The British secret service has previously investigated the man from Blackburn who took people hostage in a synagogue in Texas last weekend and found it not dangerous. British media report that Malik Faisal Akram was vetted by the MI5 service in 2020.
–
The secret service suspected that the man of Pakistani descent could have something to do with terrorism. But the conclusion of the investigation was that he posed no danger. The government has promised to assist in the investigation into Saturday’s hostage-taking of four people at a Texas synagogue.
London has called the hostage situation “a horrible anti-Semitic act of terrorism”. Police shot Akram dead after the four hostages escaped unharmed. Two teenagers were arrested Sunday evening in Manchester, England, in connection with the Colleyville hostage situation in Texas.
–
Mental health problems
Akram’s family wonders in British media how he ended up in Texas. He had a criminal record and mental health issues. But he would have flown to New York two weeks ago and stayed in homeless centers in the US.
He bought a firearm on the street, President Joe Biden said last weekend, speaking of an act of terrorism. The FBI initially assumed that the perpetrator was acting alone. An FBI spokesman previously said that “he thought Akram was only after one thing and that it had nothing to do with Jews.”
–
Release ‘sister’
Akram demanded the release of a Pakistani, Aafia Siddiqui, who was imprisoned in Fort Worth during the synagogue hostage situation. He called her “sister” but the two are not related.
Pakistani scientist Siddiqui was sentenced in 2010 by a US judge to 86 years in prison for trying to kill Americans in Afghanistan. She is in a prison less than 30 kilometers from the site of the Akram hostage-taking.
–
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and never miss a thing from the stars.
–
–
:quality(80)/cdn-kiosk-api.telegraaf.nl/e9b13830-7831-11ec-847e-02d2fb1aa1d7.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 "Australian Open: Arantxa Rus narrowly loses after thriller, Andy Murray after epic fight | Tennis")
