Barcelona attack

I have heard from experts on middle eastern politics that the main aim of these terrorists is to stir up anti Muslim feelings in the West, which will create far more opportunities to radicalise and recruit more young men.

maddyone I agree with you entirely. These attacks won't stop until European governments do something. Every time there is an atrocity committed we hear the same tired old line " the terrorists were known to the authorities but were not thought to need surveillance". It is just not good enough!
There are things that the powers that be could do, for a start they could stop some nationalities from hiring motor vehicles. I don't like the idea of internment but if that's what it takes to keep innocent people safe then so be it.
I have Spanish family living not far from Barcelona and I am really worried about them.
Marching down Las Ramblas shouting 'no tinc por' is not going to stop more atrocities or more people dying.

TE QUIERO, ESPANA

To those who day we can't lose our freedoms, or the authorities might come for you, we have already lost freedoms, the freedom to live our lives peacefully and without fear, to use aeroplanes, tube trains, visit airports, shopping centers, tourist attractions, and simply to go to work each day, and all because a minority wish to murder and maim, and terrorise us.
The police won't come for me because I'm not breaking any laws, I'm not inciting hatred, or stockpiling the ingredients to make a bomb! I'm simply suggesting that our governments do something to protect us, that's all I want. But it won't happen!

Coco51 I totally agree with you with regard to Blair and Bush, but that doesn't help us now. We are where we are, and where we are is having regular murderous attacks across Europe. People light candles, lay flowers, and those in power wring their hands and say we stand together, meanwhile the jidhadists get on with planning their next attack.
It has emerged tonight that one of the attackers in Barcelona was writing on social media that he wanted to kill non muslims. Well, my point is that since he was 'on the radar', he should have been picked up, charged and imprisoned, or securely held. If he was found to hold any nationality other than where he was living, he should have been deported. It appears that every European country has many people 'on the radar', if these people are a dangerous threat to national security and citizens, they need to be dealt with, not watched!

I'm really disappointed or should I say shocked at Leanne Woods over this comment. Whether or not you agreed with her views, I always thought she came across as quite sensible and 'grown up' during the election campaigns. Whey on earth made her say that?

Definitely with you on this maddyone, will our politicians ever waken up and harden up.

jalima
And, hard to believe, I know, she's shocked at the abuse she's receiving. Who'd have thought it.

Well said Co Co

right wing?

As in America and the recent problems there?
Is Leanne Wood more stupid than we thought?
Or just so politically correct she cannot see any Wood for Trees?

Dreadful dreadful times,
Scared for the missing little boy... someone should have found him by now surely?
Extra double hugs for the little ones at tea time when Mum arrived to collect them.

Love Barcelona and her people, they are so proud , please support them in any way you can

Sillynanny65
I don't know what we can do to stop this, does anyone
I think a few of us on this thread have a few ideas but unfortunately they're not printable.

Did anyone see what Leanne Woods put on twitter?
" is this more right wing terrorism"
Obviously another one who has been warned not to use the 'M' word.

My heart goes out to the family's & friends of those killed and injured in Barcelona. We were their last Wednesday, and looking at the photos of the people on the beach, and what a beautiful day it was, it's so hard to believe this atrocity has happened in such place. We were driving from Murcia in Spain, through Spain to France. On the Tuesday that we left Murcia I did comment to my husband t hat there seemed to be more local Police and the Guarda Civil in evidence. In fact they were pulling cars over. I wondered then if they had had some kind of tip off that something was going to happen. This will not stop us going back to Spain, but I must admit I'm rather anxious at taking the grandchildren again. What a sad world this is becoming. I don't know what 'we' can do to stop,this, does anyone?

On R4 this morning someone was asked why they think Spain is often chosen, and one of the reasons given that 500 years ago they were ruled by an Islamic regime and they want it back

Well as it was an extremely benign regime and far more than the following Christian regime IS clearly has nothing whatsoever to do with it.

maddyone, it's not what our Governments should do, it's what they should NOT do, or have done. Millions of people in Middle Eastern countries have died and are still dying because of Bush and Blaire's war on terror. The twisted logic that the Western world can bomb perfectly functional countries into third-world puppet democracies because a once supported dictator or terrorist organisation is no longer 'flavour of the month'. The lives they have now are far worse than when Saddam Hussein/Muammar Gaddafi were controlling the various factions that have now made civilian lives hell. They were brutal, yes, but at least they kept a lid on the rebels and created modern infrastructures for ordinary people. The biggest mistake Western leaders make is in not understanding the Arabic psyche and thinking that they will respond with Western values (which frankly are nothing to cheer about when children of working parents and disabled people are living in poverty). We need to get our collective Western noses out of Middle Eastern countries and respect the different culture of Muslims - only then will they have no cause for revenge Here endeth my rant!

I hate hearing that IS or whoever has "claimed responsibility" for an attack such as this. Why can't they say "admitted responsibility"? It makes it more obvious that this is a criminal act. Am I remembering wrongly, or did they start doing that for a while and then, for some reason, stop?

The method of using vehicles to kill pedestrians will never go back into the box it came out of.

Before anyone points out that the attacks were IS inspired, I know that, but recently locals unhappy about tourists have been stopping tourist buses and acting aggressively.

We should collectively laugh at the term 'soldiers' within the media and call them cowardly murderous , mowing down unarmed and unprepared citizenry will only get you one step closer to Hell not to a Heavenly place with untold numbers of virgins.
The Catalan activists will stop all their targeting of tourists there now.Hopefully.

It is hard to think what can be done when you are dealing with such warped ideology, but I think one good thing that was done after the London van driver episode was little or no 'publicity' for the perpetrator. We should have no photos, no history, no talking heads, just a report that mass murder has been committed by a 23 year old Algerian or whatever. Like many, I am very, very angry. How can these people be hailed as 'warriors'? How brave is it to get in your van and mow down women and children? Bloody cowards to my mind and they should be called out as such. Oh, and while we are on the subject of putting on tin hats...I think I will scream if I see yet another apologist for Islam explaining that it is a peaceful religion, well sorry, it doesn't look like it from where I am standing.

Please God they find the little 7 yr old boy and that he is ok and is reunited with His mother & family.
They must be going out of their minds


These terrorists are shit shit shit!!!

I'm with you Maddyone and good on you for having the courage to say what many of us think but won't utter for fear of being called a rascist. Desperate times call for desperate measures and whilst no one wants to see any erosion of civil liberties sometimes extraordinary actions have to be taken for the safety and security of the majority. It's all very well keep saying we're sorry for people's losses but maybe it's time politicians all over Europe put their big girl pants on and take some effective action.

I love Barcelona and the Catalan people and thought it was wonderful after this sad & cowardly attack that they marched down Las Ramblas in spirited defiance clapping & shouting "no tinc por", "I am not afraid".

My daughter and gd went to Barcelona at the end of July. Said how lovely it was. Now I keep thinking about what has happened to those people and my two girls I am not really religious but am thanking the lord anyway.

I think you've just summed up what they want Grampie. The only things they seem to believe in are the intimidation, maiming and murdering of innocents.