17/08/2017 Outside Source

Hello, I'm Philip Thomas, you are watching Outside Source. Terror on

the streets of Barcelona as a van ploughs into a crowd in the popular

tourist area of Las Ramblas. The Catalan government has 13 people are

dead. All of a sudden the police just

shouted at everyone to just run and was a really loud crashing noise but

I didn't stop to look back. It was just a kind of immediate stampede in

the opposite direction. Catalan police are treating this as a terror

attack. Two people have been arrested. They dismissed earlier

reports that gunmen were holed up in a bar in the city.

Welcome to Outside Source. We are continuing the BBC's live coverage

of the terror attack in Spain, where a van has driven into crowds killing

at least 13 people. This happened in Barcelona in the north-east of

Spain, and we can take you into the city to show you exactly where it

occurred. Down here, this is Las Ramblas, a real tourist hotspot in

the city, and a white van mounted the pavement and drove apparently

crazily at high speed into pedestrians. As we said, 13 have

been killed and more than 80 others have been injured. According to

police, what happened with the van was that it entered Las Ramblas at

the top of the pedestrian zone here, came to a halt after driving at high

speed about halfway down the pedestrian strip, and to give you an

idea of how busy the area is, the picture just popped up there, and

this was a picture taken just yesterday in Las Ramblas. It is very

popular with tourists and the driver of the van would have known that.

The police have confirmed on Twitter that they have arrested two people

and they have also put as clear about reports about a hostage

situation with gunmen. Police are saying that is not happening

although there is an ongoing surveillance and security situation

in the city. They have released one picture, a picture of a man called:

Mac. He is understood to be in his 20s and of Moroccan birth. -- a man

called Driss Oubakir. It is said he rented the van in the incident, an

incident they are saying is a terrorist attack, and the police are

saying this man is in custody. So more about him in the next few

hours. We have been talking to eyewitnesses throughout the last few

hours. Tom lives near to where the attack happened and talk to us about

what he saw in the minutes that followed that attack. I had left my

flat and I was walking up to Las Ramblas in order to go to a metro

station. When I was about a few minutes from the end of my road, I

heard the screams and a couple of crashes and I'm guessing that was

the moment when the van had mounted the pavement and probably knocked

over... You know, there are all kinds of stalls and that kind of

thing. That's when I saw the crowds parting because there was a massive

group of people on the road itself, and there were people passing, and

that's when I saw the van going at full speed down the middle of Las

Ramblas, and when I saw the fact that it wasn't slowing down, that's

when I realised that, yes, there was something obviously very, very

wrong. As soon as I saw the velocity of it, I thought, my God, this is an

attack, it's not just a van that was slightly out of control. Everybody

was running into the shops, the bars, everyone put their shutters

down. Armed police have cordoned off my road entirely. It's always packed

in summer in Barcelona. It is the ultimate tourist attraction. It's

are walking pace down Las Ramblas because it's always so busy. -- it

is always hard looking at pace down Las Ramblas. When I moved here it

was one of those things that I thought, at least they don't have

terrorism in Spain. Apart from ETA. But it is such a happy place,

Barcelona. And for this kind of thing to happen is in contrast so

much of what the city stands for. We can talk to Guide, who is monitoring

events from Madrid. Our eyewitness there said Barcelona is such a happy

place and those who commit terrorist attacks like this, they tend to

commit the lively, thriving cities, whether you are talking about

London, Manchester, Paris, and now Barcelona. Yes, it has the

reputation and to such a big draw to tourists for that reason. Ironically

there has been a big debate recently about whether or not Barcelona is

drawing too many tourists, whether it had become too much of a tourist

hub, and some people were worried it was losing its identity for that

reason, but, guess, it draws millions of people every year and

that central area in Barcelona around Placa de Catalunya and the

Las Ramblas Boulevard, which is connected to the Placa de Catalunya,

where the attack took place, that is possibly the first place tourists

head to when they go to Barcelona. It is very famous in the

architecture around there is well known, so they had there and it is

always full up, particularly in the summer months. It is always heaving

in July and August, so it would seem to be perhaps the logical place for

a terrorist attack to take place. That might explain why we saw such a

swift response from the police and the medical crews after the attack,

that they were perhaps ready for this. You could say police forces

across Europe are on alert for this kind of incident but what would you

say about security levels in Spain Germany? Spain hasn't had a

terrorist attack since 2004. In Spain generally? Since that attack

in Madrid on the capital. Since then, the authorities have clamped

down on terrorist activity. That attack came as a huge shock in 2004.

