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| French police close in on Paris attack suspects | French police close in on Paris attack suspects |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| DAMMARTIN-EN-GOELE, France — French security forces had weapons drawn Friday outside two hostage standoffs — one at a Paris kosher market and the other following the country’s biggest terrorist manhunt — as they explored links suggesting a wider network of violence. | |
| The seizure of the grocery on the eastern outskirts of Paris capped three days of bloodshed and tensions that began with the country’s worst terrorist attack in generations. The fast-moving events have placed the country on edge, stirred acts of anger and drew possible connections to al-Qaeda. | |
| [Live blog: Latest updates on the shooting suspects and the ongoing hostage situation] | |
| A possible matrix between the events took shape as police identified the gunman who siezed the market as linked to a pair wanted for the fatal shooting of a Paris policewoman on Thursday. | |
| Earlier, investigators idenfied connections between the police slaying and Wednesday’s rampage a satirical newspaper in Paris that left a dozen people dead. | |
| Thousands of security forces encircled the suspects in France’s worst terrorist attack in generations on Friday after a massive manhunt narrowed to a commercial building outside Paris, where the armed pair was holed up with at least one hostage. | |
| The standoff unfolded with authorities mobilizing commando-style units capable of storming the single-story printing business in Dammartin-en-Goele, about 25 miles northeast of Paris. | The standoff unfolded with authorities mobilizing commando-style units capable of storming the single-story printing business in Dammartin-en-Goele, about 25 miles northeast of Paris. |
| [Read: Shooting suspects tried to meet with al-Qaeda] | |
| But negotiators also reached out to the brothers, who are believed armed and possibly preparing for a last-stand siege. | But negotiators also reached out to the brothers, who are believed armed and possibly preparing for a last-stand siege. |
| Authorities studied their next moves even as intelligence experts tried to piece together possible connections with al-Qaeda-linked militants in Yemen as motives for Wednesday’s massacre at a satirical newspaper, whose provocative images and other content on Islam had prompted threats and attacks in the past. | Authorities studied their next moves even as intelligence experts tried to piece together possible connections with al-Qaeda-linked militants in Yemen as motives for Wednesday’s massacre at a satirical newspaper, whose provocative images and other content on Islam had prompted threats and attacks in the past. |
| Twelve people, including the editor and other noted staff members, were killed in the rampage at the newspaper Charlie Hebdo. | Twelve people, including the editor and other noted staff members, were killed in the rampage at the newspaper Charlie Hebdo. |
| In separate developments, police reported an apparent “connection” with another suspect wanted in the fatal shooting of a policewoman Thursday in a southern Paris suburb — raising worries of a possible larger network and more violence. | In separate developments, police reported an apparent “connection” with another suspect wanted in the fatal shooting of a policewoman Thursday in a southern Paris suburb — raising worries of a possible larger network and more violence. |
| Hours later in Paris, a gunman Friday took over a kosher grocery store, apparently holding hostages, French media reported. It was not immediately clear whether the incident was linked to the police shooting. | Hours later in Paris, a gunman Friday took over a kosher grocery store, apparently holding hostages, French media reported. It was not immediately clear whether the incident was linked to the police shooting. |
| The swarm of firepower in Dammartin-en-Goele, a town near Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, capped a huge hunt that shifted to areas northeast of Paris on Thursday after sightings of the suspects: Cherif Kouachi, 32, and his brother Said, 34. | The swarm of firepower in Dammartin-en-Goele, a town near Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, capped a huge hunt that shifted to areas northeast of Paris on Thursday after sightings of the suspects: Cherif Kouachi, 32, and his brother Said, 34. |
| French authorities say the brothers exchanged fire with police before abandoning a stolen car and holing up in the printing company. The suspects held at least one hostage, but gave no further details, police said. | French authorities say the brothers exchanged fire with police before abandoning a stolen car and holing up in the printing company. The suspects held at least one hostage, but gave no further details, police said. |
| In scenes reminiscent of recent standoffs — including last month’s hostage-taking at a Sydney cafe — French police put the area under lockdown orders, asking people to stay indoors and turn off their lights as the drama played out on an overcast and drizzly afternoon. | In scenes reminiscent of recent standoffs — including last month’s hostage-taking at a Sydney cafe — French police put the area under lockdown orders, asking people to stay indoors and turn off their lights as the drama played out on an overcast and drizzly afternoon. |
| Security commanders have given few details as the chokehold tightened on the building. | Security commanders have given few details as the chokehold tightened on the building. |
