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| Germany Releases Berlin Attack Suspect as ISIS Claims Involvement | Germany Releases Berlin Attack Suspect as ISIS Claims Involvement |
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| BERLIN — For a Germany that likes to see itself as meticulous, the slip-up was startling: Hours after the authorities said they had grabbed a suspect in the deadly truck rampage at a Christmas market in Berlin, they acknowledged they may have detained the wrong man and began a desperate search for the actual driver. | BERLIN — For a Germany that likes to see itself as meticulous, the slip-up was startling: Hours after the authorities said they had grabbed a suspect in the deadly truck rampage at a Christmas market in Berlin, they acknowledged they may have detained the wrong man and began a desperate search for the actual driver. |
| The decision on Tuesday to release the suspect and the Islamic State’s claim of responsibility for the bloody attack inflicted a damaging blow to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government. | The decision on Tuesday to release the suspect and the Islamic State’s claim of responsibility for the bloody attack inflicted a damaging blow to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government. |
| On a chaotic day of grief and uncertainty, after 12 people were killed and dozens injured on Monday, leaders of the country’s rising far-right Alternative for Germany party assailed the chancellor in blunt, visceral terms, describing the victims as “Merkel’s dead.” | On a chaotic day of grief and uncertainty, after 12 people were killed and dozens injured on Monday, leaders of the country’s rising far-right Alternative for Germany party assailed the chancellor in blunt, visceral terms, describing the victims as “Merkel’s dead.” |
| The attack, which saw a driver steer a speeding tractor-trailer through crowds of shoppers at a popular Christmas market in central Berlin, is already reshaping what promises to be a tumultuous European political year in 2017. Mr. Merkel is the most powerful defender of the reeling European Union, yet such a bloody terror attack on German soil is certain to complicate her campaign for a fourth term in office. The prospect that she could be weakened, or voted out, would be potentially devastating for the bloc. | The attack, which saw a driver steer a speeding tractor-trailer through crowds of shoppers at a popular Christmas market in central Berlin, is already reshaping what promises to be a tumultuous European political year in 2017. Mr. Merkel is the most powerful defender of the reeling European Union, yet such a bloody terror attack on German soil is certain to complicate her campaign for a fourth term in office. The prospect that she could be weakened, or voted out, would be potentially devastating for the bloc. |
| The German fight against terrorism, which has proved to be uneven, is not helping her. It was only two months ago when the authorities in the state of Saxony failed to catch a dangerous suspect who was preparing bombs in his apartment and arrested him only after three plucky Syrians caught the man, who then committed suicide in custody. | The German fight against terrorism, which has proved to be uneven, is not helping her. It was only two months ago when the authorities in the state of Saxony failed to catch a dangerous suspect who was preparing bombs in his apartment and arrested him only after three plucky Syrians caught the man, who then committed suicide in custody. |
| Beyond politics, the assault made plain that Germany, like France and Belgium, is now a primary European target for mass terror attacks. On Tuesday evening, the Islamic State issued a statement through its Amaq news agency describing the driver of the truck as “a soldier.” But the group offered no other details about the driver’s identity, or whether he had directly interacted with it or was just sympathetic to it. | Beyond politics, the assault made plain that Germany, like France and Belgium, is now a primary European target for mass terror attacks. On Tuesday evening, the Islamic State issued a statement through its Amaq news agency describing the driver of the truck as “a soldier.” But the group offered no other details about the driver’s identity, or whether he had directly interacted with it or was just sympathetic to it. |
| The day began with what seemed to be a breakthrough, as the authorities announced that they were interrogating a 23-year-old Pakistani asylum seeker, arrested the previous night, who arrived in Germany last December. Yet within hours, doubts arose that he was the perpetrator, and by evening the federal prosecutor said the man had been released because there was no evidence linking him to the crime. An examination of the cab of the truck turned up no sign that he had been in it, the prosecutor said. | The day began with what seemed to be a breakthrough, as the authorities announced that they were interrogating a 23-year-old Pakistani asylum seeker, arrested the previous night, who arrived in Germany last December. Yet within hours, doubts arose that he was the perpetrator, and by evening the federal prosecutor said the man had been released because there was no evidence linking him to the crime. An examination of the cab of the truck turned up no sign that he had been in it, the prosecutor said. |