They weren't prepared for it. They had handled the Basque separatists

of ETA for many years but they weren't used to this new terrorism.

They've now had more than a decade to get used to that. They have made

dozens of arrests of suspected jihadistss. They have tightened

security with Morocco in the south, to try to tighten up their

anti-terror actions, and so they feel that in that sense, things are

much more under control than they were perhaps a few years ago. But at

the same time, they know they can't stop an attack like this happening

necessarily, no matter how heavily patrolled the streets are, how much

the intelligence knows, how much intelligence they have, and there

are too many places in Spain where there are lots of people out on the

streets, with these pedestrianised areas that are near roads, where

cars can mount the pavements. It's a very difficult task for the security

forces. You talked about the devastating attack back in 2004. I

was at a railway station that night and there was a huge amount of

confusion about what had happened and who had done it. And I suppose

one of the lessons that has been learned is a great deal of caution

about claims and speculation as to who could be responsible. Well,

that's right. So-called Islamic State has apparently issued a

statement taking responsibility for this attack but that, as ever, is

being treated with caution. The authorities have not verified that

claim and I think frankly at the moment, they are just responding to

the crisis of the latest unfolding events rather than talking about who

carried this out yet. But I'm sure in the coming days, we will hear

more about that and more about intelligence and who might be behind

this, whether it is so-called Islamic State or somebody supposedly

working for them or elsewhere, but inevitably there is a huge amount of

confusion in the wake of an attack like this. As you say, in 2004, I

was here for that attack and it was enormously confusing. Nobody really

knew who had carried it out and the events surrounding it were confusing

as well. Today we have seen a similar picture, really. Guy in

Madrid, thank you. We're being honest on the BBC here about what we

don't know as well as what we do know, bringing you up-to-date on the

facts and what the police are trying to piece together. By saying there

there is an ongoing security situation before we even get to the

question of who was behind the attack and how big a network that

could have been or otherwise. -- our correspondent saying there. We are

also keeping you up-to-date with other stories around the world

today. This is one we want to up-to-date --

update you on, because this is about a mudslide in Sierra Leone keep --

killing many people. 600 are thought to be missing with 105 dead,

including children. -- 400 people dead, including 105 children.

An outside one of the offices where aid is supposed to arrive. People so

they are desperate. Not enough is getting through and people are going

hungry. I would somebody from the community who was affected by this

disaster. Your name is Francis. What does your community need? We need

shelter. We need shelter, food from the community and the government.

Everything we have been given has been washed away. Some of us managed

to escape. Has any assistance got through? There has been a trickle

but not enough. We are having assistance but not enough because we

are too many. Too many have gone but still we are enough in this

community. We have nowhere to go now and if we don't have shelter I don't

think we will survive. I don't know what to do, so, please, we're

begging the government and other bodies to help us. If not... Thank

you, Francis. We have a powerful message there. This is a community

that needs more assistance. I saw dozens of families living in an

unfinished home. People don't have shelter and many are going hungry,

and they say their own government as well as others must do more.

Police in the Philippines say they've killed another 26 suspected

drug dealers and arrested hundreds more in operations ordered by the

President. The latest deaths mean at least 58 people have been killed in

the past three days as the country's war on drugs intensifies.

