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A soldier patrols outside a synagogue in Paris, Monday. AP Photo/Jacques Brinon

Counter-terror chief: We can't stop all attacks without becoming a totalitarian society

Gilles de Kerchove also warned that Europe’s prisons have become a ‘massive incubator’ for radicalisation.

THE EU’S COUNTER-TERRORISM chief has said it is impossible to completely prevent new Islamist attacks like those in Paris, and warned that Europe’s prisons have become a “massive incubator” for radicalisation.

The head of European police agency Europol, Rob Wainwright, meanwhile told British lawmakers on Tuesday that between 3,000 and 5,000 EU nationals have joined jihadist ranks.

“We’re dealing with a large body of mainly young men who have the potential to come back and have the potential or intent and capability to carry out attacks we have seen in Paris in the last week,” he said.

Wainwright also called for greater scrutiny of the use of social media by jihadist groups:

We have to have a closer, much more productive relationship between law enforcement and technology firms. One of the important evolutions we’re seeing right now in the current terrorist threat is the way the Internet is used, clearly much more aggressively, much more imaginatively by the networks.

Gilles de Kerchove told AFP that the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda wanted to launch more attacks on the West like the Islamist assault on the French capital last week in which 17 people were killed over three says.

“We can’t prevent (such attacks) 100%,” de Kerchove said in an interview in Brussels, two days after meeting European, US and Canadian security ministers in Paris in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo massacre and linked attacks.

It’s a real challenge but one can try to prevent them as much as possible without becoming a totalitarian society.

Balancing security needs and personal freedoms is a sensitive issue in Europe, parts of which have in the past experienced totalitarian Nazi and Communist rule.

Backing some of de Kerchove’s points, European Union President Donald Tusk called for a “coherent security policy” across the 28-country bloc, while protecting democratic freedoms.

The former Polish premier, speaking at the European parliament in Strasbourg, called for an EU-wide Passenger Name Record system, a controversial idea opposed by the parliament on the grounds it breaches privacy rules.

Sky News / YouTube

New footage of last week’s attack emerged today.

The proposed system would create a central database pooling details on people aboard flights, allowing faster exchange of information about foreign fighters returning to Europe, radicalised and well-trained from the war-zones of the Middle East.

The three French citizens responsible for the Paris attacks are believed to have had links with various jihadist groups in Yemen and Syria.

De Kerchove warned that the Al-Nusra Front, the Al-Qaeda branch in Syria, is also looking for “clean skins,” Europeans with valid passports and no record of radical activity, to mount attacks in Europe.

The EU anti-terror chief warned that it was better to try to rehabilitate jihadists, including those returning to Europe from Syria and Iraq, than to jail them.

Both Mohamed Merah, the Al-Qaeda militant who shot dead seven people in a series of 2012 attacks, and Mehdi Nemmouche, last year’s Brussels Jewish museum killer, were also turned to radical Islam in jail.

© AFP 2015

Read: Perhaps the world’s greatest national anthem, sung for the victims of the Paris attacks >

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    Mute Anne Gyna
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    Jan 13th 2015, 7:54 PM

    Why can we not have a politician like the Morrocon-born Mayor of Rotherdam, Achmed Aboutaleb, who today told his fellow Muslims that if they do not like how we live our lives in Europe, then they could go f€€k off back to their own €€€t countries & shut up!!! Yayyyyy……at last, a Mayor with a pair!!!

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    Mute Scipio
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    Jan 13th 2015, 9:07 PM

    Bravo to Ahmed Aboutaleb.

    53
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    Mute Censored
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    Jan 13th 2015, 7:27 PM

    Maybe in Europe where they have historical relationships with Islamic nations, but all Ireland has to do to prevent inevitable terror attacks is to stop importing Muslims. We don’t owe them anything. Let them migrate to Britain or one of the other former empires.

    126
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    Mute inproperganda
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    Jan 13th 2015, 7:37 PM

    stop importing muslims?, so people are products or commodities now, what about Christians and jews adolf?

    45
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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    Jan 13th 2015, 7:45 PM

    Are you proposing s Guaranteed Irish scheme for home-grown Muslims, or just banning them altogether?

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    Mute inproperganda
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    Jan 13th 2015, 8:11 PM

    who is this ‘we’ you are referring to Censored?

