US President Biden Calls Jewish Synagogue Hostage Situation a "Terrorist Act"... Hostage Taker is a 44-Year-Old British National

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] U.S. President Joe Biden condemned the hostage situation that occurred on the 16th (local time) at a synagogue in Texas as an "act of terrorism."

According to the White House, President Biden, who visited Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, said, "This morning, I spoke with the Attorney General regarding the synagogue in Texas." He defined the incident as an "act of terrorism" and stated, "We will not tolerate this, and I want to make it clear to the synagogue that we can handle attacks against anti-Semitism."

The day before, at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, a man took four people, including a rabbi, hostage during a service and engaged in an 11-hour standoff with police. The hostage-taker reportedly demanded the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani-born female scientist linked to the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda. Police announced the death of the hostage-taker the previous night, and all four hostages were safely rescued.

President Biden explained regarding the hostage-taker's possession of weapons, "Neither I nor the Attorney General have all the facts, but it is reported that he claimed to have obtained the weapon on the street." He also hinted at the need for gun control, saying, "If someone buys something on the street, you cannot prevent such incidents. Too many guns have been sold recently. This is unacceptable."

The motive for the crime has not yet been revealed. President Biden said, "There is not enough information yet to understand why he targeted the synagogue, why he demanded the release of Aafia Siddiqui, who has been imprisoned for over 10 years, or why he made anti-Semitic and anti-Israel remarks." He plans to hold a press conference on the 19th to explain the situation.

Meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced that the hostage-taker was Malik Faisal Akram, a 44-year-old British national. The FBI reported that Akram was shot dead after the hostages were released around 9 p.m. local time the previous day, and a firearm believed to belong to Akram was recovered nearby.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.