Based on the ongoing investigation and Al-Abdulmohsen's background, which motive will German authorities officially declare as primary? Resolution via official announcement from German Federal Prosecutor's Office or similar level of authority.
What we know about the Magdeburg attack suspect – DW – 12/21/2024
If the official announcement does not fit the above categories, I will use my personal judgement, and advice from an AI.
I used the AI question generator for this one. It is quite good. And tweaked it manually.
I don't bet on my own questions.
Update 2024-21-12 (PST): Multiple options may be selected during resolution if the official announcement indicates more than one motive. (AI summary of creator comment)
Update 2025-01-01 (PST) (AI summary of creator comment): Resolution Criteria Update:
Multiple motives may be selected during resolution if the official announcement indicates more than one primary motive.
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3.00German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and officials from the state of Saxony-Anhalt — of which Magdeburg is the capital — addressed the lawmakers on Monday.
During the hearing, Faeser said there were "striking signs of a pathological psyche" coming from the alleged attacker. However, she noted that the motive has yet to be established.
Also on Monday, officials from the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania published data that showed that the suspect made at least two violent threats against German officials before the tragedy in Magdeburg.
In 2013, he allegedly threatened an employee of a medical association over delays to his specialist exam, insinuating that consequences could be similar to the Boston terror attack earlier that year. This reportedly prompted the local prosecutor's office to issue a search warrant for his home, but the officials did not find any dangerous or illegal objects or materials.
In 2015, Taleb A. wrote to Germany's prosecutor general, calling him a "dirty bacteria that should soon be destroyed to protect the German people from your danger."
German security chiefs grilled over Magdeburg attack – DW – 12/30/2024
More factors for possible mental health crisis:
Some consider him to be a radical Shia who only practises taqiyya (the principle of denying one's faith in acute danger, editor's note) in order to discredit secular Muslims. This cannot be ruled out, but his statements on X and also his messages to me show confusion rather than a clever strategy. He just seems like someone who falls from one extreme to the other.
The classic characteristics of a terrorist are not recognisable in Taleb A.'s case. There is no religious or political ideology to explain his actions and there is no clear objective. Nevertheless, we recognise some patterns in him that we also find in other terrorists: The unshakeable certainty that leaves no room for doubt; a heroically cohesive narrative in which he conspires against the rest of the world as an eternal victim; a prophetic personality that combines an explosive mixture of helplessness and narcissism; and the firm conviction that his act will either change the world or reveal a great secret.
It is not only religious Muslims who can experience an identity crisis after arriving in the West. Secular people from Islamic cultures also often experience social isolation and moral disorientation after migration.
With his loud and unbalanced criticism of Islam, he wanted more public attention.
When he didn't get it, he tried copycat crime. He looked back and saw how Islamists had received the greatest possible attention in the past and found nothing better than the attack on Berlin's Breitscheidplatz in 2017. He copied the crime in Magdeburg so that the whole world would finally know about him and his crude conspiracy theories.
Islam-Experte: Ein großen Deutschland-Irrtum machte Taleb A. zum Todesfahrer - FOCUS online
More reports pointing to a possible metal health crisis:
The numerous legal proceedings that A. had initiated were also known. However, his activities on X and on the internet were not. There, A. increasingly spread conspiracy stories about the Islamisation of Germany and the persecution of Saudi refugees by German authorities.
‘It was clear that he was getting carried away’
In recent months, he became increasingly ill. According to the hospital, A. had not been seen at work since the end of October 2024 due to holidays and sick days. He was so upset about his activism that he was unable to work, says the source.
However, there was no question of reducing his commitment. ‘It was clear that he was getting involved,’ they say. However, his behaviour was not necessarily to be classified as pathological. There were no signs of psychosis in his behaviour towards the patients, as is often typical. ‘He was never aggressive, rather suffering from the condition he was complaining about,’ the source describes.
In retrospect, much seems plausible
Overall, the research into A.'s professional environment so far has produced a conclusive overall picture. ‘Something seems to have built up,’ says the source, adding that the entire staff were shocked and would have reacted immediately if they suspected an attack. But only in retrospect does much seem plausible in A.'s case.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
So verhielt sich der mutmaßliche Magdeburg-Attentäter in der Klinik - FOCUS online
More about the attacker - points to mental health crisis (?):
Even the organisation of the meeting was unusual: Taleb A. reportedly changed the location at short notice ‘for security reasons’ as he was afraid of being observed. According to the reporter, he already appeared very agitated during this first contact, controlling the situation and presenting himself as a self-confident narrator. He presented a life story characterised by helping people to escape, activism critical of Islam and a deep mistrust of the authorities.
