February 1985 Paris bombing

{{Infobox civilian attack

| title = February 1985 Paris bombing

| partof =

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| map =

| map_size =

| map_alt =

| map_caption =

| location = Boulevard Haussmann, Paris, France

| target =

| coordinates =

| date = 23 February 1985

| time = 9:31 am

| timezone =

| type =

| fatalities = 1

| injuries = 15

| victim =

| perps =

| perp =

| perpetrators=

| perpetrator = Habib Maamar (15 May Organization)

| susperps =

| susperp =

| weapons =

| numparts =

| numpart =

| dfens =

| dfen =

| footage =

| motive = Palestinian nationalism

}}

On 23 February 1985, a bomb detonated inside a British-owned Marks & Spencer department store on the Boulevard Haussmann in Paris, France, killing one person and wounding 15.{{Cite web|url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-02-24-mn-24506-story.html|title = Archives|website = Los Angeles Times| date=24 February 1985 |access-date = 2020-02-18|archive-date = 2016-03-06|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160306082327/http://articles.latimes.com/1985-02-24/news/mn-24506_1_marks-family|url-status = live}} The fatal victim was an employee at the store, Léonard Rochas, who died on his way to hospital. It occurred just as the store was opening its doors for business amid many customers waiting to enter. The blast caused heavy material damage.{{Cite web |url=http://collections2.banq.qc.ca/jrn03/soleil/src/1985/02/24/A/4878815_1985-02-24_A.txt |title=Archived copy |access-date=2018-07-26 |archive-date=2018-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726170123/http://collections2.banq.qc.ca/jrn03/soleil/src/1985/02/24/A/4878815_1985-02-24_A.txt |url-status=live }} Two Britons were also among the injured.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/02/24/world/man-killed-in-blast-in-british-store-in-paris-15-hurt.html|title=Man Killed in Blast in British Store in Paris; 15 Hurt|newspaper=The New York Times|date=24 February 1985|last1=Vinocur|first1=John|access-date=26 July 2018|archive-date=26 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726201701/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/02/24/world/man-killed-in-blast-in-british-store-in-paris-15-hurt.html|url-status=live}}

The Marks & Spencer store had previously been attacked in 1976 and 1981, although nobody was hurt in those incidents and only minor damage was caused. Nobody claimed responsibility for those attacks.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/02/24/world/man-killed-in-blast-in-british-store-in-paris-15-hurt.html|title=Man Killed in Blast in British Store in Paris; 15 Hurt|newspaper=The New York Times|date=24 February 1985|last1=Vinocur|first1=John|access-date=26 July 2018|archive-date=26 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726201701/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/02/24/world/man-killed-in-blast-in-british-store-in-paris-15-hurt.html|url-status=live}}

Perpetrators

Several telephone calls claiming responsibility were made, with different callers claiming to represent the Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance (ARC), Action Direct (AD), Abu Nidal Organization (ANO), and an unprecedented group calling itself International Collective Army Against Unemployment. Police however called these claims as not credible enough.{{Cite web |url=http://collections2.banq.qc.ca/jrn03/soleil/src/1985/02/24/A/4878815_1985-02-24_A.txt |title=Archived copy |access-date=2018-07-26 |archive-date=2018-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726170123/http://collections2.banq.qc.ca/jrn03/soleil/src/1985/02/24/A/4878815_1985-02-24_A.txt |url-status=live }} The 15 May Organization reportedly also claimed responsibility at the time,{{Cite web|url=http://ya30ans.overblog.com/2015/02/samedi-23-fevrier-1985.html|title=Samedi 23 février 1985|access-date=2018-07-26|archive-date=2018-07-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726233810/http://ya30ans.overblog.com/2015/02/samedi-23-fevrier-1985.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url = https://www.nouvelobs.com/societe/20081216.OBS5746/les-attentats-dans-les-grands-magasins.html|title = Les attentats dans les grands magasins|date = 17 December 2008|access-date = 26 July 2018|archive-date = 26 July 2018|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180726170234/https://www.nouvelobs.com/societe/20081216.OBS5746/les-attentats-dans-les-grands-magasins.html|url-status = live}} and the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) was blamed by the media,{{Cite web|url=http://collections.banq.qc.ca/lapresse/src/cahiers/1985/02/24/01/82812_1985022401.txt|title=BAnQ|access-date=2018-07-26|archive-date=2018-07-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726201620/http://collections.banq.qc.ca/lapresse/src/cahiers/1985/02/24/01/82812_1985022401.txt|url-status=live}} but they denied involvement saying that it has never carried out attacks on French territory.https://archive.org/stream/LeMondeDiplomatique1985FranceFrench/Feb 26 1985, Le Monde Diplomatique, #12465, France (fr)_djvu.txt

