

Holidaymaker Ellen Vercamm told El Pais newspaper: "We saw a white van collide with people. We saw people going flying."

A witness named Rebecca told La Vanguardia: "I've seen a lot of people knocked down on the floor and the people are running and crying. The van drove down the middle of the street dragging everyone with it."

TOURIST DRAW

The incident took place at the height of the tourist season in Barcelona, which is one of Europe's top travel destinations with at least 11 million visitors a year.

French President Emmanuel Macron, whose nation has suffered some of Europe's deadliest militant attacks in recent years, tweeted: "All my thoughts and France's solidarity to the victims of the tragic attack in Barcelona."

A Vatican spokesman said Pope Francis was praying for the victims and wanted to express his closeness to all Spanish people, especially the victims and their families.

Authorities in Vic, a small town outside Barcelona, said a van had been found there in connection with the attack. Spanish media had earlier reported that a second van had been hired as a getaway vehicle.

Barcelona is the capital of the wealthy northeastern region of Catalonia, which plans to hold a popular vote on Oct. 1 on whether it should secede from Spain. It is in dispute with the central government, which says the vote cannot go ahead because it is unconstitutional.

Following the attack, security staff at Barcelona airport suspended a strike that started in early August. "Our work is now more necessary than ever," a spokesman said.

(Reporting by Angus Berwick, Sarah White, Julien Toyer and Madrid newsroom; Alissa de Carbonnel in Belgium; Ali Abdelaty and Ahmed Aboulenein in Cairo; Writing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Alison Williams and Nick Tattersall)

[Millhouse]

Just saw on the AP that "Police say 5 suspects killed in Spanish resort town were carrying bomb belts and had run over civilians with car." Their police took them out. This just happened as a possible second attack was about to happen or was in progress.

Crazy, sympathies to all those effected by this.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(08-18-2017, 12:52 AM)Millhouse Wrote: Just saw on the AP that "Police say 5 suspects killed in Spanish resort town were carrying bomb belts and had run over civilians with car." Their police took them out. This just happened as a possible second attack was about to happen or was in progress.

Crazy, sympathies to all those effected by this.

Looks like the second terror attack had 6 civilians and 1 police officer hurt, and 5 terrorists dead. Here's an article about it:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/barcelona-terror-police-shoot-out-after-second-possible-attack/ar-AAqgs5o?li=AAgfYrC&OCID=ansmsnnews11

Quote:Five suspected terrorists have been killed in a shoot-out with Spanish police as they carried out a similar vehicle attack to the one in Barcelona.


Special forces were deployed to the coastal town of Cambrils - just hours after a van ploughed into crowds in Barcelona's famous Las Ramblas boulevard in which 13 people were killed and at least 100 others injured.

Spanish state broadcaster RTVE reported that the suspects were wearing explosive belts, as police tweeted that the bomb squad was carrying out several controlled explosions.

The van who ploughed into the crowd, killing at least 13 people and injuring around 100 others is towed away from the Rambla in Barcelona.

At least three bodies could be seen on the ground in a separate video posted on social media.

Six civilians and a police officer were hurt during the operation, but it was unclear how they acquired their injuries.

Screams and police sirens could be heard in another clip filmed from inside a restaurant as diners ran for cover after hearing gunshots.

Catalan authorities urged local residents in a Twitter post to "stay home" and "stay safe".

Two people have been arrested over the Barcelona attack.


One has been named by police as Moroccan national Driss Oukabir, who was detained in the Catalan town of Ripoll, about 50 miles north of the Catalan capital.

A second suspect - a Spanish national from Melilla, a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa which shares a border with Morocco - was detained in Alcanar, where one person was killed another injured in the blast.


Islamic State said it was responsible for the attack, in a statement through its propaganda agency Amaq.

More follows...

[Griever]

its nice having a discussion like this without someone jumping up and saying to ban all the brown people

shameful attack, shit like this really needs to stop

[*PhilHos*]

(08-18-2017, 10:55 AM)Griever Wrote: its nice having a discussion like this without someone jumping up and saying to ban all the brown people

But if it were Nazis ...  

[Johnny Cupcakes]

(08-18-2017, 11:07 AM)PhilHos Wrote: But if it were Nazis ...  

Get rid of all of the nazis?  I don't know.....that doesn't really seem unreasonable.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

Looks like the first attack death count went from 13 to 14 over the night, and the second attack went from 7 wounded victims and 5 dead terrorists to 1 dead victim, 6 wounded victims, and 5 dead terrorists.

Last word I saw, they still haven't caught the driver from the first attack.

[Millhouse]

I just saw that Tillerson said there was 1 American fatality from the attack.

[GMDino]

(08-18-2017, 11:07 AM)PhilHos Wrote: But if it were Nazis ...  

Are there "moderate Nazis" condemning the Nazi's action? 

[tigerseye]

The "religion" of pieces.

What legitimate actions are so called "moderate" islamists doing about this problem of theirs and their "religion"?  NOTHING

We need better vetting and more travel bans. Lets keep these nut jobs out of here as best we can.

Trump was right.

Lets send Obama's buddy the dumb a!@ judge from Hawaii over there to look at the carnage.

Guess what, he could careless.

Its all about their agenda. Open borders and the destruction of all the country's national sovereignty.

One World Government/New World Order just like the Bushs and Clinton wanted. Its in their speeches.

We are Borg. We must be assimilated.    

Not.


 

[*jason*]

(08-18-2017, 12:33 PM)tigerseye Wrote: The "religion" of pieces.

What legitimate actions are so called "moderate" islamists doing about this problem of theirs and their "religion"?  NOTHING

We need better vetting and more travel bans. Lets keep these nut jobs out of here as best we can.

