Germany - Truck crashes into Christmas market in Berlin, 9 dead, 19 Dec 2016

[ZaZara]

GERMANY PLANS SECURITY OVERHAUL AFTER BERLIN ATTACK

YahooNews
https://www.yahoo.com/news/germany-plans-security-overhaul-berlin-attack-091831680.html

Germany's interior minister on Tuesday outlined plans for a security services overhaul, seeking greater federal powers on domestic intelligence and quicker expulsions of illegal migrants following the Berlin truck attack.

Thomas de Maizière also called for giving federal police wider oversight across the country's 16 states, and for a new national crisis management centre to be set up.

"We don't have federal jurisdiction to deal with national catastrophes. The jurisdiction for the fight against international terrorism is fragmented," he wrote in a guest column for the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

"The federal police's scope of action is restricted to railway stations, airports and border controls," he wrote, stressing that "it is time" to reexamine Germany's security set-up.

Policing and domestic intelligence services in Germany are currently decentralised and controlled by the country's 16 states.


BBM


This first German Bundesland has already disagreed with De Mazière. NorthRhine Westphalia wants to keep control.

 

[ZaZara]

RAID ON CONTACT PERSONS AMRI

Bild.de
http://www.bild.de/news/inland/news/razzia-bei-amri-kontaktleuten-49588322.bild.html

Raid in a Berlin refugee home. The Federal Prosecutor's Office has searched the accommodation of a contact person of the alleged assassin from the Berlin Christmas market.

It is suspected that the 26-year-old Tunisian national knew "about the attack plans and possibly helped Anis Amri," explained a spokesman in Karlsruhe. According to the findings so far, he knew his landman no later than the end of 2015 and was still in contact with him in close proximity to the attack.


BBM

 

[CARIIS]

ZaZara

TY for keeping us up to date on this tradegy !!

IT IS DIFFICULT NOT TO TURN TO SARCASM IN THE CASE OF AMRI

Welt.de
https://www.welt.de/debatte/komment...=socialmedia.socialflow....socialflow_twitter

A suspicion that was only a false conclusion. The release by the Federal Prosecutor of the Tunisian connection of Anis Amri shows that a very exact examination of seemingly plausible assumptions is indispensable for the investigation of crimes.

He was arrested because his number was stored on Amris's mobile phone. But apparently he was not the recipient of the messages and photos that Amri sent out right before the attack.

As confusing as the picture remains, one thing is becoming increasingly clear with the latest investigations. If Anis Amri had been arrested at a comparable speed, twelve people would still be alive - and there were a lot of reasons for his incarceration.

Why wasn't he in pre-charge custody?

Amri did not only violate his residence and reporting requirements once, namely on his thwarted journey to Switzerland in August. He did it several times, he was apparently free to move about in North Rhine-Westphalia.

He was able to apply for welfare assistance in neighboring communities under various names and visit extremist imams throughout the state. He was able to obtain arms and to get in touch with the IS - and many of them were known to German authorities.

Some of them were even very well known, all without the help of the NSA. A young man who is a refugee, who has fake IDs and visits extremist mosques, asks an informant of the security authorities for weapons - without even being put in deportation detention. Or at least in investigative detention.

On several occasions, he was the subject of meetings in the Joint Terror Protection Center of the Federal Republic and the Länder - without anything happening. There were no indications for an imminent criminal offense, as is currently said as a justification. Not surprisingly, Amri was able to travel unimpeded through Europe after the attack. And it is difficult not to become sarcastic about it.

A caricaturist could make a striking sketch of the ineffective security architecture - of the confusion between federal and state authorities, the conflict between federal and state law, cut-off strands of information, empty reporting channels and lonely decisions at local or federal levels.

The confusion that is now becoming clearer and clearer does not make it easier to wait for the next attack with democratic serenity.


BBM


Decent Germans getting enough.

It is less than 48 hours until New Year.
Hardly anyone has been convicted for the tarrush crimes committed in Cologne on New Years Eve of 2016 and the message of the German authorities to the rapefugees from North Africa could not have been clearer:
Please have it your way, WE continue sleepwalking into the apocalyps. We had terrorism, rape, murder and robberies before in Germany and all of this has nothing, repeat noting, to do with refugees.

Apparently, a substancial part of the mob that was responsible for the Colgne attacks has now spread over Europe. This is known, but not thanks to Germany.

