They’d be the ones that reportedly fled when it passed through Arras…
Edward Lud
10 years ago
There’s something particularly pointed in the fact that it was Septics who disarmed him.
But a French actor was heroic for pressing the alarm button…
Dongguan John
10 years ago
It’s a new story so there’s a couple of versions of events out there. Best one I read was that the American guys heard him arming the guns in the toilet and recognised the sounds so were waiting for him when he came out.
Either way got very lucky this time and a bunch of French people have American soldiers to thank for their lives again. 😀
GlenDorran
10 years ago
“But a French actor was heroic for pressing the alarm button”
And another French passenger poked himself in the eye as he attempted to deploy his white flag.
Sarah
10 years ago
Love it – mostly the bit where they beat the living shit out of him till he passed out. However, a question. Why are all the news stories high lighting the fact that he waited till the train crossed the border and was in France before he opened fire (briefly – snigger). Is there a difference in the laws, regarding terrorists that commit, or at least try to, mass murder, between Belgium and France, and if so, what is it?
SE, Fox says there were three Americans, all mates: a student, a US Air Force serviceman, and a National Guardsman. They ran 10 meters to take down the shooter and neutralised him by beating him unconscious. The Guardian says the Brit then emerged from hiding under a seat to help tie up the shooter with ripped-up T-shirts.
Sounds about right to me.
john77
10 years ago
How far can you trust the Grauniad? If I had been on the train it would have taken two-three seconds* to run ten metres but the chance of him noticing, turning and firing sufficiently accurately to stop me would have been less than half.
That in no way detracts from the courage of the Yanks who risked their lives – a competent gunman could have killed all three – so they are indeed heroes.
*Fifty years ago one-and-a-bit seconds – but then I should not have needed pals to knock him out if I hit him
PF
10 years ago
Fifty years ago one-and-a-bit seconds – but then I should not have needed pals to knock him out if I hit him
John, that’s crap.
As the train sped across the Belgian / French border at close to 300 Km/hour, you would have stood up, told him to put his gun down (he puts his gun down), told him to open the outside carriage door (he opens the door), and simply told him to get off the train.
Then your young lady friend would have smiled across at you, and…
Sorry, god knows why I am reading stuff on here this evening..:)
You are right – anyone who acts selflessly like that in those sort of situations deserves praise for their courage…
magnusw
10 years ago
“Sadler later told AFP the gunman had demanded his weapon back. He said: “He was just telling us to give back his gun. ‘Give me back my gun! Give me back my gun!’ But we just carried on beating him up”
Narurellement.
john77
10 years ago
PF
The Yanks risked their lives, which are worth a lot to them. A lot more than mine, at my age.
They deserve all the credit they get.
A lot of us would have had a go, but we might have failed.
Fifty years ago, if I got that far (I’ve always been a slow runner,so I might have failed), I should have head-butted him into unconsciousness.
So it’s not crap: it is just I wasn’t there.
john77
10 years ago
@ PF
Also, fifty years ago I didn’t have a young lady friend – the gender ratio at Oxford was 6:1 and I seriously lack charisma.
PF
10 years ago
john77
😉
Interested
10 years ago
Weirdly just the other day I was discussing with some friends of mine with an interest in this sort of thing what I would do if I wanted to kill lots of unarmed civilians and my preferred method was start at one end of a crowded train with an AK. Er…
(Second was a PEx charge just behind the locomotive detonated at top speed on a bend.)
JeremyT
10 years ago
John77
They followed the US doctrine: Charge a gun, flee a knife.
The guy with the gun will kill you if you run.
Bloke in Costa Rica
10 years ago
Looks like his gun jammed, according to the latest reports. This could have been very, very bad. It would have been awesome if one of the guys who tackled Jihadi Jim had cleared the jam and put a burst through the side of his head. I really fucking hate these cunts. And, once again, he was “known to the authorities”.
Dongguan John
10 years ago
” the train crew ran through carriage 11 towards the guardroom at the end of the train, barricading themselves behind a steel door, leaving people outside banging on it.”
“Christophe Sargollo, a rail union spokesman, told BFMTV that the Thalys staff had acted “for the best security of the train”. “I insist on congratulating them on their sang-froid,” he said.”
There’s no low to which unions wont stoop is there?
Eddy
10 years ago
I’m glad it turned out well but there was the thickness of a playing card between triumph and tragedy. These ‘known wolf’ attacks are mind boggling, what is happening out there?
Ben S
10 years ago
This is a key weakness of the jihadi tactic. If you know they’re set on killing you, you have nothing to lose by at least attempting to nobble them.
But they’re heroes all the same.
Interested
10 years ago
“Looks like his gun jammed, according to the latest reports.”
This is the most amazing bit. It’s next to impossible to have a stoppage with an AK. You can bury them in the desert and dig them up a year later and they’re good to go. Unfortunately.
He was probably counting on the train being full of noodle-armed Frenchmen.
They’d be the ones that reportedly fled when it passed through Arras…
There’s something particularly pointed in the fact that it was Septics who disarmed him.
But a French actor was heroic for pressing the alarm button…
It’s a new story so there’s a couple of versions of events out there. Best one I read was that the American guys heard him arming the guns in the toilet and recognised the sounds so were waiting for him when he came out.
