The trial on the attacks of November 13 begins on Wednesday, September 8, and is expected to last nine months because there are so many questions. In particular, it will be necessary to try to establish the initial plans of the Islamist terrorists. According to an investigation by Le Monde published on Monday September 6, the documents discovered on a computer mention other targets such as the “Catholic youth”, the Paris metro or the La Défense district.
It is clear that the commando’s plan did not go exactly as planned. This is proven by Salah Abdeslam’s decision not to use his explosive belt or the disorganised retreat of Abdelhamid Abaaoud and Chakib Akrouh, who spent the night in a park in Aubervilliers after leaving a large part of their armoury in a car. Islamic State also claimed responsibility for an attack in the 18th arrondissement of Paris that never took place. Abdelhamid Abaaoud and Chakib Akrouh were eventually killed in the attack in Saint-Denis on November 18.
What were the other potential targets? The computer found in Belgium after the Brussels attacks of March 2016 contained a lot of information about the organisation of November 13, reports Le Monde. It mentions an “Omar group” (Abdelhamid Abaaoud’s nom de guerre) responsible for the attacks on the stands, a “French group” for the Bataclan and an “Iraqi group” for the Stade de France. However, a “Schiphol group” (named after Amsterdam airport) and a “Metro group” are also mentioned. In a “targets” file, La Défense and the “Catholic Youth” are also mentioned. These could be alternative targets, a “Plan B”.
The judiciary hopes above all for answers from Mohamed Abrini. He was also involved in the Brussels attack and had accompanied Salah Abdeslam to Belgium on the evening of November 13. The trial will have to clarify whether he was initially supposed to play an active role in the evening that killed 130 people.