 

[ZaZara]

https://www.welt.de/politik/deutsch...=socialmedia.socialflow....socialflow_twitter

An alleged accomplice of Amri has been arrested and is in custody.
The contact (26 y/o) would be from Tunisia.


Ballistic tests have been done to the weapon that Amri carried in italy:

France24.com
http://www.france24.com/en/20170104...tches-berlin-christmas-attack-weapon?ref=tw_i

"The weapon that killed the driver of the Berlin massacre truck is the same as the one Anis Amri used to wound a policeman in Milan," forensic police said in a statement.

An investigation was underway to see whether the weapon had been used "in other criminal episodes, in Italy or elsewhere".


BBM

 

[ZaZara]

Jeroen Akkermans @JeroenAkkermans
Berlin Correspondent RTLNews

[video=twitter;816654341494996992]https://twitter.com/JeroenAkkermans/status/816654341494996992[/video]


Update. Presser Public Prosecutor in Karlsruhe: the Tunisian arrested in Berlin would have been in contact Amri and knew abt attack plans

2 / Presser PP: The Polish driver was shot dead in front passenger seat by Amri. There was no third person in the truck cab

3 / after the attack Amri travelled from Nijmegen by train to Amsterdam where he would be arriving at night around 1:30'. From there he traveled to France

4 / PP: After the attack Amri gives the middle finger in front of a security camera at Bahnhof Zoo (near the Christmas market which attack was committed)


BBM

IMHO it remains possible that the man who followed the attacker from the Christmas market to the Berlin Zoo got it right after all, but the police arrested the wrong one.

 

[ZaZara]

DIFFERENT FINGER, DIFFERENT MEANING

Welt.de
https://www.welt.de/politik/deutsch...t-mit-IS-Gruss-vor-Kamera-am-Bahnhof-Zoo.html

According to the spokeswoman, Amri was recorded immediately after the action by a camera at the nearby station Zoo. It is assumed that the man on the video is Amri. He was evidently also aware of the CCTV. The man shows the raised index finger towards the camera - a greeting known from followers of the Terrorist Islamic State (IS). The greeting means: There is only one God.


BBM

 

[ZaZara]

AMRI: KNOWN UNDER AT LEAST 14 ALIASES TO GERMAN AUTHORITIES

Focus.de
http://www.focus.de/politik/deutsch...te-mindestens-14-identitaeten_id_6451207.html

The Berlin assassin Anis Amri was been known to the German authorities under at least14 different identities. This becomes clear in a message from the North Rhine-Westphalian country criminal director Dieter Schürmann who appeared before the internal committee of the Düsseldorf parliament.

At a special meeting of the committee, Schürmann described on Thursday the efforts of the authorities to prove to the Tunisian's preparations of a terrorist attack.
In the end, it was not possible for all the authorities of the Federation and the Länder combined to collect sufficiently concrete indications that could have been brought before the court as a suspicion, he said. The investigators "had exhausted all legal powers to the limit in order to ward off possible dangers."


BBM


There is something deeply troubling about the law as it keeps on allowing Amri and his likes to go free.

 

[ZaZara]

ROOMMATES INFORMED AUTHORITIES ABOUT AMRI'S CONTACTS WITH ISIS

Welt.de
https://www.welt.de/politik/article...=socialmedia.socialflow....socialflow_twitter

German authorities were apparently aware since 2015 that Anis Amri had contacts with the islamic State.

Roommates from the asylum accommodation in Emmerich reported the Tunisian at the time because of these contacts to the BAMF (Authority for Migrants and Refugees).

Meanwhile, Switzerland is investigating the suspicion that Amri obtained a weapon in that country.

According to a report, the authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia were aware at least since December 2015 of possible contacts of the Berlin assassin Anis Amri with the Terror Organization Islamic State (IS).

The "Neue Ruhr / Neue Rheinzeitung" reported that roommates from the Asylum Accomodation in Emmerich denounced the Tunisian at the time to the BAMF of the district of Kleve because of suspected contacts to IS.

The Regional Administration Kleve made this known this on Friday. The administration could not be reached for a reaction.

The notice was immediately sent to the service responsible for state protection in NRW, according to the newspaper. On 3 December 2015 the Kreis Kleve, according to their own data, "was informally informed by telephone that Mr. Amri was in the focus of the security authorities".