During the meeting, Taleb A. handed the reporter a handwritten piece of paper - a mind map on which he sketched a supposed network of 14 people, including asylum activists from various countries. He had added notes from his head on over 20 criminal charges and cessation notices. Taleb A. was convinced that he had uncovered a dangerous network in Germany. The reporter recalls that this involved sexual addictions among asylum activists, donation fraud and other Saudis in Germany financed by the USA.
The mysterious note, the multitude of accusations, his behaviour, which the ‘Zeit’ reporter describes, convey the image of someone who is driven, of someone who tirelessly fights against supposed injustices and has apparently fallen into a fatal vortex.
Wirre Vorwürfe, mysteriöser Zettel: So erlebte Journalist Magdeburg-Täter Taleb A. - FOCUS online
According to dpa information, Taleb A. was also the subject of proceedings by the Berlin public prosecutor's office for misuse of emergency calls. ‘Der Spiegel’ had reported first. The defendant was accused of dialling the fire brigade's emergency number at the Berlin police station in February without there being an emergency. An application was therefore made to the Tiergarten district court for a penalty order, which was issued with 20 daily rates of 30 euros each.
The defendant lodged an objection. According to the Berlin public prosecutor's office, the defendant did not appear at the main hearing last Thursday (19 December). The objection was therefore rejected at the request of the public prosecutor's office.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Some remarks about the low professionalism of the attacker. May be relevant for later:
A nurse who worked with A. for a time, but has since resigned, told the newspaper: ‘There were constant complaints to other doctors and superiors about Taleb A.’, but there were never any consequences. A. advised addicts on absurd treatments, for example. ‘Alcohol is good, honey is bad’, he recommended several times.
The former employee didn't have a good word to say about A. personally either: ‘He was completely disrespectful towards female staff and slammed the doors in our faces. When we asked questions because we didn't understand something, he reacted aggressively’.
As the ‘Mitteldeutsche Zeitung’ further reports, A. was no longer allowed to treat patients in another clinic. The reason: he had repeatedly put patients' lives at risk because he had prescribed the wrong medication.
„Er heißt bei uns Dr. Google“: Ex-Kollegen packen über Taleb A. aus - FOCUS online
Prozesse, Stotter-Expertisen und Hartz IV: Deutschland-Odyssee von Taleb A. - FOCUS online
Not relevant for any resolution, but just a note about security errors:
Anschlag von #Magdeburg: „Der Veranstalter des Magdeburger Weihnachtsmarktes informierte die Polizei bereits drei Wochen vor dem Anschlag über wiederholt falsche Positionen von Mannschaftswagen.“
Double post, see translation above:
Der Attentäter von Magdeburg konnte offenbar kein Medizinstudium vorweisen, erhielt ein Behandlungsverbot nach potentiell lebensgefährlichen Fehlern, fiel überall negativ auf und sprach unterirdisches Deutsch.
BKA investigates the perpetrator
The Bundestag's Committee on Internal Affairs will discuss the case next Monday. The Federal Criminal Police Office and the Federal Ministry of the Interior want to present a case chronology on the perpetrator of the attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market by then. The news agency dpa learnt this on Monday following a briefing of interior politicians in the Bundestag by representatives of the security authorities, according to which Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) and the head of the Federal Criminal Police Office, Holger Münch, have promised the parliamentarians an overview of the case. The aim is to find out which authorities had what information about the perpetrator Taleb A. at what time and how this was followed up. Authorities in at least six federal states are said to have had dealings with him. The information is now to be collated into an overall picture.
Investigations into the perpetrator are ongoing
The perpetrator, who is in custody, drove a car through the Christmas market in the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt on Friday evening. Five people were killed and more than 200 injured. Investigations into the motivation of the doctor, who comes from Saudi Arabia and arrived in Germany in 2006, are ongoing. He had recently become increasingly confused and radical on social media. In a recent interview, the 50-year-old revealed himself to be a fan of X boss Elon Musk and the AfD, which pursues the same goals as him - but described himself as politically left-wing.Faeser now emphasised once again: ‘We are doing everything we can to clear up this crime. We mourn those killed and our thoughts are with their families.’ In the hospitals, everything will continue to be done to help the people who have suffered the most serious injuries. ‘Right now, we must also be there for the first responders and emergency services who have experienced terrible things and have surpassed themselves,’ said the Federal Minister of the Interior.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Anschlag in Magdeburg: Sicherheitskonzept und Polizeiarbeit in der Kritik | tagesschau.de
@PoliticalEconomyPK How would you do it? I'm still not very experienced with making and resolving multiple choice markets. I think I can select multiple options at resolution?