    21
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    Mute KalEll
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    Jan 13th 2015, 8:25 PM

    A one way trip to European Court of Human Rights paid for by the taxpayers. Great idea

    12
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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jan 14th 2015, 7:56 AM

    “up to one million”

    All independently verifiable sources put the death toll at a maximum of 200,000 Iraqi civilians, soldiers and jihadists killed. These were killed by actions of the Coalition but also the Iraqi Armed Forces of the Saddam regime and subsequent jihadist groups.

    4
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    Mute Charles Rex
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    Jan 13th 2015, 7:37 PM

    Sadly he’s right. A few headbangers will get through the net, taking full advantage of western civil liberties to try to destroy those same freedoms.

    94
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    Mute inproperganda
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    Jan 13th 2015, 7:23 PM

    time to kick the EU out of Ireland folks

    74
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    Mute tk0CXKzL
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    Jan 13th 2015, 7:28 PM

    I’m not a conspiracy nut but I can imagine someday that some crazy people propose we all get microchipped so this kind of thing can’t happen. Which I obviously believe would be a step to far

    66
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    Mute Moonshine
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    Jan 13th 2015, 7:45 PM

    Mobile phones and in car GPS. If you don’t already think we’re not monitored, you’re naive. CCTV everywhere. ATM machines, store loyalty cards. IP addresses. Credit card transactions. Flight info. We do most of the work ourselves; twitter, Facebook, Instagram.

    88
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    Mute fact&ionlydealinfact
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    Jan 13th 2015, 7:50 PM

    Pity with all that monitoring they couldn’t trace those fukwits in France last week.

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    Mute Frank
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    Jan 13th 2015, 9:15 PM

    ericm_ The Chip is coming whether you like it or not and whether you believe in God or not.

    “It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark in their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

    This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man That number is 666″ Revelation 13:16 to 18.

    18
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    Mute shane murphy
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    Jan 13th 2015, 9:21 PM

    @framk you need to see kill the messenger about the cia show you what they are capable of! Everyone else should watch it to evrn you moonshine

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    Mute Gaius Gracchus
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    Jan 13th 2015, 8:02 PM

    A hearty well done to George Bush Snr for the Gulf War and Jnr for the 2nd one,without the two of you we could never have reached this level of radicalisation,enjoy your retirements fellas.

    55
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    Mute Jason
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    Jan 13th 2015, 8:49 PM

    Nothing they did would have stopped the radicalisation of branches of Islam. It’s a cultural war, a war of values. It would’ve happened regardless.

    36
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    Mute Anthony Lang
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    Jan 13th 2015, 9:35 PM

    Jason, the Bushes and their regimes have precipitated the radicalisation. Detention without trial and improsonment have added to the radicalisation process.

    We can’t shut national borders to the extent of making them impermeable.

    We cannot remove citizenship and we are obliged to allow freedom of movement to citizens in other EU countries.

    The point of the article is interesting. If we remove individual freedom, we may reduce terrorist risk but that is too high a price unless one I’d of a very authoritarian outlook.

    We also need a sense of proportionality. Accidents, smoking, alcohol, drugs, homelessness, bad diet and lack of exercise pose far greater threat to human life.

    The chances of being murdered in a terrorist attack in Europe are almost infinestesmilly small. We need to avoid overreaction and needless alarmism.

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    Mute Gaius Gracchus
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    Jan 13th 2015, 9:51 PM

    You see Jason,there is no doubt all across the board that the U.S. wars in Iraq x 2 and Afghanistan have fuelled a significant amount of radicalisation,whereas what you’ve stated is without foundation or evidence,that radicalisation was inevitable anyway.

    13
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    Mute shane murphy
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    Jan 13th 2015, 7:13 PM

    Big brother is in full effect can I have permission to use the toilet??????

    52
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    Mute Sean Macc
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    Jan 13th 2015, 7:34 PM

    No need to monitor all citizens. But Muslims who have traveled to warzones in the Middle East should be prevented from re-entering their countries, regardless of what their citizenship technically is.

    97
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    Mute Telbar Comuta
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    Jan 13th 2015, 10:10 PM

    It’s a good thing all Irish citizens who had visited Belfast weren’t banned from going to England.

