Paris Concert Hall Gunman Was French, Had Ties to Islamic Militants

Bataclan concert hall. Image by Getty Images
One of the gunmen who died after attacking a Paris concert hall on Friday had French nationality and was known to have ties with Islamist militants, a source close to the inquiry into a series of deadly attacks in Paris said on Saturday.
The same source said that the gunman’s body had been identified by his fingerprints and that he was from the Courcouronnes suburb south of Paris.
Earlier, sources close to the investigation said that a Syrian passport had been found near the body of one of the suicide bombers who blew himself up near a Paris soccer stadium in one of the other attacks.
French media also said that an Egyptian passport had been found near the body of a second suicide bomber at the site.
Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
