This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/28/french-beheading-attack-suspect-confesses-murder

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
French beheading: suspect confesses to boss's murder but motives unclear French beheading: suspect confesses to boss's murder but motives unclear
(about 1 hour later)
Yassin Salhi, the French truck driver who killed and decapitated his boss before ramming a vehicle into a chemical plant near Lyon, has confessed to the murder – but his exact motives remain unclear. Yassin Salhi, the French lorry driver who decapitated his boss before ramming a vehicle into a chemical plant near Lyon, has confessed to the murder – but his motives remain unclear.
Salhi, 35, told detectives he had killed Hervé Cornara in a parking area before arriving at the plant in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, 18 miles (30km) south of Lyon, where he attempted to cause an explosion on Friday. He told detectives he had killed Hervé Cornara in a parking area before arriving at the plant in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, 18 miles (30km) south of Lyon, where he attempted to cause an explosion on Friday.
Salhi was transferred to Paris for further questioning on Sunday afternoon. Several French media reported that during questioning he had been “confused” as to the motives behind the attack, citing personal problems linked to family issues and his job. Salhi, 35, was transferred to Paris for further questioning on Sunday afternoon. Several French media reported that during questioning he had been “confused” as to the motives behind the attack, citing personal problems linked to family issues and his job.
TV news channel iTele said Salhi had told police he had wanted to kill himself and deliberately stage a media coup by dressing it up as a terrorist act. The news channel said Salhi had told police he had acted alone. The TV news channel iTele said Salhi had told police he had wanted to kill himself and stage a media coup by dressing it up as a terrorist act. The news channel said Salhi had told police he had acted alone.
Days before the attack, he was reported to have fallen out with Cornara, 54, the manager of the Lyon-area transportation company where he had been employed on a permanent contract since March. Days before the attack, he was reported to have fallen out with Cornara, 54, the manager of the Lyon-area transportation company where he had been employed on a permanent contract since March. “We don’t know whether we’re dealing with a fundamentalist who flipped or a real terrorist,” one source close to the investigation told Reuters. “Investigators are wondering whether this isn’t just a simple criminal act.”
“We don’t know whether we’re dealing with a fundamentalist who flipped or a real terrorist,” one source close to the investigation told Reuters. “Investigators are wondering whether this isn’t just a simple criminal act.” On Friday morning, Salhi, a married father of three, had rammed his van into the US-owned Air Products chemical factory in what President François Hollande said was a “terrorist” attack designed to blow up the building. He was overpowered by a firefighter as he was trying to prise open a bottle of acetone in an apparent suicidal bid to destroy the factory.
On Friday morning, Salhi, a married father-of-three, had rammed his van into the US-owned Air Products chemical factory in what President François Hollande said was a terrorist attack designed to blow up the building. He was overpowered by a firefighter as he was trying to prise open a bottle of acetone in an apparent suicidal bid to destroy the factory. Police then found the severed head of his boss, Cornara, tied to the gates of the factory near two flags on which were written the Muslim profession of faith. The victim’s headless body was found by the van with a knife and a fake pistol lying nearby.
Police then discovered the severed head of his boss, Cornara, tied to the gates of the factory near two flags on which were written the Muslim profession of faith. The victim’s headless body was found by the van with a knife and a fake pistol lying nearby. An postmortem examination on Cornara has proved inconclusive, with experts unable to determine whether he was killed before his head was cut off. More tests are being carried out.
An postmortem examination on Cornara has proved inconclusive, with experts unable to determine whether he was killed before or after his head was cut off. More tests are being carried out.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre, a spokeswoman for the Paris prosecutor’s office, said investigators had not found any foreign connection.No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre, a spokeswoman for the Paris prosecutor’s office, said investigators had not found any foreign connection.
Searches on Salhi’s home turned up no weapons cache, propaganda material or evidence of accomplices. The police established that Salhi used instant messaging service Whatsapp to send a macabre selfie posing with the severed head to a Canadian telephone number. Investigators have warned that it could be a relay number and the intended recipient could be anywhere in the world. Searches on Salhi’s home turned up no weapons cache, propaganda material or evidence of accomplices. The police established that Salhi used the instant messaging service Whatsapp to send a macabre selfie posing with the severed head to a Canadian telephone number. Investigators have warned that it could be a relay number and the intended recipient could be anywhere in the world.
Salhi was born in the Doubs in north-eastern France to parents of Moroccan and Algerian descent. His father had died when he was a teenager. About a decade ago, Salhi is known to have had contact with a Muslim convert, Frederic Jean Salvi, known as “Ali”, who was suspected of preparing attacks in Indonesia with al-Qaida militants.Salhi was born in the Doubs in north-eastern France to parents of Moroccan and Algerian descent. His father had died when he was a teenager. About a decade ago, Salhi is known to have had contact with a Muslim convert, Frederic Jean Salvi, known as “Ali”, who was suspected of preparing attacks in Indonesia with al-Qaida militants.
Sahli was placed under “discreet” police surveillance in 2006 because of his contact with Salvi, but that surveillance ended in 2008 because, according to the French interior ministry, he “was not known to be in contact with terrorist actors”. The interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, said Salhi had been investigated for links to radical Salafists in Lyon, but was not known to have participated in terrorist activities and did not have a criminal record.Sahli was placed under “discreet” police surveillance in 2006 because of his contact with Salvi, but that surveillance ended in 2008 because, according to the French interior ministry, he “was not known to be in contact with terrorist actors”. The interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, said Salhi had been investigated for links to radical Salafists in Lyon, but was not known to have participated in terrorist activities and did not have a criminal record.
French media cited Salhi’s former martial arts instructor as saying the otherwise calm man was subject to such outbursts of rage that other pupils would refuse to spar with him.French media cited Salhi’s former martial arts instructor as saying the otherwise calm man was subject to such outbursts of rage that other pupils would refuse to spar with him.
The attack has revived concerns about terrorism in France less than six months after the deadly Paris attacks on the magazine Charlie Hebdo and a Kosher supermarket. The attack has revived concerns about terrorism in France less than six months after the deadly Paris attacks on the magazine Charlie Hebdo and a kosher supermarket.
The Socialist prime minister, Manuel Valls, said on Sunday the world was engaged in a “war against terrorism”. He told iTele: “We cannot lose this war because it’s fundamentally a war of civilisation. It’s our society, our civilisation that we are defending.” The Socialist prime minister, Manuel Valls, said on Sunday the world was engaged in a “war against terrorism”. He told iTele: “We cannot lose this war because it’s fundamentally a war of civilisation. It’s our society, our civilisation that we are defending.” He added that France was facing “a major terrorist threat” that needed to be fought over the long-term. It’s not a question of whether there will be another attack, but “when” and “where”, he said.
He added that France was facing “a major terrorist threat” that needed to be fought over the long-term. It’s not a question of whether there will be another attack, but “when” and “where”, he said. Nicolas Sarkozy’s rightwing opposition party, Les Républicains, said they were glad Valls had adopted the right’s terminology of a “war of civilisation”. Valls added that 5,000 Europeans were fighting alongside jihadis in conflicts across the world, and that by the end of this year there could be 10,000 Europeans fighting for Islamic State.
Nicolas Sarkozy’s rightwing opposition party, Les Républicains, said they were glad Valls had adopted the right’s terminology of a “war of civilisation”.
Valls added that 5,000 Europeans were fighting alongside jihadis in conflict across the world, and that by the end of this year there could be 10,000 Europeans fighting for Islamic State.