    22
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    Mute Anne Gyna
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    Jan 13th 2015, 8:11 PM

    #Paulie, he sure did & a whole lot more too, check it out on any News site. He got a standing ovation, for saying what millions are thinking, but feel bullied into silence. Some other politician is quoted as saying of him…”A breath of fresh air is now wafting through Europe”. I wonder could we clone him for Ireland?

    49
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    Mute Mr. Dave
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    Jan 13th 2015, 7:47 PM

    How about Britain and France start by not arming ‘moderate’ rebels in Syria. Its clear as day most of these weapons fall into the wrong hands.

    46
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    Mute inproperganda
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    Jan 13th 2015, 8:15 PM

    ‘moderate’ rebels…… I love that propaganda rhetoric
    ‘moderate ‘ rebels attack Paris..!

    23
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    Mute Patricia McCarthy
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    Jan 13th 2015, 7:37 PM

    Try smoking a cigarette in public and you will soon find out how much personal freedom you have.

    38
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    Mute Alan b
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    Jan 13th 2015, 7:49 PM

    Patricia just because you want to inhale toxic poisonous cancerous smoke into your lungs doesn’t mean the rest of us do

    28
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    Mute Praise Hope
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    Jan 13th 2015, 7:54 PM

    Hope you live in the countryside so Alan incase you breath in toxic car exhaust fumes.

    36
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    Mute Alan b
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    Jan 13th 2015, 8:31 PM

    There is cars in the country side some people even have tractors there.you should get out into the real world sometime.

    5
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    Mute Caillte
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    Jan 13th 2015, 10:37 PM

    I think most smokers would have an interest in watching this. Watch until the end though.
    The Most Radioactive Places on Earth: http://youtu.be/TRL7o2kPqw0

    3
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    Mute gerard devany
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    Jan 14th 2015, 6:45 PM

    Alan B, suck on a bus exhaust and don’t forget your fluoride.

    1
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    Mute Pauliebhoy
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    Jan 13th 2015, 7:11 PM

    Did he really say that?

    36
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    Mute Alan b
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    Jan 13th 2015, 7:16 PM

    Frank will have a wet dream when he reads this

    46
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    Mute Ianwalsh79
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    Jan 13th 2015, 10:42 PM

    I just spoke to Frank and he’s still creaming himself as we speak.

    6
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    Mute Joe Travers
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    Jan 13th 2015, 7:28 PM

    Oh my. The nsa orgasms can be heard from here.

    34
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    Mute inproperganda
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    Jan 13th 2015, 7:16 PM

    World War Z.ionism

    31
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    Mute Moonshine
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    Jan 13th 2015, 7:46 PM

    Always the Jews. Broken record.

    56
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    Mute inproperganda
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    Jan 13th 2015, 8:23 PM

    I never said jews, learn to read son

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    Mute Jason
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    Jan 13th 2015, 8:51 PM

    So who do you mean when you say z. Ionists?

    22
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    Mute Frank
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    Jan 13th 2015, 9:09 PM

    Moonshine_ You are a Shill because you always throw the antisemitic trump card any time someone brings up the subject of political Zi0nism and its crimes.

    Political Zi0nism is NOT Judaism and there are hundreds and thousands of Jews that reject Israel’s foreign and domestic war policies.

    Political zi0nism is the heart and soul of this rising fascist shadow government.that is infiltrating the the world. We got a taste of it true brutality last summer in Gaza when the king pin of this shadow Government became the untouchable for its genocide crimes.

    25
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    Mute Jason
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    Jan 13th 2015, 9:22 PM

    Frank, you dismiss mainstream media yet use links from them to try and proof your points.

    You dismiss religion, yet quote the bible.

    You’re a walking contradiction.

    21
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    Mute Frank
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    Jan 13th 2015, 9:30 PM

    Jason_ I quote toilet paper if its within the context of a topic being discussed.

    I already mentioned today that the Mainstream Media is a cocktail of truth mixed up with a political agenda to serve Western Zio interests and its rising shadow world Government.

    If this was not the case we would be hearing a lot more of what is going on in Syria other than all this propaganda and lies. There was no mention in the mainstream media of the US bombing a prison in Syria last month killing at least 50 civilian inmates.

    http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/01/12/witnesses-us-led-strike-isis-jail-killed-more-50-civilians

    13
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    Mute shane murphy
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    Jan 13th 2015, 7:23 PM

    Come on frank lets have it give’em some!

