WORLD

More than 125 people were killed, and nearly 100 critically injured in the largest terrorist attack in Europe in more than a decade. Here’s what we know, and what we don’t. (New York Times)

Use our resources to learn more about Islamic State, the terrorist organization that claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources, including today’s MapMaker Interactive map.

Discussion Ideas

• What happened in Paris last week? Use today’s MapMaker Interactive map to better understand the geography and sequence of the attacks.
  • A group of terrorists armed with assault rifles and explosive devices carried out an extensive series of coordinated attacks across northern Paris. As of the morning of November 16, at least 129 victims were killed, 99 were left in critical conditions, and 251 were hospitalized.
    • Six suspects committed suicide, and one was killed in a shootout with police. Others fled in everyday black cars.
    • The terrorists targeted people enjoying typical weekend activities:
      • Going to a sporting event: Three suicide bombers attacked the Stade de France, Paris’ enormous sports stadium where the country’s national team was playing arch-rival Germany.
      • Going to a restaurant: Gunmen in black vehicles (mid-sized hatchbacks) used assault rifles to open fire on the streets outside five restaurants.
      • Going to a concert: Assailants opened fire on the audience at a rock concert before taking hostages and killing themselves as suicide bombers.

 

• Is this worse than the Madrid train bombings of 2004?
  • Almost. The 2004 Madrid train bombings killed 191 people and left more than 1,000 injured.

 

• Who carried out the attacks?
  • A network of three teams carried out the attacks directly.
    • The nationalities of the deceased suspects are not entirely known. Most have been identified as French citizens, several having resided in Belgium. One suspect had a Syrian passport belonging to a man who came to France through the “refugee route” of Serbia, Turkey, and the Greek island of Leros. (Authorities are unsure if the passport is authentic.)
  • French police think as many as 20 people may have been involved in the attacks.
  • French, Belgian, and German authorities are tracking down possible networks that may have supported the suspects with transportation, weapons, and strategy.

 

• Is ISIS responsible for the attacks?
  • Probably. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks soon after they occurred. The group says the attacks were retaliation for French airstrikes against ISIS in Raqqa, Syria. (The airstrikes were prompted by information from American intelligence regarding “vague threats about French jihadists in Syria.”)
  • Many Western leaders, including French President François Hollande, openly blamed the attacks on ISIS. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the attacks were actually planned and organized from Syria. At least one of the attackers, identified as a radicalized Muslim by people who knew him, spent time in Syria before returning to France.

 

• President François Hollande did not actually hold ISIS responsible. He blamed “Daesh.” What’s the difference?
  • None. The terrorist group is known as Islamic State, ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria), ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant), and Daesh.
    • This writer makes an outstanding case that “Words matter in the ISIS war, so use Daesh.” Daesh spells out the acronym of the group’s Arabic name, al-Dawla al-Islamiya fi al-Iraq wa al-Sham. “Yet, at the same time, ‘Daesh’ can also be understood as a play on words—and an insult. Depending on how it is conjugated in Arabic, it can mean anything from ‘to trample down and crush’ to ‘a bigot who imposes his view on others.’ Already, the group has reportedly punished anyone who uses the term.”
    • Daesh also eliminates any use of the word “state,” the term used for a recognized political entity, such as the United States or France.

 

• What other terror-related assaults have taken place recently?
  • ISIS and its allies have been linked with the downing a Russian jet over Egypt on October 31, killing all 224 people on board. Russia has conducted military operations supporting the Syrian government against ISIS. Learn more about Syria’s tangled alliances here.
  • ISIS claimed responsibility for a double-suicide bombing in Beirut, Lebanon, on November 12, killing 40 people. The bombing targeted Hezbollah, an organization supported by Iran, which opposes ISIS and supports the Syrian government. Learn more about Syria’s tangled alliances here.

 

• How are the Paris attacks distinct from past ISIS-affiliated assaults and strategies?
  • ISIS has generally—not entirely—focused on the area defined by their proposed “caliphate” in the Middle East. Previous to the Paris attacks, ISIS relied on “lone wolf” followers to attack targets in the West. Take a look at this map for ISIS’ sphere of influence and attacks tied to the organization.

 

• How has France responded to the attacks?
  • The French government launched massive retaliatory airstrikes in Raqqa, Syria, over the weekend.
  • French police conducted more than 160 raids in France, arrested more than 20 people, and placed more than 100 under house arrest.
  • Police have aggressively raided neighborhoods in Brussels, Belgium, in an international manhunt for the alleged mastermind of the attacks.
  • The Parisian economy virtually shut down over the weekend, with retail outlets, travel and tourism destinations, and cultural centers shut down. Public transportation ran on a limited schedule.

 

TEACHERS’ TOOLKIT

New York Times: Paris Attacks: What We Know and Don’t Know

Nat Geo: Coordinated Attacks in Paris map and timeline

Nat Geo: What is ISIS?

New York Times: Paris Bloodshed May Be the Latest of Many ISIS Attacks Around the World

Guardian: Paris: Latest Updates

Washington Post: Paris: Latest Updates

New York Times: Paris: Latest Updates

BBC: Paris: Latest Updates

France24: Paris: Latest Updates

Boston Globe: Opinion: Words matter in ‘ISIS’ war, so use ‘Daesh’

Nat Geo: Who is Fighting Whom in Syria?