In May 1986, police arrested and charged suspects Phillipe Frigerio and Tunisian Habib Maamar in Nancy, the latter of which was reported at the time to be linked to the pro-Iranian Hezbollah group.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-11-01-mn-88-story.html|title = Archives|website = Los Angeles Times| date=November 1989 }}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/05/14/world/around-the-world-french-arrest-2-more-in-marks-spencer-case.html|title=AROUND THE WORLD; French Arrest 2 More in Marks & Spencer Case|newspaper=The New York Times|date=14 May 1986|access-date=26 July 2018|archive-date=26 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726173618/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/05/14/world/around-the-world-french-arrest-2-more-in-marks-spencer-case.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vPpRdcZGq5MC&q=1985+bomb+paris+%22marks+%26+spencer%22&pg=PA279 | title=Immigration, Islam, and the Politics of Belonging in France: A Comparative Framework| isbn=978-0812204117| last1=Thomas| first1=Elaine R.| date=2011-11-29| publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press}} During court procedures, Maamar reportedly had no political motives but 'accepted' the job of the bomb attack offered by the 15 May Organization, a communist and Palestinian nationalist organisation, lured by profit. Maamar was apparently also the perpetrator of bombing a Marks & Spencer store in London, England, in December 1983 (not related to the Harrods bombing).{{Cite news|url=https://www.estrepublicain.fr/edition-de-nancy-ville/2015/11/15/lorrains-et-terroristes-flash-back|title=Attentats de Paris :Lorrains et terroristes : Flash-back|access-date=2018-07-26|archive-date=2018-07-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726201620/https://www.estrepublicain.fr/edition-de-nancy-ville/2015/11/15/lorrains-et-terroristes-flash-back|url-status=live}} He was sentenced to 18 years in prison in December 1989.{{Cite web|url=http://www.lesoir.be/archive/recup/la-perpetuite-pour-habib-maamar-terroriste-a-paris-1-mo_t-19891216-Z0275K.html|title=La Perpetuite Pour Habib Maamar, Terroriste a Paris (1 Mort en 1985)|date=16 December 1989 |access-date=2018-07-26|archive-date=2018-07-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726170124/http://www.lesoir.be/archive/recup/la-perpetuite-pour-habib-maamar-terroriste-a-paris-1-mo_t-19891216-Z0275K.html|url-status=live}}

Marks & Spencer was likely targeted as its former chairman Joseph Sieff was a Zionist. Sieff previously survived an assassination attempt by Ilich Ramírez Sánchez ("Carlos the Jackal") from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) in 1973, a group from which the 15 May Organization roots from.{{Cite web|url = https://www.standard.co.uk/news/house-where-carlos-the-jackal-first-struck-faces-the-bulldozer-6630867.html|title = House where Carlos the Jackal first struck faces the bulldozer|date = 12 April 2012|access-date = 26 July 2018|archive-date = 26 July 2018|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180726174641/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/house-where-carlos-the-jackal-first-struck-faces-the-bulldozer-6630867.html|url-status = live}}