UPDATED: "Allahu akbar!" in Texas - Hostage-taker was British Muslim

This is just a short report, since it's Sunday morning and I have better things to do. And I'm tired of these stories. Anyhoo... 

Around 1100 CST yesterday, police were called to Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville TX (a suburb of Dallas), where a man was reported to have interrupted the Shabbat service. 

A live stream of the service on Facebook (since deleted, for some reason) captured audio of a man talking loudly. He could be heard saying: "You get my sister on the phone," and "I am gonna die!" He was also heard saying: "There's something wrong with America." [No kidding! Ed.]

Four people, including the rabbi, were taken hostage. Others were evacuated from the area shortly after.

Apparently the attacker, who has not been named, but has been identified as a "Muslim citizen of Britain", was demanding the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist who is currently serving an 86-year prison term in the USA, having been convicted of trying to kill American soldiers while in custody in Afghanistan. 

The attacker claimed to be Ms Siddiqui's brother, but her attorney told the Clinton News Network that the hostage-taker was not her brother, saying Siddiqui's family condemned his "heinous" actions. [No kidding! Ed.]

Texas resident Victoria Francis, who was watching the livestream before it cut out, told AP that she heard the man rant against America and claim he had a bomb. "He was pretty irritated and the more irritated he got, he'd make more threats," she said. 

The cops sent in the SWAT team, while FBI negotiators spent hours talking to the assailant. Explosions and gunfire could be heard before the ten-hour stand-off ended and the hostages released unharmed. Not so the unidentified (so far) jihadi wannabe, who was sent to Paradise where he is presumably being serviced by 72 virgins.

 

UPDATE added at noon: Authorities have identified the Colleyville synagogue hostage-taker as 44-year-old Malik Faisal Akram, a British citizen. No more information about Akram has been provided. As to the late Mr Akram's motivation, FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno said "We will continue to work to find motives.... We believe that, from engaging with the subject, he was singularly focused on one issue and it was not specifically related to the Jewish community." [Seriously? Ed.]

Further update added 17/1/22 @ 0600. Greater Manchester (UK) police announced yesterday that "Two teenagers were detained in South Manchester this evening. They remain in custody." Isn't that interesting! The FBI's field office in Dallas had earlier said there was "no indication" that anyone else was involved in the attack on the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue. And then this, mere hours later.

Innocent question from Walt: Mr Akram, a resident of the Blackburn area of Lancashire, UK, arrived in America just two weeks ago. Who let him in? Did anyone ask him his reason for coming to the USA? Just askin'... 

Apparently Mr Malik's brother, Gulbar Malik, wondered the same thing. "He's known to police," the brother told an interviewer from Sky News. "Got a criminal record. How was he allowed to get a visa and acquire a gun?" Good question, to which the FBI/DHS/CBP has no answers.