Last April, four French journalists, Nicolas Henin, Pierre Torres, Edouard Elias, and Didier Francois, who had been held by ISIL in Syria were released. After the attack on the Jewish Museum in Brussels, in May, they reported to the Interior Ministry that they recognized the suspect drawings and photos they saw in the media. The attacker, Mehdi Nemmouche, was a French citizen who had gone to Syria to enlist with ISIL, and according to the journalists, he was their jailer and torturer, responsible for them and other prisoners.
Their story came out in September, coinciding with the formation of the coalition against ISIL, with a major summit in Paris. Le Monde, Liberation, Le Point, and other media outlets devoted attention to details the journalists collected during months of captivity in close quarters with Nemmouche.
Pierre Torres -
"Nemmouche isn't a monster. He’s a bad guy, narcissistic and lost, desperate for his moment of glory. His reasons for going to Syria are probably closer, to some degree, to whatever leads American teenagers to shoot up their whole school, or take part in a reality TV show, rather than a result of reading the Quran."
The others described an individual who sang pop songs and watched episodes of a popular TV show he downloaded to his laptop, behaviors that would blend in if he returned to France. He also inflicted torture with no hint of remorse or restraint despite the screams of his victims.
With hundreds of others holding French passports the risk of them returning was made pretty clear. At the time, I wished the American media would have reported the story. At least what the journalists remembered of Jim Foley, his bravery, and kindness, which Americans might like to know.
Is the popular movement or political revolution promoted by Senator Sanders feasible? Can Bernie deliver? That's the topic. Stick to it.
Last April, four French journalists, Nicolas Henin, Pierre Torres, Edouard Elias, and Didier Francois, who had been held by ISIL in Syria were released. After the attack on the Jewish Museum in Brussels, in May, they reported to the Interior Ministry that they recognized the suspect drawings and photos they saw in the media. The attacker, Mehdi Nemmouche, was a French citizen who had gone to Syria to enlist with ISIL, and according to the journalists, he was their jailer and torturer, responsible for them and other prisoners.
Their story came out in September, coinciding with the formation of the coalition against ISIL, with a major summit in Paris. Le Monde, Liberation, Le Point, and other media outlets devoted attention to details the journalists collected during months of captivity in close quarters with Nemmouche.
Pierre Torres -
"Nemmouche isn't a monster. He’s a bad guy, narcissistic and lost, desperate for his moment of glory. His reasons for going to Syria are probably closer, to some degree, to whatever leads American teenagers to shoot up their whole school, or take part in a reality TV show, rather than a result of reading the Quran."
The others described an individual who sang pop songs and watched episodes of a popular TV show he downloaded to his laptop, behaviors that would blend in if he returned to France. He also inflicted torture with no hint of remorse or restraint despite the screams of his victims.
With hundreds of others holding French passports the risk of them returning was made pretty clear. At the time, I wished the American media would have reported the story. At least what the journalists remembered of Jim Foley, his bravery, and kindness, which Americans might like to know.