Islamic Extremists launch heavily armed attack at satirical anti-religious magazine in Paris — Several members of the staff and two unarmed police officers killed at and near the magazine’s offices; others seriously wounded

Witnesses quoted the masked attackers as shouting “Allahu Ackbar !” during the shootings; and the gunmen reportedly told witnesses who survived  that the attackers were members of al-Qaida and that they were seeking to “avenge the Prophet.”

Two of the victims were the magazine publisher, Charlie Hebdo, and a featured cartoonist, Stephane Charbonnier, known as “Charb”  —   Western governments and media generally supportive of France and the Hedbo Magazine

Conservative U.S. Catholic says the magazine, which had been fire-bombed previously, had been disrespectful of all religions; and that Hebdo’s narcissism was somewhat responsible for the attack on himself and his magazine  —   President of the Catholic League William Donahue said,  “What unites Muslims in their anger against Charlie Hebdo is the vulgar manner in which Muhammad has been portrayed.... What they object to is being intentionally insulted over the course of many years.”

The latest news from the Daily Telegraph is as follows:

• 12 dead in Paris attack on Charlie Hebdo office, five critical
• Four Charlie Hebdo cartoonists including Charb killed
• Three attackers 'identified'
• Manhunt under way for three gunmen, reportedly al-Qaeda
• Magazine published Prophet Mohammed cartoon in 2011

“20.12 [Paris/ London Time] The three gunmen have been identified, according to French reports. ***   They are apparently aged 18, 32, and 34. ***   One of the gunmen may be from Reims, 100 miles east of Paris.... *** ...  16.14 Telegraph's Henry Samuel in Paris has this update on the gunmen's movements inside the Charlie Hebdo offices: ***   A police source told Libération newspaper that an "organised commando", two "calm and determined gunmen, went directly up to the editorial room and knew their target in advance." ***   "It was Charb they were targeting. The two attackers looked for him in the room, shouting, 'Where is Charb?' Where is Charb?' ***  "They killed him then sprayed everyone else," he said, adding that perhaps other top cartoonists killed were also on the pre-prepared hit list....” (See “ Paris Charlie Hebdo attack: live” by Barney Henderson, and Andrew Marszal, 1/7/15 [7:52PM GMT ] (with minute-by-minute updating and video links) [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11329976/Paris-Charlie-Hebdo-attack-live.html]).

CATHOLIC LEAGUE APPARENTLY WAY OUT OF STEP

According to a report in the Daily Caller, “The head of one of the largest Catholic organizations in the U.S. said Wednesday that if the publisher of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo ‘not been so narcissistic, he may still be alive.’  ***  ‘It is too bad that he didn’t understand the role he played in his tragic death,’ Catholic League president Bill Donohue said of Charlie Hebdo publisher and cartoonist Stephane Charbonnier....”  (See “Head Of Catholic League Blames French Magazine Targeted In Mass Terror Shooting” by Chuck Ross, 1/7/15, Daily Caller [http://dailycaller.com/2015/01/07/head-of-catholic-league-blames-french-magazine-targeted-in-mass-terror-shooting/]).