Fragments of foreign-made explosives have been found on a downed Russian plane and various personal items of the passengers that exploded over the Sinai Peninsula on October 31. This finding was just announced late Monday night. Russia's President Vladimir Putin's response to the finding is to join with France and increase Russian airstrikes on Syria.
FSB head Alexander Bortnikov stated in the a meeting at the Kremlin that, "According to an analysis by our specialists, a homemade bomb containing up to 1 kilogram of TNT detonated during the flight, causing the plane to break up in mid-air, which explains why parts of the fuselage were spread over such a large distance."
Putin had done his best to exercise restraint in the wake of the Russian plane that exploded over the Sinai Peninsula on Halloween. A Syrian group had even claimed responsibility for the explosion. Still, he had insisted that an investigation runs its full course before calling it an act of terror or referring to it as an act of war.
During the Kremlin meeting, Putin released a statement that the Russian military would, "find them [the terrorists] anywhere on the planet and punish them. Our air force's military work in Syria must not simply be continued. It must be intensified in such a way that the criminals understand that retribution is inevitable."
There are already seventeen people that have been taken into custody by Egyptian authorities who are believed to have assisted in the Russian plane plot. Two of them are airport employees.
Putin will be meeting with the Russian defense ministry on Tuesday to discuss specific options and plans with military chiefs. He wants to see proposals that will lead to defined goals and outcomes as a result of the military actions that Russia chooses to take in Syria.
ISIS has not wasted any time regarding putting all nations on notice who are standing with France. Video footage was released on Monday in which they levied a threat against any countries who join France in their retaliation on Syria. ISIS declared that it was planning similar terror activities in other countries around the world.
The video seemed to be more about psychological warfare than anything else in that very little detail was offered about next targets or when any activity would take place. Nevertheless, there are investigations being done in many countries, especially those in Europe. There is also a move underway in many countries to refuse to take in any refugees from Syria for concern that terrorists may be hiding within those groups. A Syrian passport was found near the body of one of the bombers who participated in the France attacks.
The UN has railed against European nations who are implementing such national security measures. UN agency spokeswoman Melissa Fleming has referred to such activity as "pretty disgusting," because "refugees should not be turned into scapegoats and must not become the secondary victims of these most tragic events."
There was an agreement among many European nations earlier in the year that they would take in 160,000 immigrants spread across various nations via quotas. This was in response to the civil war that has erupted in Syria.
In the US, about half of all state governors are wanting to implement the same type of security measure within their state to protect state citizens from potential terrorist activities. This is in direct opposition to the mindset at the federal level. Obama still wants the US to accept 10,000 Syrian immigrants within the current fiscal year. There is a move in Congress to block the funding for this.
A statement was released by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) in connection to the terrorists attack in Paris, France:
"My thoughts and prayers are with the French people and those that lost loved ones as a result of the barbaric terrorist attacks in Paris. The American people stand with them as they mourn their loss and hold fast in the face of evil.
These terrorist attacks are a reminder that ISIS poses a threat to our allies and America. This reality is not clearly seen by our President. Just hours before the attack, President Obama boasted that ISIS is contained. Clearly, they are not. ISIS terrorists and sympathizers have made clear that they plan to infiltrate Western countries through the refugee system. When will President Obama take ISIS threats seriously, as well as the warnings of national security officials within his administration, and cease his plan to bring thousands of Syrian refugees into the United States? His disconnectedness to reality is needlessly jeopardizing national security and Americans' lives.
This week, the House Judiciary Committee will examine these threats to our nation at a Justice Department oversight hearing and at a hearing on the Syrian refugee crisis and its impact on national security. It's past time for President Obama to wake up to reality and lead on this issue."
The meetings are expected to take place on Tuesday and Thursday.
