Gunmen attack on Paris newspaper kills 12, including the editor
Thu, Jan 08, 2015
AP, PARIS
Masked gunmen shouting “Allahu Akbar” stormed the Paris offices of a satirical newspaper yesterday, killing 12 people, including the editor and a cartoonist, before escaping. It was France’s deadliest terror attack in at least two decades.
With a manhunt on, French President Francois Hollande called the attack on the ***Charlie Hebdo*** weekly, whose caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad have frequently drawn condemnation from Muslims, “a terrorist attack without a doubt.” He said several other attacks have been thwarted in France “in recent weeks.”
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
France raised its security alert to the highest level and reinforced protective measures at houses of worship, stores, media offices and transportation. Top government officials were holding an emergency meeting and Hollande planned a nationally televised address in the evening. Schools across the French capital closed their doors.
World leaders including US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned the attack, but supporters of the militant Islamic State group celebrated the slayings as well-deserved revenge against France.
The Islamic State group, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, has repeatedly threatened to attack France. Just minutes before the attack, ***Charlie Hebdo*** had tweeted a satirical cartoon of the extremist group’s leader giving New Year’s wishes. Another cartoon, released in this week’s issue and entitled ***Still No Attacks in France***, had a caricature of an extremist fighter saying: “Just wait — we have until the end of January to present our New Year’s wishes.”
The 12 dead included two men who went by the pen names: Charb the editor and a cartoonist as well, and the cartoonist Cabu, spokeswoman Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre of the Paris Prosecutor’s Office confirmed. Two police officers were also among the dead, including one assigned as Charb’s bodyguard after prior death threats against him, a police official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation.
Video images on the website of public broadcaster France Televisions showed two gunmen in black at a crossroads who appeared to fire down one of the streets. A cry of “Allahu Akbar” could be heard among the gunshots.
Obama’s top spokesman said US officials have been in close contact with the French since the attack.
“We know they are not going to be cowed by this terrible act” spokesman Josh Earnest said. On social media, supporters of militant Islamic groups praised the move. One Twitter user who identified themselves as a Tunisian loyalist of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group called the attack well-deserved revenge against France.
Wednesday’s attack comes the same day of the release of a book by a celebrated French novelist depicting France’s election of its first Muslim president. Hollande had been due to meet with the nation’s top religious officials later in the day.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2015/01/08/2003608725
Structure of the Lead：
WHO-
WHEN-yesterday
WHAT-
HOW-
Keywords：
1. satirical 諷刺
2. caricature 漫畫
3. condemnation 非難
4. televise 轉播
5. thwarted 挫敗
6. militant 激進
7. extremist 極端
8. depict 描繪
