The Interview Story

I sat last night and watched the public-run ZDF 9:45 PM news.  They went to a live interview with the chief prosecutor of the Saxony region and ran through roughly a dozen questions over the Syrian bomber dude, who is dead now (suicide) after the cops got help in catching him.

Personally, if you look at what the news media has put out over the past five days....it's awful weak and marginal information.

You could tell by the third question....that the ZDF journalist wasn't going to let this be an easy question and answer episode.  Each question became more difficult and you could see some "sweat" developing with the prosecutor.

From an American prospective, you reach four observations:

1.  While the federal cops were watching this guy for months and knew the implications of his behavior.....they quietly waited in hopes of connecting him to others.  When the moment finally came with what they felt was sufficient evidence to issue an arrest warrant.....the federal level prosecutor hinted that he wasn't totally satisfied.  No one says why.  Maybe there were more questions handed back....but the federal cops decided twelve hours later that they needed a warrant badly.....and went to the state prosecutor instead.  Why?  This isn't clear and part of the overall problem, I think.

2.  How'd the federal cops allow him to escape?  This ends up being a one-liner and no one wants to explain the details.  They really screwed up badly letting him escape from the scene.

3.  More thugs in the background?  No one knows.  One single guy by himself?  No one really believes it.

4.  Then this suicide thing.  The prosecutor did one of those stupid moments in his comments where he said that 'most suicidal bombers want to commit suicide'.  He gives the impression it's not a big deal.  But then you sit and think....it's a in special cell....with cameras set up.  Yet the cop watching this....does nothing?  Why bother with the cameras then?

By the end of these questions.....my impression is that the state prosecutor of Saxony just wants to wrap this up and forget about the whole thing.  The federal cops who allowed him to escape.......same thing.  My guess is that in six months, most residents of Saxony will have almost forgotten about this episode.

On the positive side.....the guy is off the street and there's a lesser threat existing right now.  But you just sit and wonder.....things about this episode just don't fit too well.