| Audrey Taupenas, spokeswoman for Dammartin-en-Goele, said negotiators made contact with the suspects. They agreed to allow the safe evacuation of a nearby school, she said. | Audrey Taupenas, spokeswoman for Dammartin-en-Goele, said negotiators made contact with the suspects. They agreed to allow the safe evacuation of a nearby school, she said. |
| But Yves Albarello, a lawmaker who said he was inside the command post, also told the station i-Tele that it appeared the brothers “want to die as martyrs.” | But Yves Albarello, a lawmaker who said he was inside the command post, also told the station i-Tele that it appeared the brothers “want to die as martyrs.” |
| Tens of thousands of French security forces have been mobilized to track down the brothers — the main suspects after gunmen burst into the offices of the weekly, Charlie Hebdo, and opened fire during a staff meeting. | Tens of thousands of French security forces have been mobilized to track down the brothers — the main suspects after gunmen burst into the offices of the weekly, Charlie Hebdo, and opened fire during a staff meeting. |
| It was not immediately clear what weapons the suspects had available, but previous reports said they had Kalashnikov rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. | It was not immediately clear what weapons the suspects had available, but previous reports said they had Kalashnikov rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. |
| In an apparent brush with the fugitives, a businessman who had an appointment at the printing company said he shook hands with one of the armed suspects, believing he was a police special forces officer, France Info radio reported. | In an apparent brush with the fugitives, a businessman who had an appointment at the printing company said he shook hands with one of the armed suspects, believing he was a police special forces officer, France Info radio reported. |
| The man, identified only as Didier, said the owner of the business was accompanied by an armed man clad in black and wearing a bulletproof vest. Didier said he believed the man at first was a police commando. | The man, identified only as Didier, said the owner of the business was accompanied by an armed man clad in black and wearing a bulletproof vest. Didier said he believed the man at first was a police commando. |
| “We all shook hands and my client told me to leave,” Didier added. | “We all shook hands and my client told me to leave,” Didier added. |
| The armed man then added: “Go, we don’t kill civilians,” Didier recalled. | The armed man then added: “Go, we don’t kill civilians,” Didier recalled. |
| “As I left I didn’t know what it was. It wasn’t normal,” Didier said in the radio interview. “I did not know what was going on. Was it a hostage taking or a burglary?” | “As I left I didn’t know what it was. It wasn’t normal,” Didier said in the radio interview. “I did not know what was going on. Was it a hostage taking or a burglary?” |
| Fresh details emerged Thursday that one of the brothers had tried to meet with al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen. | Fresh details emerged Thursday that one of the brothers had tried to meet with al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen. |
| U.S. officials said the older of the two, Said Kouachi, is believed to have traveled to Yemen in 2011 in an effort to link up with al-Qaeda’s affiliate there at a time when that group was eclipsing the terror network’s core leadership in Pakistan as the principal threat to the United States. | U.S. officials said the older of the two, Said Kouachi, is believed to have traveled to Yemen in 2011 in an effort to link up with al-Qaeda’s affiliate there at a time when that group was eclipsing the terror network’s core leadership in Pakistan as the principal threat to the United States. |
| U.S. officials said Kouachi may have received small-arms training and picked up other skills while in Yemen, but they described the years that followed that 2011 visit as a “kind of hole” in the timeline, with significant gaps in authorities’ understanding of the brothers’ activities and whereabouts. | U.S. officials said Kouachi may have received small-arms training and picked up other skills while in Yemen, but they described the years that followed that 2011 visit as a “kind of hole” in the timeline, with significant gaps in authorities’ understanding of the brothers’ activities and whereabouts. |
| Those blank spots have led U.S. and other officials to seek to determine whether one or both brothers traveled to Syria or another conflict zone, or whether they managed to lower their profile in France to such a degree that scrutiny of them subsided. | Those blank spots have led U.S. and other officials to seek to determine whether one or both brothers traveled to Syria or another conflict zone, or whether they managed to lower their profile in France to such a degree that scrutiny of them subsided. |
| In a massive show of force Thursday, armored vehicles rolled past the ancient stone fences and sugar-beet fields of Aisne, an agricultural district 44 miles north of the capital. Black-clad troopers wearing bulletproof Kevlar gear and carrying assault rifles cordoned off a large area of farmland as they went door-to-door, field-to-field, forest-block-to-forest-block. | In a massive show of force Thursday, armored vehicles rolled past the ancient stone fences and sugar-beet fields of Aisne, an agricultural district 44 miles north of the capital. Black-clad troopers wearing bulletproof Kevlar gear and carrying assault rifles cordoned off a large area of farmland as they went door-to-door, field-to-field, forest-block-to-forest-block. |
