Committees in the German Bundestag hold a debate to determine if Magdeburg attack was preventable

euronews (in English)

Committees within the German Bundestag debate the attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg to determine if the tragic incident could have been prevented.

Transcript

00:00Two Bundestag committees have launched a debate into the tragic attack on a Christmas market

00:06in the German city of Magdeburg.

00:09The fatal attacks have killed five people, including a nine-year-old boy, and have sparked

00:13domestic unrest.

00:16The debate was called for by the Bundestag's Committee on Internal Affairs, with the aim

00:20of determining if the attack was preventable and if authorities committed any mistakes

00:24leading to the tragedy.

00:27German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser attended the session.

00:31In the session, she acknowledged security gaps in the country, but stressed that all

00:35domestic units have required strengthening for a while.

00:38It was clear before this terrible attack that we had to strengthen our security services.

00:45Our security services need all the necessary resources and more staff.

00:51This budget for 2025 sees one billion euros more for the security services and 1,000 additional

00:59police officers at the federal police.

01:02That's what we need.

01:05But other members of parliament from Germany's opposition parties raised serious concerns

01:09with the incumbent government's competence.

01:13They say the government hasn't done enough to ensure threats to the public were contained

01:17before an incident like this occurs.

01:21The main suspect in the attack, Saudi doctor, identified as Talib A, had multiple run-ins

01:26with German authorities, including a conviction in 2013.

01:32Saudi Arabia also says it has alerted Germany on three different occasions about his extremist

01:36views.

01:37If, as in the previous case, these violent fantasies come together with crimes, with

01:43a display behavior by authorities and with warnings of foreign intelligence services,

01:48then you have to say, under the guise of, we have to turn on the lights, which in the

01:51previous case were not turned on.

01:55The attack has increased domestic turmoil in the country.

01:59Germany is already dealing with political division, which led to the collapse of Chancellor

02:03Olaf Scholz's government earlier in December, and new elections set for February.

02:09Lawmakers say this investigation will not end until this crime is fully solved and pledge

02:13to ensure such a tragedy does not occur again.

02:18For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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