Either way got very lucky this time and a bunch of French people have American soldiers to thank for their lives again. 😀
“But a French actor was heroic for pressing the alarm button”
And another French passenger poked himself in the eye as he attempted to deploy his white flag.
Love it – mostly the bit where they beat the living shit out of him till he passed out. However, a question. Why are all the news stories high lighting the fact that he waited till the train crossed the border and was in France before he opened fire (briefly – snigger). Is there a difference in the laws, regarding terrorists that commit, or at least try to, mass murder, between Belgium and France, and if so, what is it?
And, unfortunately for the memetic aspect of the story, not Marines.
National Guard, US Airforce and a Brit. Still, damn good job done, those men. BZ (oh, and you’re crated!)
@TimN
“He was probably counting on the train being full of noodle-armed Frenchmen.”
Headed for Gare du Nord, Paris, wasn’t it? The Flamands, up Dept 62 way, tend to be built like brick-shithouses. And that’s just the women.
(What the Flemish farmer looks for in a wife is sturdiness. The sort of women, if the horse gets sick he can put her in the plough traces. Carrying the horse under one arm. This’ll give you the general idea: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.geant-belle-helene.org/SteenvoordeBelleHelenePaysDesGeantsIndex-0010.jpg%253Fv%253D29exvkjxhj78uk&imgrefurl=http://www.geant-belle-helene.org/&h=722&w=613&tbnid=fLikCj1BvJpYaM:&docid=VS-fE-kJ0lLwZM&hl=en&ei=CILYVefbOqaS7AaixYPgBA&tbm=isch&ved=0CA0QMygKMAo49ANqFQoTCOf_tLHuvMcCFSYJ2wodouIATA&biw=1360&bih=626 )
SE, Fox says there were three Americans, all mates: a student, a US Air Force serviceman, and a National Guardsman. They ran 10 meters to take down the shooter and neutralised him by beating him unconscious. The Guardian says the Brit then emerged from hiding under a seat to help tie up the shooter with ripped-up T-shirts.
Sounds about right to me.
How far can you trust the Grauniad? If I had been on the train it would have taken two-three seconds* to run ten metres but the chance of him noticing, turning and firing sufficiently accurately to stop me would have been less than half.
That in no way detracts from the courage of the Yanks who risked their lives – a competent gunman could have killed all three – so they are indeed heroes.
*Fifty years ago one-and-a-bit seconds – but then I should not have needed pals to knock him out if I hit him
John, that’s crap.
As the train sped across the Belgian / French border at close to 300 Km/hour, you would have stood up, told him to put his gun down (he puts his gun down), told him to open the outside carriage door (he opens the door), and simply told him to get off the train.
Then your young lady friend would have smiled across at you, and…
Sorry, god knows why I am reading stuff on here this evening..:)
You are right – anyone who acts selflessly like that in those sort of situations deserves praise for their courage…
“Sadler later told AFP the gunman had demanded his weapon back. He said: “He was just telling us to give back his gun. ‘Give me back my gun! Give me back my gun!’ But we just carried on beating him up”
Narurellement.
PF
The Yanks risked their lives, which are worth a lot to them. A lot more than mine, at my age.
They deserve all the credit they get.
A lot of us would have had a go, but we might have failed.
Fifty years ago, if I got that far (I’ve always been a slow runner,so I might have failed), I should have head-butted him into unconsciousness.
So it’s not crap: it is just I wasn’t there.
@ PF
Also, fifty years ago I didn’t have a young lady friend – the gender ratio at Oxford was 6:1 and I seriously lack charisma.
john77
😉
Weirdly just the other day I was discussing with some friends of mine with an interest in this sort of thing what I would do if I wanted to kill lots of unarmed civilians and my preferred method was start at one end of a crowded train with an AK. Er…
(Second was a PEx charge just behind the locomotive detonated at top speed on a bend.)
John77
They followed the US doctrine: Charge a gun, flee a knife.
The guy with the gun will kill you if you run.
Looks like his gun jammed, according to the latest reports. This could have been very, very bad. It would have been awesome if one of the guys who tackled Jihadi Jim had cleared the jam and put a burst through the side of his head. I really fucking hate these cunts. And, once again, he was “known to the authorities”.
” the train crew ran through carriage 11 towards the guardroom at the end of the train, barricading themselves behind a steel door, leaving people outside banging on it.”
“Christophe Sargollo, a rail union spokesman, told BFMTV that the Thalys staff had acted “for the best security of the train”. “I insist on congratulating them on their sang-froid,” he said.”
There’s no low to which unions wont stoop is there?
I’m glad it turned out well but there was the thickness of a playing card between triumph and tragedy. These ‘known wolf’ attacks are mind boggling, what is happening out there?
This is a key weakness of the jihadi tactic. If you know they’re set on killing you, you have nothing to lose by at least attempting to nobble them.
But they’re heroes all the same.
“Looks like his gun jammed, according to the latest reports.”
This is the most amazing bit. It’s next to impossible to have a stoppage with an AK. You can bury them in the desert and dig them up a year later and they’re good to go. Unfortunately.
Looks like Allah wasn’t on his side.
Or his IS training just wasn’t very good.