Ride the Lightning

Cell Phone in Trash Can Provides Vital Evidence in the Paris ISIS Attacks

November 23, 2015

The Associated Press reported several days ago that a cell phone dumped in a trash can provided vital evidence in the Paris attacks. Investigators thought Abdelhamid Abaaoud was in Syria orchestrating the deadly attacks from there but the phone indicated that he was in the Paris suburb of St. Denis.

In fact he was only a 15-minute walk from the Stade de France stadium where three suicide bombers blew themselves up during the November 13th attacks that have thus far killed 130 people.

Two police officials briefed on the investigation told The Associated Press that the cellphone dumped in a trash can outside the Bataclan concert hall — where 89 people were killed — proved crucial. It contained a text message sent about 20 minutes after the massacre began that read (translated): "We're off, it's started."

The phone had contact information for Abaaoud's 26-year-old cousin, Hasna Aitboulahcen, one of the police officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the information hadn't been released by investigators. Both she and Abaaoud were killed as heavily armed SWAT teams raided the apartment in Saint-Denis early Wednesday, prosecutors said.

An audio recording, confirmed by a police official, captured the exchange. As gunshots rang out, an officer was heard shouting: "Where is your boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend!" Aitboulahcen responded angrily. Then a loud explosion was heard, which police officials said was the bomb in her vest detonating and hurling some of her body parts onto the roof of a police car below. Last Thursday, prosecutors said that a fingerprint proved that another mangled body found inside the heavily damaged building was that of Abaaoud. Eight people were arrested in connection with the raids, including two who were pulled out of the rubble.

Also on Thursday, French military spokesman Col. Gilles Jaron said that French forces have destroyed 35 Islamic State targets in Syria since the attacks on Paris.

France has often been the subject of ridicule by other European countries – but no longer. Everywhere, one sees the words "Je suis Paris" – and I echo that sentiment.

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