| The attack came at a precarious moment in Germany, amid concerns about Russian meddling in domestic politics and a still angry populist backlash against Ms. Merkel over her decision to open the German border to nearly a million migrants and refugees in 2015. Across Europe on Tuesday, where the threat of terrorism is now a factor in daily life, a familiar anxiety seemed evident in some major cities. Central Rome appeared oddly empty only days after shoppers had filled many streets. | The attack came at a precarious moment in Germany, amid concerns about Russian meddling in domestic politics and a still angry populist backlash against Ms. Merkel over her decision to open the German border to nearly a million migrants and refugees in 2015. Across Europe on Tuesday, where the threat of terrorism is now a factor in daily life, a familiar anxiety seemed evident in some major cities. Central Rome appeared oddly empty only days after shoppers had filled many streets. |
| In Berlin, several hundred people attended an emotional service held between the wooden stalls of the Christmas market, located beside the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, a symbolic site whose spire, jagged from bomb damage, was intentionally left unrepaired after World War II. Among those who came were a group of 60 to 70 members of a local mosque. | In Berlin, several hundred people attended an emotional service held between the wooden stalls of the Christmas market, located beside the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, a symbolic site whose spire, jagged from bomb damage, was intentionally left unrepaired after World War II. Among those who came were a group of 60 to 70 members of a local mosque. |
| “We wanted to show our solidarity,” said Hasnen Ahmad, a member of the group, “and that our community stands for peace.” | “We wanted to show our solidarity,” said Hasnen Ahmad, a member of the group, “and that our community stands for peace.” |
| Throughout the day, the German authorities expanded their investigation, even as they offered few details and apparently made fewer breakthroughs. At one point, the authorities pleaded with the public to turn over any videos or other evidence taken from the market during the attack. | Throughout the day, the German authorities expanded their investigation, even as they offered few details and apparently made fewer breakthroughs. At one point, the authorities pleaded with the public to turn over any videos or other evidence taken from the market during the attack. |
| A basic chronology did emerge: The attacker first hijacked a heavy truck belonging to a Polish company that was en route to Berlin bearing a load of steel girders. At some point, he apparently killed the driver and then, with the body still in the cab, sped east past Berlin’s Zoo Station and onto Budapester Strasse, a main thoroughfare. | A basic chronology did emerge: The attacker first hijacked a heavy truck belonging to a Polish company that was en route to Berlin bearing a load of steel girders. At some point, he apparently killed the driver and then, with the body still in the cab, sped east past Berlin’s Zoo Station and onto Budapester Strasse, a main thoroughfare. |
| At about 8 p.m. on Monday, the driver swerved off the street and plowed through the Christmas market, steering between the rows of temporary wooden stands, which typically sell items such as handmade Christmas ornaments or mulled wine. Like most Christmas markets in the Germany, this one was packed with shoppers, who suddenly tried to flee in horror. | |
| After traveling at least 50 yards, striking scores of people and leaving behind a trail of shattered wood and glass, the truck swerved back toward the street, coming to a stop after it struck a wooden structure, according to German press reports. | |
| German officials are normally tight-lipped about high-profile investigations, preferring to withhold any information until they have clear answers. Little was known about the 12 victims of the attacks, or the wounded, though an Italian and an Israeli may have been among the victims. | |
| Fabrizia Di Lorenzo, an Italian transportation specialist who has been living in Germany for three years, was missing and her father feared the worst, after her cellphone and transit pass were found near the market. | |
| “We are here with my wife, waiting for the DNA results,” Gaetano Di Lorenzo told Corriere della Serra, an Italian newspaper. “We are waiting for confirmation, but I am not deluding myself.” | “We are here with my wife, waiting for the DNA results,” Gaetano Di Lorenzo told Corriere della Serra, an Italian newspaper. “We are waiting for confirmation, but I am not deluding myself.” |
| In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attack “may have claimed the life of an Israeli citizen,” a reference to a missing woman, Dalia Elkayam, whose husband, Rami Elkayam, was injured in the episode. | |
| Ariel Zurawski, the head of the Polish company that owned the truck, said the dead man found inside the cab was his cousin, Lukasz, who was 37 and married with a child. | |
| Mr. Zurawski said that Lukasz had been driving a shipment of construction materials to Berlin from Italy and that he had identified him from police photographs of the dead man. German officials declined to give further information on the victim. | Mr. Zurawski said that Lukasz had been driving a shipment of construction materials to Berlin from Italy and that he had identified him from police photographs of the dead man. German officials declined to give further information on the victim. |