The suspect, a doctor from Saudi Arabia named Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, arrived in Germany in 2006 and in 2016 was recognised as a refugee.
An atheist, he ran a website that aimed to help other former Muslims flee persecution in their Gulf homelands. His social media was full of anti-Islamic sentiment and conspiracy theories.
The German Office for Migration and Refugees announced in a post on social media that it had fielded a complaint about the suspect, which it had "taken seriously", but as the office is not an investigative body, had referred the complainant to other authorities.
A source close to the Saudi government told the BBC it sent four official notifications known as "Notes Verbal" to German authorities, warning them about what they said were "the very extreme views" held by al-Abdulmohsen. However, a counter-terrorism expert told the BBC the Saudis may have been mounting a disinformation campaign to discredit someone who tried to help young Saudi women seek asylum in Germany.
Later, the head of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), Holger Münch, told public broadcaster ZDF that his office had received a notice from Saudi Arabia in November 2023. He said local police took appropriate investigative measures, but the matter was unspecific. He added that the suspect "had various contacts with authorities, insulted them and even made threats, but he was not known for violent acts".
He was a prolific poster of anti-Islamic sentiment and conspiracy theories on X, and had made threats in the past.
Magdeburg Christmas market attack: Police probe security and warnings
@uair01 I love how the article scare-quotes notes verbal as if they weren't the absolutely most trivial way countries officially exchange information.
The motive for the attack is still unclear. According to investigators at a press conference on Saturday afternoon, the man was apparently dissatisfied with Germany's treatment of refugees from Saudi Arabia.
According to German media, he was critical of Islam on social media, feared the Islamization of Germany, and even wanted to cooperate with the anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany (AfD) on projects for people who had renounced Islam.
Caution! This is from Watchpeopledie.tv. But they often have news quicker than the media and with less censorship:
https://watchpeopledie.tv/h/social/post/259557/perpetrator-of-the-german-festival-attack
More news in German:
https://x.com/FlorianFlade/status/1870243318728122484?t=fTQInAgVdg0rvvrnuPyrlw&s=19
A complex and contradictory set of motivations.
And in English:
https://x.com/Tim_Roehn/status/1870263484044234850?t=vg-ho6376tHaqLwrtLFOfg&s=19
Sounds as frustration over refugee status.
@AlexanderTheGreater I agree that it's not optimal, I'm still learning. I find it really difficult to phrase these multi questions well.
This time I went along with the AI suggestions.
I suppose during resolution I may choose several options (I hope that's possible, I'm still learning that too).
If you don't make massive amounts of questions, then resolutions are rare and far between.
Suggestions always welcome.
@uair01 I think there is a choice when creating the market to choose between exclusive answers or multiple, independent answers. This doesn't only impact market resolution but also odds while the market is open.
@AlexanderTheGreater I see I can still choose "resolve many", so I think that will be the best option.
Far-right AfD supporter?
He has also voiced support for the far-right and anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, Der Spiegel magazine reported.
Recently, he repeatedly claimed on social media that German authorities had been targeting Saudi asylum-seekers and sought "to destroy our anti-Islam activism."
A Saudi source told Reuters news agency that Saudi Arabia had warned German authorities about the attacker after he posted extremist views on his personal X account that threatened peace and security.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz was due to travel to Magdeburg on Saturday to pay his respects to victims. A memorial service is to take place in the city cathedral in the evening.
Friday's attack was not the first on a Christmas market in Germany. In December 2016, Tunisian Anis Amri drove a truck through a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 13 people.
After the attack, German cities erected strong barriers at Christmas and other outdoor events to protect against similar incidents.
Anti-Islam Saudi activist detained
A 50-year-old Saudi national was taken into police custody near the scene shortly after the attack.
The suspect has been in Germany for 18 years, has permanent residency and practices medicine, officials said.
Several German media outlets identified the man and reported that he was a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy and was practicing in Bernburg, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Magdeburg.
Describing himself as a former Muslim, the alleged perpetrator shared dozens of tweets and retweets daily focusing on anti-Islam themes.
He often criticized the religion and congratulated Muslims who left the faith.
He also accused German authorities of failing to do enough to combat what he said was the "Islamism of Europe."