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| Moment of Silence Turns Into Outcry Against Government After Nice Attack | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| PARIS — The moment of silence on Monday for the victims of Thursday’s attack in Nice ended abruptly as boos and jeers rose from the crowd of thousands filling the Promenade des Anglais, where 84 people had been killed. The object of the derision was Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who had arrived flanked by national and local political leaders to pay his respects. | PARIS — The moment of silence on Monday for the victims of Thursday’s attack in Nice ended abruptly as boos and jeers rose from the crowd of thousands filling the Promenade des Anglais, where 84 people had been killed. The object of the derision was Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who had arrived flanked by national and local political leaders to pay his respects. |
| Cries of “Resign, resign” swept the crowd when Mr. Valls arrived, and as he left. A couple of people could be heard on a televised clip saying, “Assassins,” while others disapproved of the heckling: “They should show some respect,” one woman said. | Cries of “Resign, resign” swept the crowd when Mr. Valls arrived, and as he left. A couple of people could be heard on a televised clip saying, “Assassins,” while others disapproved of the heckling: “They should show some respect,” one woman said. |
| The catcalls came after a weekend of finger pointing at the Socialist government by right-leaning opposition politicians. Hours later, the Paris prosecutor, François Molins, described what the investigation by the French authorities had so far revealed about the killer, who used a cargo truck and an automatic pistol to carry out a deadly assault on a crowd celebrating Bastille Day. | The catcalls came after a weekend of finger pointing at the Socialist government by right-leaning opposition politicians. Hours later, the Paris prosecutor, François Molins, described what the investigation by the French authorities had so far revealed about the killer, who used a cargo truck and an automatic pistol to carry out a deadly assault on a crowd celebrating Bastille Day. |
| The new information further fleshed out a portrait painted by the family of the killer, Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, 31, a Tunisian citizen, as a troubled man who had uncontrolled fits of anger and a fascination with extreme violence. | The new information further fleshed out a portrait painted by the family of the killer, Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, 31, a Tunisian citizen, as a troubled man who had uncontrolled fits of anger and a fascination with extreme violence. |
| He had searched the internet for articles about the recent terrorist attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., and the killings of five police officers in Dallas, according to Mr. Molins, France’s top counterterrorism prosecutor. | He had searched the internet for articles about the recent terrorist attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., and the killings of five police officers in Dallas, according to Mr. Molins, France’s top counterterrorism prosecutor. |
| Mr. Molins described him as hardly a devout Muslim: He ate pork, drank alcohol, used drugs and led “an unbridled sexual life,” the prosecutor said at an afternoon news conference in Paris, citing witness statements. | Mr. Molins described him as hardly a devout Muslim: He ate pork, drank alcohol, used drugs and led “an unbridled sexual life,” the prosecutor said at an afternoon news conference in Paris, citing witness statements. |
| On the other hand, Mr. Lahouaiej Bouhlel had — in just the two weeks before the attacks — searched “on a near-daily basis” for information on suras, or chapters of the Quran, and on nasheeds, or chants, that have been used by jihadist groups like the Islamic State. | On the other hand, Mr. Lahouaiej Bouhlel had — in just the two weeks before the attacks — searched “on a near-daily basis” for information on suras, or chapters of the Quran, and on nasheeds, or chants, that have been used by jihadist groups like the Islamic State. |
| His other internet searches included Eid al-Fitr, the holiday at the end of Ramadan, and the attacks in Orlando, in Dallas and in Magnanville, France, where an Islamic State militant killed a police captain and his companion last month. | His other internet searches included Eid al-Fitr, the holiday at the end of Ramadan, and the attacks in Orlando, in Dallas and in Magnanville, France, where an Islamic State militant killed a police captain and his companion last month. |
| Mr. Lahouaiej Bouhlel had recently begun to grow a beard, evidently for religious reasons, Mr. Molins said, and one witness told investigators that Mr. Lahouaiej Bouhlel had mentioned the Islamic State, saying he did not understand “why Daesh could not lay claim to a territory.” | Mr. Lahouaiej Bouhlel had recently begun to grow a beard, evidently for religious reasons, Mr. Molins said, and one witness told investigators that Mr. Lahouaiej Bouhlel had mentioned the Islamic State, saying he did not understand “why Daesh could not lay claim to a territory.” |
| Investigators also found “very violent” images on Mr. Lahouaiej Bouhlel’s computer, showing corpses; fighters brandishing the Islamic State’s flag; covers of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, the target of a January 2015 attack in Paris that killed 12 people; Osama bin Laden; and Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the one-eyed Algerian operative who helped lead Al Qaeda’s affiliate in North Africa. | Investigators also found “very violent” images on Mr. Lahouaiej Bouhlel’s computer, showing corpses; fighters brandishing the Islamic State’s flag; covers of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, the target of a January 2015 attack in Paris that killed 12 people; Osama bin Laden; and Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the one-eyed Algerian operative who helped lead Al Qaeda’s affiliate in North Africa. |
