Al Qaeda branch issues warning to France after deadly attacks

  13 January 2015    Read: 922
Al Qaeda branch issues warning to France after deadly attacks
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the terror group`s North Africa branch, has issued a warning to France after the country`s spate of terror attacks over the past week.
"France pays the cost of its violence on Muslim countries and the violation of their sanctity," AQIM said in a statement published on jihadist websites.

"As long as its soldiers occupy countries such as Mali and Central Africa and bombard our people in Syria and Iraq, and as long as its lame media continues to undermine our Prophet (Mohammed), France will expose itself to the worst and more."

France is reeling from an attack at the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper, which killed 12 people Wednesday; the death of policewoman Thursday; and the siege of a kosher supermarket Friday that left four hostages dead.

Three terrorists from the attacks were killed, but a suspected co-conspirator remains on the loose -- possibly in Syria.

Big day for Charlie Hebdo

The warning from AQIM comes just before Charlie Hebdo, known for its controversial depictions of the Prophet Mohammed, is set to publish again Tuesday. The issue will hit newsstands Wednesday.

This time, the cover features a drawing of a frowning Prophet Mohammed with a teardrop coming from his eye.

"All is Forgiven," the cover headline says in French.

In the prophet`s hands: a sign that says "Je suis Charlie" -- or "I am Charlie."

Day of mourning

From Paris to Jerusalem, Tuesday will mark a day of mourning for the victims in last week`s attacks.

The four hostages killed in the kosher store siege arrived in Israel on Tuesday morning. All four -- Philippe Braham, Yohan Cohen, Yoav Hattab and François-Michel Saada, will be buried at the Givat Shaul cemetery on Jerusalem.

And a Muslim policeman killed while trying to pursue the assailants from the Charlie Hebdo attack will be laid to rest Tuesday.

Ahmed Merabet will be buried at a Muslim cemetery in suburban Paris.

"He was killed by false Muslims," his brother, Malek, brother told reporters.

"One must not confuse extremists with Muslims. Mad people have neither color or religion. I want to make another point: don`t tar everybody with the same brush, don`t burn mosques -- or synagogues. You are attacking people. It won`t bring our dead back."

Authorities believe another slain police officer, Clarissa Jean-Philippe, was also killed by a gunman from last week`s terror attacks. A ceremony for the officers killed will take place Tuesday at National Police Headquarters in Paris.

Concerns spread to U.S.

While France is grappling with a new wave of terrorism, concerns about future attacks have spilled well across its borders.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is boosting security at more government buildings across the country. But the exact locations are "law-enforcment sensitve," DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said in a statement.

Johnson also noted that the Transportation Security Administration has ramped up the number of random searches of passengers and carry-on luggage at U.S. airports.

And the White House tried to do damage control Monday after widespread criticism that neither President Barack Obama nor any other high-ranking U.S. official joined a massive anti-terrorism march in Paris that drew 40 other world leaders.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest acknowledged "we should have sent someone with a higher profile," not even trying to justify the fact that largely unknown U.S. ambassador Jane Hartley was the top American official at Sunday`s rally.

While the U.S. has not faced a physical terror attack since the incidents in France, ISIS sympathizers did hack the Twitter account for U.S. Central Command.

A series of unusual tweets were published Monday with apparent warnings from ISIS, as well as links, images and Pentagon documents that reveal contact information for members of the military.

The first tweet read: "AMERICAN SOLDIERS, WE ARE COMING, WATCH YOUR BACK. ISIS."

"CyberCaliphate" and "i love you isis" were sprawled out in white letters against a black screen at the top of the Twitter page.

The account was suspended, but defense officials say no classified information was obtained and no military networks were compromised.

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