Trump was right.

Lets send Obama's buddy the dumb a!@ judge from Hawaii over there to look at the carnage.

Guess what, he could careless.

Its all about their agenda. Open borders and the destruction of all the country's national sovereignty.

One World Government/New World Order just like the Bushs and Clinton wanted. Its in their speeches.

We are Borg. We must be assimilated.    

Not.


 

I don't know. What steps are moderate white guys like you and I taking about this problem we have with nut job white guys running people over?

What exactly is a moderate islamist anyway? My phone doesn't even recognize the word, and didn't capitalize it... I left it as is.

[StLucieBengal]

Religion of peace strikes again.

[Griever]

(08-18-2017, 01:37 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Religion of peace strikes again.

there it is

wasnt sure if you were back from your umpteenth suspension yet, glad you could join the rest of us for what is sure to be a wonderful conversation backed up with only facts and no bias

[StLucieBengal]

(08-18-2017, 02:54 PM)Griever Wrote: there it is

wasnt sure if you were back from your umpteenth suspension yet, glad you could join the rest of us for what is sure to be a wonderful conversation backed up with only facts and no bias

You could have just saved me the time and posted it yourself.

If you want to talk about my suspension then contact a mod. pretty sure discussing it in a thread is against the rules.

[Millhouse]

(08-18-2017, 12:33 PM)tigerseye Wrote: The "religion" of pieces.

What legitimate actions are so called "moderate" islamists doing about this problem of theirs and their "religion"?  NOTHING

 

To be fair, there are a lot muslims fighting Isis and other terror groups in their countries and region. They just dont make the news like these attacks do. Also there are many Islamic countries that are trying to form a NATO sort of coalition amongst themselves to fight Isis and terror groups.

On the flipside, has Europe done the right thing by having a pretty liberal open-border policy with north african nations and elsewhere? On one hand they have helped a lot of people out. On the other hand there have been quite a few wolves that entered with the sheep too. 

[tigerseye]

(08-18-2017, 01:35 PM)jason Wrote: I don't know. What steps are moderate white guys like you and I taking about this problem we have with nut job white guys running people over?

What exactly is a moderate islamist anyway? My phone doesn't even recognize the word, and didn't capitalize it... I left it as is.

So you put a mentally ill nut job running over people with a car as the equivalent with a so called "religion" running around the world sincelessly murdering thousands of people on thousands of different occasions and openly admitting it and glorifying themselves for it ? Ok maybe your right, I see your point.
And your right again "What exactly is a moderate islamist anyway? Maybe there is no such thing. I don't know, I'm waiting for them to handle their problem. But its never going to happen. Maybe your right, there is no moderates.

[*jason*]

(08-18-2017, 03:43 PM)tigerseye Wrote: So you put a mentally ill nut job running over people with a car as the equivalent with a so called "religion" running around the world sincelessly murdering thousands of people on thousands of different occasions and openly admitting it and glorifying themselves for it ? Ok maybe your right, I see your point.
And your right again "What exactly is a moderate islamist anyway? Maybe there is no such thing. I don't know, I'm waiting for them to handle their problem. But its never going to happen. Maybe your right, there is no moderates.

Yes. I do place everyone who kills innocents into the same category. I don't care what their motivation is. It really doesn't matter why. Killing innocent men, women, and children is wrong. I know we can agree on that. The idea that any group of people whether it be Muslims, white Americans, black Americans can control what other "members" of that group do is silly. It's not up to them to constantly go out of their way to say something about it. They sure can't control it. The same way you or I couldn't stop McVey or this other dude in Oklahoma this week. People do some evil shit man. They always have.

I agree with you ISIS is a major problem. The best quote I ever heard on them is this. "They aren't Muslims. They're barely human.". That quote is verbatim, but I don't remember who to attribute it too. They went on to describe them as a "cult of murder". I look at their actions, and then I look at Kareem Abdul Jabbar, or an aquantance of mine named KJ ( the J in his name stands for Jihad), who is from Jordan. I don't see the similarities.

[Vlad]

(08-18-2017, 02:54 PM)Griever Wrote: there it is

wasnt sure if you were back from your umpteenth suspension yet, glad you could join the rest of us for what is sure to be a wonderful conversation backed up with only facts and no bias

Oh what a wonderful conversation the murder of innocents by Muslims would be if STLuc  didn't butt in.
Adorable way to put it.

Amazing how people continue to remain clueless over the fact that a notable amount of muslims  interpret through the tenets of Islam the call for the death of infidels.
 
Those are the facts. Do you honestly need that proven to you? 

http://madworldnews.com/muslim-teacher-dead-infidels/

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(08-18-2017, 12:33 PM)tigerseye Wrote: The "religion" of pieces.

What legitimate actions are so called "moderate" islamists doing about this problem of theirs and their "religion"?  NOTHING

We need better vetting and more travel bans. Lets keep these nut jobs out of here as best we can.

Trump was right.

Lets send Obama's buddy the dumb a!@ judge from Hawaii over there to look at the carnage.

Guess what, he could careless.

Its all about their agenda. Open borders and the destruction of all the country's national sovereignty.

One World Government/New World Order just like the Bushs and Clinton wanted. Its in their speeches.

We are Borg. We must be assimilated.    

Not.


 

What have you done?

[Vlad]

(08-18-2017, 01:35 PM)jason Wrote: I don't know. What steps are moderate white guys like you and I taking about this problem we have with nut job white guys running people over?

What exactly is a moderate islamist anyway? My phone doesn't even recognize the word, and didn't capitalize it... I left it as is.

The most severe case of denial I think I've ever read.

A white supremacist killing someone with a car vs. thousands, if not millions killed by Islamic extremists?