| He had a history of domestic violence and had repeatedly beaten his wife, Hajer Khalfallah, badly enough that she was treated by a doctor on at least one occasion, said Jean-Yves Garino, a lawyer for Ms. Khalfallah in Nice. | He had a history of domestic violence and had repeatedly beaten his wife, Hajer Khalfallah, badly enough that she was treated by a doctor on at least one occasion, said Jean-Yves Garino, a lawyer for Ms. Khalfallah in Nice. |
| Mr. Lahouaiej Bouhlel had also beaten his wife’s mother, Mr. Garino said. The couple were about to finalize their divorce, and she had moved away from him with her children about a year ago. She was taken into police custody for questioning and released on Monday without being charged. | Mr. Lahouaiej Bouhlel had also beaten his wife’s mother, Mr. Garino said. The couple were about to finalize their divorce, and she had moved away from him with her children about a year ago. She was taken into police custody for questioning and released on Monday without being charged. |
| The line between people who carry out acts of terrorism because of political beliefs and those who go on violent rampages mostly because they are mentally disturbed has become blurred. | The line between people who carry out acts of terrorism because of political beliefs and those who go on violent rampages mostly because they are mentally disturbed has become blurred. |
| And the Islamic State has muddied the distinction by lumping together those who carry out attacks under the group’s direction — like the militants who attacked Paris in November and Brussels in March — and sympathizers who, lured by the group’s message, carry out attacks in its name but act on their own. | And the Islamic State has muddied the distinction by lumping together those who carry out attacks under the group’s direction — like the militants who attacked Paris in November and Brussels in March — and sympathizers who, lured by the group’s message, carry out attacks in its name but act on their own. |
| “The painful news of this past month shows that terrorist attacks come either from commandos or cells that carry out attacks that were planned in the Iraq-Syria area, or from individuals who obey the constant messages calling for murder, by any means, that are put out by terrorist organizations, which have made France a chosen target,” Mr. Molins said. | “The painful news of this past month shows that terrorist attacks come either from commandos or cells that carry out attacks that were planned in the Iraq-Syria area, or from individuals who obey the constant messages calling for murder, by any means, that are put out by terrorist organizations, which have made France a chosen target,” Mr. Molins said. |
| He added: “Support for these messages, and radicalization, can occur all the more rapidly when they are addressed to disturbed personalities or individuals who are fascinated by extreme violence.” | He added: “Support for these messages, and radicalization, can occur all the more rapidly when they are addressed to disturbed personalities or individuals who are fascinated by extreme violence.” |
| That appears to have been the case for Mr. Lahouaiej Bouhlel. He searched the internet not only for information about the Bastille Day festivities in Nice, but also for videos of deadly car accidents, using search terms like “horrible deadly accident” and “shocking video, not for the faint of heart.” | That appears to have been the case for Mr. Lahouaiej Bouhlel. He searched the internet not only for information about the Bastille Day festivities in Nice, but also for videos of deadly car accidents, using search terms like “horrible deadly accident” and “shocking video, not for the faint of heart.” |
| Mr. Lahouaiej Bouhlel killed 84 people and wounded 256 others, in the third terrorist assault to inflict mass casualties in France since January 2015. Of the wounded, 74 remain hospitalized, with 28 in intensive care and 19 in critical condition, Mr. Molins said on Monday. So far, 71 of those killed have been identified. | Mr. Lahouaiej Bouhlel killed 84 people and wounded 256 others, in the third terrorist assault to inflict mass casualties in France since January 2015. Of the wounded, 74 remain hospitalized, with 28 in intensive care and 19 in critical condition, Mr. Molins said on Monday. So far, 71 of those killed have been identified. |
| The blatant cruelty of the attack, and Nice’s right-leaning politics, may have contributed to the outcry here against Mr. Valls and the central government, but the response is also a product of a growing willingness to question how the French government, and in particular the security ministries, handles terrorism. | The blatant cruelty of the attack, and Nice’s right-leaning politics, may have contributed to the outcry here against Mr. Valls and the central government, but the response is also a product of a growing willingness to question how the French government, and in particular the security ministries, handles terrorism. |
| After two brothers attacked the Charlie Hebdo office and another attacker held shoppers and staff members at a kosher grocery store hostage, killing four of them, there was a great show of national unity. That was true as well after the Nov. 13 attacks in and around Paris, which killed 130 people, although questions were gradually asked after that attack. | After two brothers attacked the Charlie Hebdo office and another attacker held shoppers and staff members at a kosher grocery store hostage, killing four of them, there was a great show of national unity. That was true as well after the Nov. 13 attacks in and around Paris, which killed 130 people, although questions were gradually asked after that attack. |