    26
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    Mute shane murphy
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    Jan 13th 2015, 7:50 PM

    Jesus did frank get kicked out or what??????

    24
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    Mute Jane Travers
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    Jan 13th 2015, 8:00 PM

    Ah feck, what’d I miss?

    8
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    Mute Timber Planks
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    Jan 13th 2015, 8:51 PM

    Must have!

    6
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    Mute Aoife Booth
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    Jan 13th 2015, 8:11 PM

    So, you want to ban Muslims from visiting their families and homeland just because they are Muslims in case one or two might be terrorists?! Sure why don’t we just put them all in open air prisons like Gaza and don’t let them leave at all. We won’t have to worry at all then. Looks like the real terrorists plan is working so…!

    15
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    Mute Jay McGregor
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    Jan 13th 2015, 8:31 PM

    If Muslims are chaosing this much chaos in Europe, then perhaps it’s time to stop allowing them to migrate to Europe. Whilst also coming down like a tonne of bricks on the extremists. If they want to live by the law of the desert, then they can stay in the middle east.

    44
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    Mute inproperganda
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    Jan 13th 2015, 8:40 PM

    I wish the bigots would leave Ireland, plenty of them posting on here

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    Mute Jay McGregor
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    Jan 13th 2015, 8:46 PM

    I wish the Islamophiles would clear off to live in some Islamic paradise.

    43
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    Mute inproperganda
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    Jan 13th 2015, 9:03 PM

    im in the ‘church of the flying spaghetti monster’.. can I stay..?

    13
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    Mute Telbar Comuta
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    Jan 13th 2015, 10:12 PM

    The Good Friday Agreement has apparently been so successful, that this short of bs can be spouted on an IRISH message board, apparently without irony.

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    Mute Paddy OConnor
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    Jan 13th 2015, 8:50 PM

    Seriously! I believe we ought have a number of military and police- retirees perhaps given additional pension topup- carry concealed guns. If would be terrorists knew that in any public place there would always be someone ready to surprise and possibly thwart them they might think twice. Additionally people would feel less incined to be afraid;
    the purpose of these terror attacks is to instil fear,promote appeasement and finally dictate the terms of surrender.
    We shouldn’t wait any longer.

    14
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    Mute inproperganda
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    Jan 13th 2015, 9:12 PM

    go make that suggestion to a NATO country, not here in our republic

    8
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    Mute Paddy OConnor
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    Jan 13th 2015, 9:47 PM

    @Inpro…… My country too! You controlling citizen’s rights to free speech or what? if you can’t offer a counter proposal don’t shoot the other person’s.

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    Mute inproperganda
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    Jan 14th 2015, 6:50 AM

    im not controlling anything, you could migrate to Britain, plenty of loyalist muslim hating groups over there and you might feel more at home to

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    Mute Paddy OConnor
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    Jan 14th 2015, 7:41 AM

    That’s for sure you don’t and won’t ever control anything.
    As for hating muslims- I don’t. I hate the Islamic terrorists and the Islamic doctrine of hate that inspires them to commit the barbaric acts all over the world.
    As it seems you’re an apologist for them perhaps you should go off with them.
    I am heartened by the increasing number of Irish people who are acquainting themselves with Islamic sacred text and seeing the darkness therein.Eventually we’ll be a majority and apologists for Islamic violence and terror will scurry away.

    9
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    Mute johngahan
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    Jan 13th 2015, 10:41 PM

    Hopefully Sinn Fein/IRA have the good sense not to go out and train ISIS, despite the substantial financial attraction that has brought them such good business for the war chest in the past.

    IRA terrorist training in Columbia, North Korea and other locations are history now. It’s years since Gerry Adams last attended a North Korean dictator birthday party.

    We must look forward and block out these memories from our minds in order to help secure Sinn Fein their majority mandate in 2016 and take us to a United Ireland, governed with compassion towards all.

    12
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    Mute Patricia McCarthy
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    Jan 13th 2015, 9:32 PM

    Alan your diesel fumes are a million times more toxic and dangerous than cigarette smoke will ever be.

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    Mute Windom Earle
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    Jan 14th 2015, 11:05 AM

    All Muslims should be chiped.

    3
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