10:53 AM, Seattle - A massive bombing at Pike Place in Seattle has killed as many as 15 civilians, Seattle authorities tell CNN.
Initial reports have set the death toll at 15 and injured at 373. According to the Seattle Police Department (SPD), two pressure cooker bombs were detonated in the area at approximately 10:45 am. A first blast was succeeded 15 seconds later by a second blast located 200 meters away. The SPD has immediately labeled this as a terrorist attack, although it is unclear at this point whether the attack has been committed through lone-wolf radicalism or pre-meditated by ISIS or Al-Qaeda. No known sources have been linked so far to social media sites, terrorist organizations, previous police reports, or any affiliates.
11:03 AM, Washington D.C. - In response to the bombings in Seattle, US forces, with the endorsement of other Western countries including Canada and France, have authorized a “military directive” to send a military force of 100 troops to Seattle to relieve the situation.
Terms of the action address 50% of the troops as Navy SEALS and 50% as local forces, including Seattle Police and Seattle Fire. According to a press release issued by Department of Homeland Security, the United States “plans to deal with social unrest and properly manage the situation, overseeing operations while preventing further aggravation of the issue.”
In response to the US’ actions, countries from the EU including France and Germany have proposed reducing troops situated in the area and instead, sending medical forces to assist in the area. However, no response has been declared and the directive has been approved for the military to act upon.
11:25 AM, Seattle - Reports out of the Seattle area indicate that the FBI has received an anonymous tip about a voice recording by an individual on a suspected jihadist website.
According to unconfirmed sources, an unmodified male voice in the video has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Pike Place, addressing viewers in two separate statements: one in English and the other in Arabic. After further review of the website, CNN reports that the website is an affiliate of ISIS frequented by jihadists internationally. In the video, a demand has been placed for the US government to “start treating Allah right” and warns of future attacks if this demand is not fulfilled. An analysis of the video reveals that it was uploaded from an IP address in a Seattle cybercafe located within Pike Place, minutes before the suspected attack.
Meanwhile, foreign reaction to the incident and the response has been mixed. In separate statements made, Germany once again reiterated its advocacy for sending first aid assistance instead of armed forces, while Italy referenced sending highly specialized troops to kill as “not very effective.”
In an interview conducted with the Foreign Minister of France, the minister voiced his grave concern over the recent state in Seattle. “France is willing to cooperate [with other countries] and quell [any conflicts], however we must not jump to any conclusions,” the foreign minister stated today. “We are against terrorism of all forms, but the goal is to remain objective. We are not fighting a war on Islam here, but rather, a war on terror.”
“Islamophobia” was quoted over 16 times recently in an exchange between Western nations over the state of affairs in Seattle. Recent hate crimes have been propagated against Muslims in Northwestern states, including Washington. Earlier this month, reports of swastikas and obscene language were scrawled onto walls of temples and mosques in Bothell, the suburban Seattle region.
Initial reports have set the death toll at 15 and injured at 373. According to the Seattle Police Department (SPD), two pressure cooker bombs were detonated in the area at approximately 10:45 am. A first blast was succeeded 15 seconds later by a second blast located 200 meters away. The SPD has immediately labeled this as a terrorist attack, although it is unclear at this point whether the attack has been committed through lone-wolf radicalism or pre-meditated by ISIS or Al-Qaeda. No known sources have been linked so far to social media sites, terrorist organizations, previous police reports, or any affiliates.
11:03 AM, Washington D.C. - In response to the bombings in Seattle, US forces, with the endorsement of other Western countries including Canada and France, have authorized a “military directive” to send a military force of 100 troops to Seattle to relieve the situation.
Terms of the action address 50% of the troops as Navy SEALS and 50% as local forces, including Seattle Police and Seattle Fire. According to a press release issued by Department of Homeland Security, the United States “plans to deal with social unrest and properly manage the situation, overseeing operations while preventing further aggravation of the issue.”
In response to the US’ actions, countries from the EU including France and Germany have proposed reducing troops situated in the area and instead, sending medical forces to assist in the area. However, no response has been declared and the directive has been approved for the military to act upon.
11:25 AM, Seattle - Reports out of the Seattle area indicate that the FBI has received an anonymous tip about a voice recording by an individual on a suspected jihadist website.
According to unconfirmed sources, an unmodified male voice in the video has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Pike Place, addressing viewers in two separate statements: one in English and the other in Arabic. After further review of the website, CNN reports that the website is an affiliate of ISIS frequented by jihadists internationally. In the video, a demand has been placed for the US government to “start treating Allah right” and warns of future attacks if this demand is not fulfilled. An analysis of the video reveals that it was uploaded from an IP address in a Seattle cybercafe located within Pike Place, minutes before the suspected attack.
Meanwhile, foreign reaction to the incident and the response has been mixed. In separate statements made, Germany once again reiterated its advocacy for sending first aid assistance instead of armed forces, while Italy referenced sending highly specialized troops to kill as “not very effective.”
In an interview conducted with the Foreign Minister of France, the minister voiced his grave concern over the recent state in Seattle. “France is willing to cooperate [with other countries] and quell [any conflicts], however we must not jump to any conclusions,” the foreign minister stated today. “We are against terrorism of all forms, but the goal is to remain objective. We are not fighting a war on Islam here, but rather, a war on terror.”
“Islamophobia” was quoted over 16 times recently in an exchange between Western nations over the state of affairs in Seattle. Recent hate crimes have been propagated against Muslims in Northwestern states, including Washington. Earlier this month, reports of swastikas and obscene language were scrawled onto walls of temples and mosques in Bothell, the suburban Seattle region.