The False Mystery of Motives
18th January 2022
Faced with some high-profile crimes, our law enforcement authorities are finding it hard to say what has prompted “suspects” to pursue deadly violence.
Even President Biden found himself baffled by what would lead a known Islamist terrorist to invade a synagogue on Saturday night and hold a rabbi and other members of his congregation hostage.
The FBI likewise for a period expressed its bewilderment. The hostage taker had demanded the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a convicted Islamic terrorist held in a Texas prison, but the FBI wasn’t about to draw any inferences from his choice of hostages or his principal demand. The FBI professed to know nothing of his motives — and President Biden nodded in agreement. He praised the good work of the police and the FBI but warned the American public away from speculating about “the motivations of the hostage taker.” He also warned against “anyone who intends to spread hate — we will stand against antisemitism and against the rise of extremism in this country.”