| As the manhunt widened, French officials vowed to bring the men to justice and announced that they had taken nine people into custody in relation to the case. Authorities would not release their names, but French media said that those picked up in the dragnet included a sister of the men as well as her companion and the wife of Said Kouachi. | As the manhunt widened, French officials vowed to bring the men to justice and announced that they had taken nine people into custody in relation to the case. Authorities would not release their names, but French media said that those picked up in the dragnet included a sister of the men as well as her companion and the wife of Said Kouachi. |
| Authorities gave no details on any possible connection to the main suspects in Wednesday’s raid: the Kouachi brothers, the Paris-born sons of Algerian immigrants. | Authorities gave no details on any possible connection to the main suspects in Wednesday’s raid: the Kouachi brothers, the Paris-born sons of Algerian immigrants. |
| “We will show these terrorists through the firm defense of the values of the republic that we are not afraid and that we remain united,” said Bernard Cazeneuve, France’s interior minister. | “We will show these terrorists through the firm defense of the values of the republic that we are not afraid and that we remain united,” said Bernard Cazeneuve, France’s interior minister. |
| Thousands poured into Paris’s Place de la Republique on Thursday for a second night to honor the dead — including some of France’s best-known cartoonists at a publication that had lampooned Islam along with other targets. | Thousands poured into Paris’s Place de la Republique on Thursday for a second night to honor the dead — including some of France’s best-known cartoonists at a publication that had lampooned Islam along with other targets. |
| Many spoke of unity, with the Eiffel Tower shrouded in black Thursday evening, its lights doused in honor of the fallen. The slogan “Je suis Charlie” — I am Charlie — became ubiquitous in offices, on sidewalks and in public squares nationwide. | Many spoke of unity, with the Eiffel Tower shrouded in black Thursday evening, its lights doused in honor of the fallen. The slogan “Je suis Charlie” — I am Charlie — became ubiquitous in offices, on sidewalks and in public squares nationwide. |
| And in a nation that is home to Western Europe’s largest Muslim population as well as the continent’s strongest anti-immigrant and extreme far-right movements, there were also fears of rising religious and political tensions in the aftermath of the attack. | And in a nation that is home to Western Europe’s largest Muslim population as well as the continent’s strongest anti-immigrant and extreme far-right movements, there were also fears of rising religious and political tensions in the aftermath of the attack. |
| On Thursday, a man was arrested in the city of Poitiers after painting the words “Death to Arabs” on the gates of a mosque. In the city of Caromb, a car belonging to a Muslim family was shot at. In two other French cities, small explosives went off near mosques. | On Thursday, a man was arrested in the city of Poitiers after painting the words “Death to Arabs” on the gates of a mosque. In the city of Caromb, a car belonging to a Muslim family was shot at. In two other French cities, small explosives went off near mosques. |
| No injuries were reported in any of the incidents, but they immediately ignited concerns about further ideological clashes, violent or otherwise. | No injuries were reported in any of the incidents, but they immediately ignited concerns about further ideological clashes, violent or otherwise. |
| Marine Le Pen, the head of the far-right National Front, which has surged in opinion polls here well before Wednesday’s attack, spoke out Thursday, calling her party the only one that had challenged the notion of “Islamic fundamentalism on our territory.” | Marine Le Pen, the head of the far-right National Front, which has surged in opinion polls here well before Wednesday’s attack, spoke out Thursday, calling her party the only one that had challenged the notion of “Islamic fundamentalism on our territory.” |
| But many in France said that the far right would not succeed in leveraging the attack for its own purposes, saying the nation was pulling together in tragedy, not being drawn apart. | But many in France said that the far right would not succeed in leveraging the attack for its own purposes, saying the nation was pulling together in tragedy, not being drawn apart. |
| “In the last 24 hours, what I have seen is a sense of national responsibility, a sense of unity,” said Jean-Charles Brisard, a Paris-based terrorism and security expert. “We know they want to use this to tear us apart, to create division. But France will not allow that.” | “In the last 24 hours, what I have seen is a sense of national responsibility, a sense of unity,” said Jean-Charles Brisard, a Paris-based terrorism and security expert. “We know they want to use this to tear us apart, to create division. But France will not allow that.” |
| French President Francois Hollande urged his countrymen to attend a vigil planned for Sunday in support of the victims of the terrorist attack. | French President Francois Hollande urged his countrymen to attend a vigil planned for Sunday in support of the victims of the terrorist attack. |
| Witte reported from Paris and Deane from London. Greg Miller and Brian Murphy in Washington contributed to this report. | Witte reported from Paris and Deane from London. Greg Miller and Brian Murphy in Washington contributed to this report. |