One night, 26 dead. The President's war on drugs is back with a

vengeance. As so often before, the police say they fired in

self-defence. As we arrived here in San Pedro, this police officer

explained two shot at and for their offices. That's why they were

killed. The police are calling this a one-time big-time anti-drugs and

crime operation. Another like it the night before killed 32 people. As

before, these killings occurred in poor neighbourhoods, the focus of

the drug war from the start. The president was forced to suspend the

campaign back in February after police officers were found to have

murdered a Korean businessman. But he offered no apology for restarting

it. TRANSLATION: The 32 who died, that's

good. If we could kill 32 every day, maybe we could fix this country.

When he launched his drug war last year, the president promised to end

the problem within three to six months. He now says he was

overoptimistic. That deadline has long since passed and still the

killing goes on. You're watching Outside Source live

from the BBC newsroom. Our top story - terror on the streets of Barcelona

as a van ploughs into a crowd in the popular tourist area of Las Ramblas.

The Catalan government says 13 people are dead.

Stories elsewhere around the BBC - South African police have issued a

red alert at the country's borders further Zimbabwe's first Lady. She

is accused of hitting a 20-year-old model over the head with an

extension cord in a hotel room in Johannesburg.

A ten-year-old great bit -- rape victim denied support by the Supreme

Court last month has given birth to a baby girl. She's not aware she has

given birth. During her pregnancy she was told her bulge was because

she had a big stone in her stomach. She has had a Caesarean section.

Now we're going to get you up-to-date on what is happening in

Barcelona. And on the reaction to what has happened there today with

that van ploughing into tourists and residents on Las Ramblas. Some of

the reaction we have from Number Ten, for example. Theresa May - my

thoughts are with the victims of today's terrible attack in

Barcelona. And thoughts about Britain as well when we think about

London Bridge, Manchester, thoughts about terrorism pretty raw. Donald

Trump saying the United States condemns this terror attack in

Barcelona and will do whatever is necessary to help. Be tough and

strong. We love you, he says. Emmanuel Macron, the French

President, as the French know only too well what it is like to be

attacked by terror. We love you, we are with you, by your side. This is

the message coming from Barcelona and the Catalan government, saying,

all of us will join together to defeat those who use violence.

Barcelona is a city of peace. Tom Burridge was telling us earlier that

there will be a minute's silence at noon tomorrow and the local

government is saying to everyone, don't be scared, come out on the

streets and show them. We have pictures of the van we

believe was used in the Barcelona attack. As you can see, it is

surrounded by police and I think if we get in a bit closer we might be

able to see the van is significantly damaged, the front of the van. We

know it entered Las Ramblas from the north, stopped halfway down the

tourist strip after weaving through at some speed, and that area, as you

would expect, is in with heavy police presence as the

investigations continue. Edit earlier I spoke to BBC Persian.

-- a bit earlier. He told me what it is like there tonight.

