Extremist Goes on Rampage in France

Extremist Goes on Rampage in France

By: Jonathan Hays, Europe News, October 22, 2012

Mohamed Merah in his car taping himself

France’s intelligence services ended the supervision of Islamic extremist Mohamed Merah merely a few months before before he gunned down Toulouse. Seven people were killed and five brutally injured with gunshot wounds. Merah was finally killed by police officers after a 30 hour standoff.

Merah was under intense surveillance in 2011, but France’s DCRI (domestic intelligence service) decided to reduce monitoring. Merah started being tracked back in 2006. He was reported to not have any computers in his home and had no mobile cell phone. He only used public telephone booths when he had to because he was always paranoid. He used to travel frequently to the Middle East, where he reportedly was trained to kill. He also wrote songs about glorifying “western infidels” and was caught in pictures with a Koran and a knife. He could not explain a trip to Pakistan when asked by the DCRI in 2011, but was still allowed to be taken off of watch.

Merah then went on a rampage from March 11th to March 19th, which victimized three Jewish children, murdered seven civilians, and wounded five more. This rampage was completely avoidable, and is still causing controversy around Europe and France today.

Sources:
“Toulouse : Le tueur au scooter s'appelle Mohamed Merah,” last modified March 21, 2012, last accessed October 20, 2012, http://www.lorfm.fr/actualite/toulouse-le-tueur-au-scooter-s-appelle-mohamed-merah.html.

BBC News. “Toulouse gunman: French 'stopped tracking' Mohamed Merah,” last modified October 19, 2012, last accessed October 20, 2012, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20003470.