Mark Baker/AP
The attacks caused misery for travelers as the Olympics officially began in France.
CNN
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France is still facing travel disruptions a day after vandals targeted high-speed rail lines just in time for the start of the Olympics. As operators try to bring service back to normal, one key question remains – who is responsible?
Officials are investigating what is being called a “coordinated” effort by outgoing French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal. He urged intelligence services and internal security forces to be cautious in drawing conclusions while investigating.
French police will soon know who is responsible for the attacks, the country’s Interior Minister Gérald Dormanin said on Saturday. Following the operation they recovered a “source,” Tarman told CNN affiliate France 2.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks, but given their scale, timing and precision, it’s clear they were more than random acts of vandalism.
There are many potential culprits – the opening day of the Olympic Games is one of the most watched events in the world, a tempting target for anyone looking to cause confusion and disruption in the limelight.
Here’s what we know.
High-speed trains linking France’s southwest, north and east were all affected on Friday, in what officials described as systematic attacks on major arterial routes.
According to Axel Persson, head of the CGT rail union, the perpetrators have extensive knowledge of the network. They must have had access to more “accurate information”.
Officials shouldn’t rule out industrial intelligence, Persson told CNN on Friday, adding that it could also be attributed to someone who built the tracks, including a railway employee or construction workers.
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Staff implemented a failed safety plan in preparation for the Olympics, allowing some passengers to use alternate routes that slowed traffic, but at least passengers got to their destination, Persson added. “France is disrupted but not paralyzed,” he said.
Jean-Pierre Farandou, CEO of state-owned train company SNCF, told reporters that existing cables were set on fire to ensure the safety of train drivers, but again officials “don’t know who’s behind it. It.”
It’s France No stranger Widespread strikes or political demonstrations manifest in blocked transport links across the country.
The parliamentary elections held a few weeks ago attracted large-scale protests and rallies. However, such events are well-publicized and those behind them are eager to explain their cause.
Environmentalists have previously blocked traffic in the wake of the climate crisis. But these groups have often staged bold and striking demonstrations focused on fossil fuel-intensive transportation, such as airports and highways, and make it known when they are behind such protests.
Brian Snyder/Reuters
Railway workers and police were on Friday repairing one of several platforms in the northern village of Croiselles where vandals targeted France’s high-speed rail network.
The attacks may also have been an act of civil disobedience. An intelligence source told CNN that the services indicated that “these methods have been used by the far left in the past,” but added that “there is no evidence to link today’s activities to them.”
The last major act of vandalism on high-speed railways in France was in 2008 when steel wires were placed on overhead power cables. The police arrested persons belonging to an anarchist group from Darnag village, but after 10 years, after a long investigation, all of them were acquitted and acquitted of vandalism.
Recently, France has been one of several countries hit by a wave of suspected Russian sabotage attacks against infrastructure and other targets.
French President Emmanuel Macron has been a staunch ally of Kiev throughout the conflict. It’s May He suggested The Kremlin should allow Ukraine to use its weapons against targets inside Russia that attack Ukraine.
Earlier this week, French authorities detained a Russian citizen in Paris, accusing him of preparing disruptive events during the Games. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia had no information about the arrestee.
Ahead of the Games, Dale Buckner, CEO of security firm Global Guardian, told CNN France it had “a lot of enemies” because of its stance on a wide range of international and domestic issues, singling out cyber attacks as one of the biggest threats. .
There is CNN reported earlier Suspected Russian Attacks Across Europe Russia has not acknowledged any of them and did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.