According to a report for the special meeting of the NRW interior committee on Thursday, the investigators discovered three months later that Amri "supposedly planned to kill on behalf of Allah" and was going to meet with an unknown sympathizer of the IS in Berlin.

Already in October 2015, a roommate of Amri had reported that he was in possession of pictures of persons dressed in black with Kalashnikow on his mobile. At that time, the police created a "test-step for Islamism".

According to ZDF information, Amri has also been staying for a longer time and possibly even several times in Switzerland. As the station reported on Friday evening, contact data, that were found on Amris mobile phone after the attack in Berlin, are currently scrutinized by the Swiss investigative authorities.

Specifically, the question is if he obtained the murder weapon, an Erma type pistol, in Switzerland, where an active Islamist scene exists in some places. According to previous investigations, much speaks in favour of this option, investigators told ZDF.

The Swiss federal prosecutor had informed on Wednesday that they had opened criminal proceedings against unknown in connection with the attack in Berlin. This was intended to clarify "any reference points to Switzerland", according to a further announcement on Friday.

This concerns the suspicion of support of or participation in a criminal organization, the responsible spokesman André Marty said. In addition, there may have been a violation of the prohibition of membership of a terrorist system such as the Islamic State (IS) The speaker did not specify any details.


BBM

 

[ZaZara]

RELATIVES OF VICTIMS DENOUNCE LACK OF INTEREST FROM THE GERMAN STATE

Welt.de
https://www.welt.de/politik/deutsch...=socialmedia.socialflow....socialflow_twitter

Relatives of the victims of the terrorist attack on a Christmas market in Berlin are missing the sympathy of the government, according to a report.

A gesture from the state would be appropriate and is self-evident in other countries.
The Berlin "Tagesspiegel" quotes a woman whose life companion has been fighting for his life since the assassination attack from three weeks ago. "I find the lack of attention on the part of the state sad and unworthy," the woman said. Thus the Bundestag had not even interrupted their Christmas break for a minute of silence. We also hear little about the victims in public, she complained. In addition, the woman said, politicians have stated that we should quickly return to everyday life.
"But for us, there will never be such normalcy again."

BBM

 

[Inthedetails]

RELATIVES OF VICTIMS DENOUNCE LACK OF INTEREST FROM THE GERMAN STATE

Welt.de
https://www.welt.de/politik/deutsch...=socialmedia.socialflow....socialflow_twitter

Relatives of the victims of the terrorist attack on a Christmas market in Berlin are missing the sympathy of the government, according to a report.

A gesture from the state would be appropriate and is self-evident in other countries.
The Berlin "Tagesspiegel" quotes a woman whose life companion has been fighting for his life since the assassination attack from three weeks ago. "I find the lack of attention on the part of the state sad and unworthy," the woman said. Thus the Bundestag had not even interrupted their Christmas break for a minute of silence. We also hear little about the victims in public, she complained. In addition, the woman said, politicians have stated that we should quickly return to everyday life.
"But for us, there will never be such normalcy again."

BBM

Recovery is so hard, feels so lonely.

I don't speak to this particular instance as I haven't been through such a tragedy as a terror attack, but I have been through other tragedies (as most of us have in life). I do recognize in her words the dark and heavy feelings of loneliness, abandonment, disappointment that can occur during recovery from many things.

My heart goes to them. They will recover easier with support and attention (but they will recover even without them....and I don't say that to be mean, but quite the opposite).

jmo

 

[katydid23]

Recovery is so hard, feels so lonely.

I don't speak to this particular instance as I haven't been through such a tragedy as a terror attack, but I have been through other tragedies (as most of us have in life). I do recognize in her words the dark and heavy feelings of loneliness, abandonment, disappointment that can occur during recovery from many things.

My heart goes to them. They will recover easier with support and attention (but they will recover even without them....and I don't say that to be mean, but quite the opposite).

jmo

I just met a lady who lost her sister in the German truck attack. She lives here but is from Germany originally. She was devastated because she was going to go to see her sister and family for New Years. Instead she flew over earlier for the memorial services and to stay with their Mother for awhile. She just returned to the States because her husband and children are here.

She said she and her mother felt some anger towards the government because she felt they were more concerned with soothing the fears of the immigrants and refugees, then they were in helping and sympathizing with the surviving victims and families. She felt the emphasis should have been on her sister and the others---not the hurt feelings of the refugees.

