Germany Knife Attack: Syrian Man, ISIS Claim Responsibility
The Facts
A 26-year-old Syrian asylum-seeker surrendered to German police on Saturday, claiming to be the attacker behind the Solingen festival knife attack on Friday night. A 15-year-old had already been arrested in connection with the attack, which killed three and injured eight people.
The German federal prosecutors are investigating if the Syrian national was a member of a foreign terrorist organization and planning to bring suspicion of murder and attempted murder charges against him.
The Spin
Narrative A
Once rare, knife attacks have become routine in Germany. It shows that the government's promise to toughen weapons laws and crack down on knife crime remains unfulfilled. Until knives — of any length — are banned in public spaces and Germany stops tolerating religious extremists nonchalantly targeting its democratic fabric, such terrible incidents will continue to claim innocent lives.
Narrative B
It's unfair to use Friday's knife attack to settle political scores and compound pressure on the government. While an act of brutal and senseless violence has struck the city at its heart, authorities are treating the deadly stabbing as terrorism. They will grill the suspects and find the motive for the attack even though collecting the evidence and testimony from witnesses is a big challenge.