The crowd were being directed out of this area up until about ten minutes

ago. It shows you what a massive population was in that area, because

as we know, it is one of the most visited parts of Barcelona, but

panic still continues to be the mood, because a few minutes ago,

crowds got scared of something, we don't know what, and they started

running, and then behind them were police officers with guns right

behind me, following, chasing, as if there was somebody in that crowd

that they wanted to arrest. Then everybody dissipated. It was unclear

where it all started. It just gives you a sense of how worried the

population is and how word gets out that something is happening and it

might be a mistake, but it creates panic. So there are choppers

overhead in the last few hours, and, as you said, right bind here is the

centre where it all happened and there are images of police with big

guns, long guns going street to street, especially in the old part

of Barcelona, which is the other end of Las Ramblas, and chasing, making

sure every house, restaurant, making sure the person they are chasing is

not there, and continuing the search now, we have reports that one has

been arrested and one has been killed. It is unclear which is the

case. Nevertheless, the city of Barcelona, where I was seven hours

ago, the place where the attack happened, has changed drastically in

the last few hours, with panic, and many just waiting to see when it

will wrap up, so they can go back to normal. Many cannot reach their

hotels because it is in a cordoned area. Many of the hotels are on the

boulevard where this all happened of Las Ramblas, so it is affecting many

tourists as well. The area has been cordoned off for the crowds. As

you've been talking, I've heard the sirens behind you and seen the blue

flashing lights go by. We only have one name released so far by the

police - Driss Oubakir - who they say rented the van involved, but

just remind us, in the last few hours, many in the city have been

terribly frightened because there were rumours about gun men and a

possible hostage. Many. In fact many people saying a hostage crisis was

happening in a restaurant, it is ongoing, they have big guns, there

are two of them. None of this has turned out to be true, so as you can

imagine with a situation like this, word of mouth, social media, things

get out and they are not true, they are unconfirmed, and it creates more

fear in the population, and you couple that with the pictures that

were released and many have seen them, very horrifying images of

people on the ground bleeding, some seemed to be unconscious, exactly in

the middle of Las Ramblas, where thousands of people walk by, they

know this part, so that adds to the feeling and the reality that this

might be an ongoing situation that has not ended and there is a

possibility of something else happening, hence this crowd that

just ran across the street a few minutes ago very much panicked, not

knowing why they were running, but they were running because somebody

said something and everybody followed.

Our correspondent speaking to us from Barcelona very close to where

the attack happened. The Spanish minister of the interior has said

the death toll may rise. At the moment we are saying 13 have been

killed. That could rise. We're staying across that story for you.

One of the story I want to bring new on Outside Source, and that is from

North Korea. Steve Barron, the White House chief strategist, mentioned in

an interview in a magazine earlier today that, as he put it, there is

no military solution to North Korea's nuclear threats. Forget it!

That is some thinking in the White House. You can imagine that didn't

go down very well with Joseph Dunford, the top US military

official. This was his reaction. You can imagine he might be particularly

frustrated as he happens to be in China at the moment trying to

develop some sort of military option. Let's also think about

what's happening in South Korea, because that's where the country's

new president used the occasion of his first 100 days in office to

comment on this very intense situation yet again.

TRANSLATION: There cannot be a second war in the Korean Peninsula,

I can guarantee that. After the Korean War, all the people of the

nation worked very hard to build the nation and war cannot happen on the

Korean Peninsula. Let's bring you this analysis. I

think this was a political event very much aimed at the domestic

audience. He is only 102 days into office but there's no doubt he is

doing all he can to dampen down the tension after what has been an

incendiary week with comments coming from President Trump and United

States. He is not just confident there won't be another war, he said

he can guarantee there won't be another war on this peninsular. Now,

that's not surprising, because he in particular is a man who was elected

with a much more conciliatory tone towards the North. He has talked

about expanding the diplomatic effort and about reuniting families

and trying to reunify at some point the whole of this peninsular. In

terms of Donald Trump, well, I think it was interesting because he said

he doesn't think the US president intends to use military action here.

He also repeated his assertion that there can't be any military action

on this peninsular without South Korea's OK. In fact, he went a bit

further. He said Donald Trump had told him he would seek and get South

Korea's approval if the US did want to take any military action.

Let me bring you up-to-date with what is happening in Barcelona.

There has just been a news conference with the Ministry of the

two are now saying there are more than 100 people injured from the

Barcelona van attack. -- ministry of the interior. 13 people dead but

that could rise. Joining me from Barcelona is a senior research

associate at the Barcelona centre for international affairs. I would

like to know your thoughts on this attack. Well, my thought is that

this attack in Barcelona follows a series of attacks in Europe where

large cities have been attacked as symbols by Isis or by Isis-inspired

militants. We don't really know if there is a connection with Isis but

we know individuals have carried out these attacks with very little

technology and they have been inspired by Islamic State or Daesh.

Diego, we have to leave it there. It is good to have your individual

thoughts and this is something we will continue to investigate. Stay

with the BBC and on the News Channel and BBC World, and we will continue

to follow this story. There is a live website as well. Thank you very

much for being with us for this edition of Outside Source. See you

soon. Hello. Any time you add some high

energy weather systems into the atmosphere, it sends the computer

models into a bit of a spin, and this is the right time of year for

such systems. They are known as hurricanes or tropical