I don't know why she felt that way. Cannot read German so I could not find anything to support that stance by the government.

 

[ZaZara]

I just met a lady who lost her sister in the German truck attack. She lives here but is from Germany originally. She was devastated because she was going to go to see her sister and family for New Years. Instead she flew over earlier for the memorial services and to stay with their Mother for awhile. She just returned to the States because her husband and children are here.

She said she and her mother felt some anger towards the government because she felt they were more concerned with soothing the fears of the immigrants and refugees, then they were in helping and sympathizing with the surviving victims and families. She felt the emphasis should have been on her sister and the others---not the hurt feelings of the refugees.

I don't know why she felt that way. Cannot read German so I could not find anything to support that stance by the government.

BBM


That sums it up neatly.
Angela Merkel said something to the extent of some terrorists being refugees (which seems to make their deeds ever worse) and many thought WHEN will you ever stop about your refugees?

The complaint about the lack of compassion of the German government is not new. For instance I posted about it on the thread of the axe attack on a train (Würzburg) and I don't post everything I read.

Tichy's Einblick, October 7:

http://www.tichyseinblick.de/meinung...r-boese-opfer/

GOOD VICTIMS, BAD VICTIMS

In modern media-political times, in which symbols and words are sometimes everything, a considerable part of the population is waiting for a sign of compassion and indignation from Chancellor Merkel. No longer only for dead migrants on mediterranean coasts. No longer only for asylum seekers who have been wronged. No, finally and at last for the victims of religious radicalization on German soil. But Angela Merkel and her government remain seated and silent when the perpetrators originate from cultural backgrounds that are alien to us or have an immigration background if it dates from far away.

It is inconceivable that the President of France, for example, would avoid to be seen at terror crime scenes. After the night of terror in Nice or the murder of a priest in a church, Francois Hollande immediately hurried to where the events took place. The president may be unloved by the people, but he knows what is the right thing to do.

The Chancellor behaves quite differently. When the first religiously motivated suicide attack on German soil took place in Ansbach, she did not even deem it necessary to interrupt her holiday.
She could only spare a few dutifully hypocritical words of regret for the Chinese victims of the attacker of Würzburg.

(..)

How do those people feel after their life took a turn from one moment to another when they ended up injured in the hospital or have been wrecked psychologically by the traumatic experiences? It is unthinkable that no one in Berlin has the awareness that these people also long for sensitive words, great gestures or quiet but genuine compassion.
And it is also impossible to take amiss the voice of the people, who, after the events of the recent months, now ask if the Federal Government divides the victims into more valuable or less valuable categories. With her cynicism, Angela Merkel also destroys the last respect that one should actually have for her office.

BBM

 

[dotr]

Intriguing new article, wonder if it helps explains some of the problems?
https://www.thestar.com/news/immigr...cal-link-between-migration-and-psychosis.html

CAMH study finds possible chemical link between migration and psychosis

Groundbreaking study has identified a plausible biological mechanism that links the effects of migration to the risk of developing psychosis.

Brain chemistry could change under the stress of migration, increasing a newcomer’s risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychoses, according to a new medical study.

The groundbreaking research, a joint effort by researchers at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and King’s College in England, has identified a plausible biological mechanism that links the effects of migrant status to the risk of developing psychosis.
“We knew schizophrenia patients and those at risk of schizophrenia release more dopamine in their brains when exposed to a social challenge,” said Dr. Romina Mizrahi, a study co-author and director of CAMH’s youth psychosis prevention clinic and research program.
“Immigrants and their children have higher dopamine synthesis capacity versus non-immigrants. When they are under stress, they also release more dopamine. These brain changes might explain the higher risk to develop psychosis that has been observed in immigrants.”

“One of the most consistent findings in the epidemiology of schizophrenia is the high incidence of the disorder among immigrant groups. The risk is particularly increased in immigrant groups who migrate from a country where the population is predominantly black-skinned to a country where the population is predominantly white-skinned,” said the 20-page study published in January by the Oxford University Press.
“This increased risk of schizophrenia has been reported both in immigrants and in their children. These findings have been replicated in a number of high-income countries: the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Canada, clearly establishing that the incidence of schizophrenia is higher among migrant groups as compared to host populations.”

rbbm.

