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| Nice attack: French interior minister backtracks on claims heavily-armed police were present during massacre | Nice attack: French interior minister backtracks on claims heavily-armed police were present during massacre |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| France's interior minister has backtracked on his claim national police were stationed at the entrance to the promenade in Nice where the Bastille Day truck attack took place. | |
| In a speech two days after the attack, Bernard Cazeneuve said "national police were present and very present on the Promenade des Anglais". He also suggested their cars were blocking the walkway entrance when Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel drove a 19-metric ton (20-ton) truck onto the promenade killing 84 people before police shot him dead. | |
| However, Mr Cazeneuve has now said local police, who are more lightly armed than national police, were guarding the entrance to the area. | However, Mr Cazeneuve has now said local police, who are more lightly armed than national police, were guarding the entrance to the area. |
| He has also launched an internal police investigation into the handling of the attack, to be published next week. | He has also launched an internal police investigation into the handling of the attack, to be published next week. |
| French newspaper Liberation has claimed Mr Cazeneuve lied about the whereabouts of the national police officers and cars, and accused French authorities of lacking transparency. | French newspaper Liberation has claimed Mr Cazeneuve lied about the whereabouts of the national police officers and cars, and accused French authorities of lacking transparency. |
| Using witness statements and photos in its Thursday edition, Liberation claimed only one local police car was stationed at the entrance to the walkway. | Using witness statements and photos in its Thursday edition, Liberation claimed only one local police car was stationed at the entrance to the walkway. |
| The paper quotes local Nice police officer Yves Bergerat, who claimed the guns and bullets of the local force are not even equipped "to puncture the tires". | |
| Mr Cazeneuve accused the paper of conspiracy theories and maintained that several "heroic" national police - who killed the attacker after an exchange of fire - were stationed further down the promenade. | Mr Cazeneuve accused the paper of conspiracy theories and maintained that several "heroic" national police - who killed the attacker after an exchange of fire - were stationed further down the promenade. |
| French Prime Minister Manuel Valls joined a chorus of officials defending themselves against the charges, and made a public show of support for Mr Cazeneuve in whom, he said, he had full trust. | |
| “Lies debase public debate ... the government has nothing to hide,” Mr Valls said. | |
| "There's no room for polemics, there's only room for transparency," French President Francois Hollande said. "The necessary, serious preparations had been made for the July 14 festivities." | "There's no room for polemics, there's only room for transparency," French President Francois Hollande said. "The necessary, serious preparations had been made for the July 14 festivities." |
| He added: “If there were any shortcomings they will come to light.” | |
| Much of the criticism, beyond the system of road blocks easily breached by the truck, centres a complex command structure where some units of police answer to local government and others to central government. | |
| The inquiry will look into the detail of how the area was cordoned off for the traditional Bastille Day festivities and how the area was patrolled. | |
| “I welcome the interior minister's decision to order an inquiry of the Nice attack by the police of police,” tweeted Christian Estrosi, the head of the regional government in the southeast Riviera coast area who has led the criticism. | |
| The right-wing politician has accused the Socialist administration of not doing enough to protect the public. | |
| Nice police department chief Adolphe Colrat, who answers to central government rather than the regional politicians who are leading the criticism, said the authorities had “at no time” lied or misled people on policing arrangements. | |
| Five suspects held in custody in relation to the Nice attack are being handed to investigating judges in Paris on Thursday. They are expected to file preliminary charges against them. | |
| French authorities have also been looking for possible accomplices to Bouhlel. | French authorities have also been looking for possible accomplices to Bouhlel. |
| Additional reporting by agencies | Additional reporting by agencies |