Roshan Salih, former Al Jazeera reporter, blames France for Nice terrorist attack

A former Al Jazeera reporter blamed “French Islamophobia” and the nation’s foreign policy for the Nice terrorist attack that claimed at least 84 lives and injured more than 200.

Roshan M. Salih, who is currently the editor of the British Muslim news website 5Pillars, wrote several tweets in the immediate aftermath of the attack blaming France for the massacre.

“France is an Islamophobic nation with a hugely destructive foreign policy and these horrible attacks are a terrible blowback,” Mr. Salih wrote in one tweet.

“West buries its head in the sand about own crimes,” Mr. Salih wrote in another. “ISIS grew out of Western invasion of Iraq and thrived in Syrian war which France supported.”

“So basically murderous French foreign policy and French Islamophobia and racism has nothing to do with attacks on French soil,” a third read. “Yeah right.”

“Way to stop future ISIS attacks is to address state Islamophobia & foreign policy,” another post said. “France won’t do it so attacks will continue.”

After social media users took issue with the remarks, the journalist called his detractors “moronic.”

“The moronic reaction to my obvious truths about French foreign policy and Islamophobia is indicative of why cycle of violence will not stop,” he wrote.

Mr. Salih also sarcastically suggested authorities won’t — but, apparently, should — “investigate” people who disagreed with his sentiments.

“I’ve retweeted many of the Islamophobes and racists currently trolling me,” he wrote. “Trust police will investigate.”

At least 84 were killed at a Bastille Day celebration in Nice, France, on Thursday night when Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhel drove a rented, 20-ton truck into the crowd. Of the more than 200 injured, 52 are in critical condition and 25 are in comas.

The attack ended when police shot into the truck, killing the assailant.

It comes less than a year after Islamic State terrorists killed 130 and injured hundreds in an attack on Paris.