| Then last week, a damning report of the government’s organization of its intelligence and its rules for different security units was released by a National Assembly committee led by a Parliament member who is a former criminal judge. On Monday, the main center-right opposition party, the Republicans, asked that a similar committee be created to investigate the Nice attack. | Then last week, a damning report of the government’s organization of its intelligence and its rules for different security units was released by a National Assembly committee led by a Parliament member who is a former criminal judge. On Monday, the main center-right opposition party, the Republicans, asked that a similar committee be created to investigate the Nice attack. |
| “The report broke a French political taboo on criticizing the French police system and the French secret services,” said Thomas Guénolé, a political scientist and lecturer at Sciences Po. | “The report broke a French political taboo on criticizing the French police system and the French secret services,” said Thomas Guénolé, a political scientist and lecturer at Sciences Po. |
| And that opened the ground for other politicians and the public to voice their frustration, he said. | And that opened the ground for other politicians and the public to voice their frustration, he said. |
| The fact that the anger came in connection with the Nice attack may not have been entirely fair, but it was a product of accumulated frustration with the government’s response, said François Heisbourg, a French intelligence and security expert. | The fact that the anger came in connection with the Nice attack may not have been entirely fair, but it was a product of accumulated frustration with the government’s response, said François Heisbourg, a French intelligence and security expert. |
| “Of all of the attacks that took place, Nice was probably the most difficult to detect and prevent, so in a way life is unfair because the house is falling down on the government over this one, but it’s the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back,” he said. | “Of all of the attacks that took place, Nice was probably the most difficult to detect and prevent, so in a way life is unfair because the house is falling down on the government over this one, but it’s the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back,” he said. |
| Mr. Guénolé said the more egregious failing was with the attack on Charlie Hebdo, which had been threatened repeatedly over several years and was easier to anticipate than the latest attack in Nice. | Mr. Guénolé said the more egregious failing was with the attack on Charlie Hebdo, which had been threatened repeatedly over several years and was easier to anticipate than the latest attack in Nice. |
| Regardless, the weekend attack prompted former President Nicolas Sarkozy to give a highly publicized interview on the evening news on the French television channel TF1: “Everything that should have been done in the past 18 months has not been done,” Mr. Sarkozy, the leader of the Republican Party, said of the government’s policies. | Regardless, the weekend attack prompted former President Nicolas Sarkozy to give a highly publicized interview on the evening news on the French television channel TF1: “Everything that should have been done in the past 18 months has not been done,” Mr. Sarkozy, the leader of the Republican Party, said of the government’s policies. |
| The government responded several hours later with a statement by Mr. Valls and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve that “contrary to what the president of the Republican party has asserted this evening, no government has done as much up until now to fight against terrorism.” | The government responded several hours later with a statement by Mr. Valls and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve that “contrary to what the president of the Republican party has asserted this evening, no government has done as much up until now to fight against terrorism.” |
| Perhaps most telling, however, was that Mr. Cazeneuve dismissed out of hand some of the main recommendations in the National Assembly’s report, especially those recommending the merging of intelligence agencies. | Perhaps most telling, however, was that Mr. Cazeneuve dismissed out of hand some of the main recommendations in the National Assembly’s report, especially those recommending the merging of intelligence agencies. |
| He has argued that shaking up the organization of France’s intelligence services is risky at a time of high terrorism threats, but each new attack has made it harder to argue for the status quo. | He has argued that shaking up the organization of France’s intelligence services is risky at a time of high terrorism threats, but each new attack has made it harder to argue for the status quo. |
| “We reached over 200 victim of terrorism in less than a 18 months, which makes it obvious something is wrong with the government’s record on terrorism,” Mr. Guénolé said. | “We reached over 200 victim of terrorism in less than a 18 months, which makes it obvious something is wrong with the government’s record on terrorism,” Mr. Guénolé said. |
| Many ordinary citizens seemed to agree. For Gilles Thévenet, owns the High Club, a disco in Nice, which became an urgent care center on the night of the attacks, not enough is being done to keep citizens safe. “We must do everything possible to be secure, to be prepared,” he said. | Many ordinary citizens seemed to agree. For Gilles Thévenet, owns the High Club, a disco in Nice, which became an urgent care center on the night of the attacks, not enough is being done to keep citizens safe. “We must do everything possible to be secure, to be prepared,” he said. |
| “This was a big street party with nearly 300,000 people,” he said, “If the political system had put police or military vehicles to block the road, the truck would have been stopped.” | “This was a big street party with nearly 300,000 people,” he said, “If the political system had put police or military vehicles to block the road, the truck would have been stopped.” |
| “That’s why the Niçois are revolted,” he said. | “That’s why the Niçois are revolted,” he said. |