Germany's Christmas Market Tragedy: Could It Have Been Prevented?

In Germany, growing questions were faced by the government on Sunday regarding whether more preventive actions could have been taken to avert the Christmas market car-ramming attack that resulted in five fatalities and over 200 injuries.

Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a 50-year-old psychiatrist and anti-Islam activist, had previously issued online death threats against German citizens and had a contentious history with state authorities. According to security sources cited by Der Spiegel, a warning had been given to Germany's BND by the Saudi secret service a year ago about a tweet in which Abdulmohsen threatened that Germany would pay a "price" for its treatment of Saudi refugees.

In August, it was reported that Abdulmohsen questioned whether justice could be achieved in Germany without resorting to violence. A risk assessment conducted last year by German police concluded he posed "no specific danger."

Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the "terrible, insane" attack and called for national unity amid rising political tensions ahead of elections on February 23. Criticism from both far-right and far-left parties intensified as German media scrutinized Abdulmohsen's background.

Demands for accountability were made by Bernd Baumann of the far-right AfD and Sahra Wagenknecht of the far-left BSW, who sought explanations for ignored warnings. The mass-circulation daily Bild questioned why police and intelligence services failed to act despite having Abdulmohsen on their radar.

The city of Magdeburg mourned the victims, including four women and a nine-year-old child, with around 40 individuals reported in critical condition. Health workers described chaotic scenes in hospitals as they treated the injured.

Authorities cautioned that investigations into the attack's motivations were in their early stages. Abdulmohsen, arrested at the scene, had previously identified himself as "a Saudi atheist." He had expressed support for women fleeing Gulf countries while simultaneously criticizing other Muslim migrants entering Germany.

His history included past legal issues, such as being fined for disturbing public peace and being investigated for misusing emergency calls. Mina Ahadi, chairwoman of the Central Council of Ex-Muslims, labeled him "a psychopath" adhering to extreme conspiracy ideologies.