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France train shooting: Hollande to award Legion d'honneur | France train shooting: Hollande to award Legion d'honneur |
(35 minutes later) | |
Three Americans and a Briton who foiled a suspected terror attack on a train are set to receive France's top honour from President Francois Hollande. | Three Americans and a Briton who foiled a suspected terror attack on a train are set to receive France's top honour from President Francois Hollande. |
Mr Hollande will present Spencer Stone, Alek Skarlatos, Anthony Sadler and Briton Chris Norman with the Legion d'honneur at the Elysee Palace. | Mr Hollande will present Spencer Stone, Alek Skarlatos, Anthony Sadler and Briton Chris Norman with the Legion d'honneur at the Elysee Palace. |
Two other unnamed passengers will receive the honour at a later date. | Two other unnamed passengers will receive the honour at a later date. |
The passengers overpowered a suspected radical Islamist on a high-speed train bound for Paris on Friday. | The passengers overpowered a suspected radical Islamist on a high-speed train bound for Paris on Friday. |
French authorities are questioning the suspect, Moroccan national Ayoub El-Khazzani, 25. | French authorities are questioning the suspect, Moroccan national Ayoub El-Khazzani, 25. |
Viewpoint: New anti-terror approach needed | Viewpoint: New anti-terror approach needed |
Profile: Ayoub El-Khazzani | Profile: Ayoub El-Khazzani |
What we know | What we know |
Mr Hollande will personally thank the four for their bravery at the ceremony in Paris on Monday morning. | Mr Hollande will personally thank the four for their bravery at the ceremony in Paris on Monday morning. |
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel and the US Ambassador to France, Jane Hartley, are expected to attend, along with the head of the French rail firm, SNCF. | |
The Legion d'honneur was founded by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802. The award is divided into five categories and the passengers are expected to receive the chevalier, the most commonly awarded. | |
A French-American passenger in his 50s, who was wounded in the attack, and a French citizen who first encountered the gunman and tried to overpower him, will receive the honour later. Neither has been officially named. | |
The Americans spoke on Sunday about the incident. | The Americans spoke on Sunday about the incident. |
Mr Stone, an off-duty US airman, said he had just woken from a deep sleep when he saw the gunman and moved to restrain him. | Mr Stone, an off-duty US airman, said he had just woken from a deep sleep when he saw the gunman and moved to restrain him. |
"I turned around and I saw he had what looked to be an AK-47 and it looked like it was jammed or wasn't working and he was trying to charge the weapon. | "I turned around and I saw he had what looked to be an AK-47 and it looked like it was jammed or wasn't working and he was trying to charge the weapon. |
"Alek just hit me on the shoulder and said 'Let's go' and ran down, tackled him. We hit the ground." | "Alek just hit me on the shoulder and said 'Let's go' and ran down, tackled him. We hit the ground." |
Mr Stone was the first of the three to reach the gunman. He was cut in the neck and on the eyebrow, and his thumb was almost sliced off. | |
Legion d'honneur | |
Mr Stone also tended to the wounded French-American, who had been shot in the neck. | Mr Stone also tended to the wounded French-American, who had been shot in the neck. |
"I just stuck two of my fingers in the hole, found what I thought to be the artery, pushed down and the bleeding stopped," he said. "I just said 'Thank God' and held that position until the paramedics got there," he said. | "I just stuck two of my fingers in the hole, found what I thought to be the artery, pushed down and the bleeding stopped," he said. "I just said 'Thank God' and held that position until the paramedics got there," he said. |
Mr Skarlatos, a member of the US National Guard, said his initial reaction was "mostly just gut instinct", and that military training had only played a role in providing medical help and making sure there were no accomplices. | Mr Skarlatos, a member of the US National Guard, said his initial reaction was "mostly just gut instinct", and that military training had only played a role in providing medical help and making sure there were no accomplices. |
Mr Sadler said: "The gunman would have been successful if my friend Spencer had not gotten up. I want that lesson to be learned, in times of terror like that, to please do something. Don't just stand by and watch." | |
British grandfather Chris Norman, an IT expert, said he helped the Americans subdue the gunman because he thought he was "probably going to die anyway". | British grandfather Chris Norman, an IT expert, said he helped the Americans subdue the gunman because he thought he was "probably going to die anyway". |
Under French law, authorities have until Tuesday evening to question the suspect. | |
Sophie David, a lawyer assigned to the case for Mr Khazzani, said the Moroccan was "dumbfounded that his act is being linked to terrorism" and that he had said he found the weapons in a Belgian park and wanted to rob passengers. | Sophie David, a lawyer assigned to the case for Mr Khazzani, said the Moroccan was "dumbfounded that his act is being linked to terrorism" and that he had said he found the weapons in a Belgian park and wanted to rob passengers. |
Mr Khazzani's father, Mohamed el-Khazzani, told the Daily Telegraph in Algeciras, Spain, that his son was a "good boy" interested in "football and fishing". | Mr Khazzani's father, Mohamed el-Khazzani, told the Daily Telegraph in Algeciras, Spain, that his son was a "good boy" interested in "football and fishing". |
"I have no idea what he was thinking and I have not spoken to him for over a year," Mohamed el-Khazzani said. | "I have no idea what he was thinking and I have not spoken to him for over a year," Mohamed el-Khazzani said. |
Ayoub el-Khazzani was flagged up to French authorities by Spanish counterparts in February 2014. | Ayoub el-Khazzani was flagged up to French authorities by Spanish counterparts in February 2014. |
He is reported to have lived in France, Spain, and Belgium and to have travelled to Syria. | He is reported to have lived in France, Spain, and Belgium and to have travelled to Syria. |
Security checks | Security checks |
Security aboard the high-speed Thalys service on which the incident took place is being stepped up. The trains link major cities in the Netherlands and Belgium to Paris. | Security aboard the high-speed Thalys service on which the incident took place is being stepped up. The trains link major cities in the Netherlands and Belgium to Paris. |
Patrols and security checks will also be boosted at international train stations. | |
France's security services have placed been on high alert since January when Islamist militants killed 17 people in and around Paris - including the attacks at the offices of satirical paper Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket. | France's security services have placed been on high alert since January when Islamist militants killed 17 people in and around Paris - including the attacks at the offices of satirical paper Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket. |