 

[CARIIS]

Intriguing new article, wonder if it helps explains some of the problems?
https://www.thestar.com/news/immigr...cal-link-between-migration-and-psychosis.html




rbbm.

fascinating!!

 

[Elley Mae]

Intriguing new article, wonder if it helps explains some of the problems?
https://www.thestar.com/news/immigr...cal-link-between-migration-and-psychosis.html





rbbm.

“One of the most consistent findings in the epidemiology of schizophrenia is the high incidence of the disorder among immigrant groups. The risk is particularly increased in immigrant groups who migrate from a country where the population is predominantly black-skinned to a country where the population is predominantly white-skinned,” said the 20-page study published in January by the Oxford University Press.

Dopamine plays a major role in reward-motivated behaviour and our brain releases the compound when we are interested in something. However, those stress factors may tip the balance and alter the regulatory mechanism, said Mizrahi.

“Not everyone with high dopamine levels will develop schizophrenia. Not all immigrants develop psychoses.



bbm jmo I'm not buying it. I can not find a definition for, Black skinned people, but there are images and the peoples that are migrating from war torn areas are not black skinned to me. jmo

 

[ZaZara]

There is no indication whatsoever that Anis Amri suffered from schizophrenia, or did I miss something?

In fact, he moved like a fish in the water through all of Germany, and played the system to his heart's desire.

He did used many aliases, in order to obtain money from the state. I read somewhere that over one third of all Sudanese refugees do the same, but this has nothing to do with schizophrenia.

Hatred of kufar and their institutions is common in certain Islamic and Salafist circles. Has nothing to do with schizophrenia either.

 

[CARIIS]

There is no indication whatsoever that Anis Amri suffered from schizophrenia, or did I miss something?

In fact, he moved like a fish in the water through all of Germany, and played the system to his heart's desire.

He did used many aliases, in order to obtain money from the state. I read somewhere that over one third of all Sudanese refugees do the same, but this has nothing to do with schizophrenia.

Hatred of kufar and their institutions is common in certain Islamic and Salafist circles. Has nothing to do with schizophrenia either.

In a way it think that might have been for the airport thread

Iinteresting tho - I will do that sometimes - if I stumble across something really neat I will post it on a couple of thread cause its neat!!

Not sure tho.

 

[dotr]

In a way it think that might have been for the airport thread

Iinteresting tho - I will do that sometimes - if I stumble across something really neat I will post it on a couple of thread cause its neat!!

Not sure tho.

Sorry folks, was not sure which thread to post that in, but figured it was appropriate for at least one of them.

 

[ZaZara]

Sorry folks, was not sure which thread to post that in, but figured it was appropriate for at least one of them.

IMHO we do not have a thread for that yet. Still it is a sad fact that certain groups of immigrants bring their own medical issues that pose a heavy burden for the health system. Genetic diseases due to inbreeding because cousins have intermarried for generations, to name one.
And of course PTTS and the like because of war time experiences and time spent in 'welcoming centers'.

I translated some info about that here
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...-Ansbach-24-July-2016&p=12718553#post12718553

The Ansbach attacker who fortunately only blew up himself was following a therapy of sorts. Therapist believed everything he was told.

 

[ZaZara]

ANIS AMRI'S WAY THROUGH GERMANY'S ADMINISTRATIVE NETWORK


Welt.de
https://www.welt.de/politik/deutsch...dia.socialflow....socialflow_twitter#Comments

After the Berlin assassin Anis Amri arrived in Germany, he was observed again and again by police and the intelligence services. Our chronicle shows what measures were taken - and which were not.



Unfortunately, it looks like this does not work, the quality of the upload that I see is too low.
But let me assure you that the list is long.Follow the link for the real thing..

Some highlights translated:

2015
June / July Illegal entry in Germany
July 6: Freiburg Police arrests Amri
July 22: registered as asylumseeker ANIS AMIR in Karlsruhe
July 28: further registration as asylumseeker MOHAMMAD HASSAN in Berlin
Aug. 3: renewed registration as MOHAMED HASSA in Dortmund
Oct 28: Amri registered as AHMED ALMASRI in Dortmund
Oct 29: again registered in Münster as AHMED ALMASARI
2016
April 28: Amri requests asylum in Bochum, this time as AHMED ALMASRI and claims to be Egyptian
Aug 16: AMRI aka ALMASRI receives a temporary staying permit


:banghead::banghead: