When a hostage situation emerged in Colleyville, Texas, over the weekend, White House press secretary Jen Psaki was quick to assure the American people that President Joe Biden had been briefed on the situation and was in touch with all the pertinent officials and law enforcement agencies.
Psaki seemed a bit more hesitant, however, to be candid with the American people about what, precisely, the situation the president had been apprised of entailed.
Namely, that a lone gunman had held a group of worshippers at a Jewish synagogue hostage and was demanding the release of a convicted Islamic militant terrorist.
Huh. Weird.
The FBI released a statement which explained that on Saturday, a British national, 44-year-old Malik Faisal Akram, entered the Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, where he held four hostages at gunpoint. According to the FBI, Akram was demanding the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist who is in federal prison for opening fire on American soldiers in Afghanistan.
Akram was ultimately killed by law enforcement, and praise the Lord, the hostages are all safe.
In a tweet on Saturday afternoon as the situation was ongoing, however, Psaki wrote that Biden “has been briefed about the developing hostage situation in the Dallas area.”
.@POTUS has been briefed about the developing hostage situation in the Dallas area. He will continue to receive updates from his senior team as the situation develops. Senior members of the national security team are also in touch with federal law enforcement leadership.
— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) January 15, 2022
“He will continue to receive updates from his senior team as the situation develops,” she added. “Senior members of the national security team are also in touch with federal law enforcement leadership.”
The conspicuous lack of the word “synagogue” or any other details that would shed light on the ideological agenda behind the hostage situation attracted attention from critics, as you can imagine:
Any other details about where this is occurring, Jen?
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 15, 2022
Hey, call it what it is.
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) January 15, 2022
Nothing more specific than this? We have more confirmed critical details.
— Rebeccah Heinrichs (@RLHeinrichs) January 15, 2022
Later the same day, Psaki followed up with a link to Biden’s statement on the incident that was only slightly more specific.
“Thanks to the courageous work of state, local and federal law enforcement, four Americans who were held hostage at a Texas synagogue will soon be home with their families,” it read. “I am grateful to the tireless work of law enforcement at all levels who acted cooperatively and fearlessly to rescue the hostages. We are sending love and strength to the members of Congregation Beth Israel, Colleyville, and the Jewish community.”
“There is more we will learn in the days ahead about the motivations of the hostage taker. But let me be clear to anyone who intends to spread hate—we will stand against antisemitism and against the rise of extremism in this country,” it continued. “That is who we are, and tonight, the men and women of law enforcement made us all proud.”
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