| The arrest of the Pakistani suspect came after a witness told the police that he had seen a suspect jump from the truck. The witness tried to follow him through a nearby park to where he was arrested. | The arrest of the Pakistani suspect came after a witness told the police that he had seen a suspect jump from the truck. The witness tried to follow him through a nearby park to where he was arrested. |
| Political opponents of Ms. Merkel quickly seized on his status as an asylum seeker to renew their criticism that her migration policies had made Germany vulnerable to terrorism — before the man was cleared of suspicion. | Political opponents of Ms. Merkel quickly seized on his status as an asylum seeker to renew their criticism that her migration policies had made Germany vulnerable to terrorism — before the man was cleared of suspicion. |
| “Germany is no longer safe,” declared Frauke Petry, leader of the Alternative for Germany Party. Noting the successive terrorist attacks in France, including the Nice attack in July, Ms. Petry called the carnage at the Berlin market “not just an attack on our freedom and our way of life, but also on our Christian tradition.” | |
| Daniela Schwarzer, leader of the German Council on Foreign Relations, said the harsh reaction offered a taste of the bitter debate to come in 2017. | |
| “They were very quick to link this directly to Merkel, and they said horrific things, blaming her for the deaths,” Ms. Schwarzer said. | “They were very quick to link this directly to Merkel, and they said horrific things, blaming her for the deaths,” Ms. Schwarzer said. |
| “That gives us a sense of what is coming in the electoral campaign,” she said, adding that after an especially nasty presidential campaign in the United States, German politicians, too, may abandon traditional decorum. | “That gives us a sense of what is coming in the electoral campaign,” she said, adding that after an especially nasty presidential campaign in the United States, German politicians, too, may abandon traditional decorum. |
| Early in the day, a somber Ms. Merkel, dressed in black, briefly spoke to the news media and later lay a white rose at a memorial near the scene of the attack. | Early in the day, a somber Ms. Merkel, dressed in black, briefly spoke to the news media and later lay a white rose at a memorial near the scene of the attack. |
| “We must assume at the current time that it was a terrorist attack,” Ms. Merkel said on Tuesday, as she vowed to punish those behind the crimes “as severely as our laws demand.” | “We must assume at the current time that it was a terrorist attack,” Ms. Merkel said on Tuesday, as she vowed to punish those behind the crimes “as severely as our laws demand.” |
| In a country where a painful experience with totalitarianism has placed personal privacy at a premium, the investigation was sure to be complicated by the absence of surveillance cameras that have become the norm in cities like London. In addition to their appeals for tips or crime scene video, officials also pleaded with people to avoid posting them on social media outlets. | In a country where a painful experience with totalitarianism has placed personal privacy at a premium, the investigation was sure to be complicated by the absence of surveillance cameras that have become the norm in cities like London. In addition to their appeals for tips or crime scene video, officials also pleaded with people to avoid posting them on social media outlets. |
| Security officials have been warning that Germany remains in the sights of terrorists, without naming any specific threats. Coming as many families were winding down their work for the year and readying holiday festivities, the attack left the country in subdued shock. Other Christmas markets in the city were closed on Tuesday, and flags were lowered to half-staff. | Security officials have been warning that Germany remains in the sights of terrorists, without naming any specific threats. Coming as many families were winding down their work for the year and readying holiday festivities, the attack left the country in subdued shock. Other Christmas markets in the city were closed on Tuesday, and flags were lowered to half-staff. |
| “Twelve people were among us yesterday and were happy about Christmas and the holidays,” Ms. Merkel said. “This is incomprehensible, this act that robbed them of their lives.” | “Twelve people were among us yesterday and were happy about Christmas and the holidays,” Ms. Merkel said. “This is incomprehensible, this act that robbed them of their lives.” |
| She urged people not to bow to fear and suspicion, telling Germans they must continue to uphold their traditions, even when faced with the reality that democracy is vulnerable. “We don’t want to do without Christmas markets, without nice outings together,” she said. “We do not wish to let fear and angst take away our freedom to live.” | She urged people not to bow to fear and suspicion, telling Germans they must continue to uphold their traditions, even when faced with the reality that democracy is vulnerable. “We don’t want to do without Christmas markets, without nice outings together,” she said. “We do not wish to let fear and angst take away our freedom to live.” |
| Thomas de Maizière, Germany’s interior minister, said that there would be increased security in public places and at key transit hubs, and that local officials would make decisions about events that might need to be curtailed for safety reasons. | Thomas de Maizière, Germany’s interior minister, said that there would be increased security in public places and at key transit hubs, and that local officials would make decisions about events that might need to be curtailed for safety reasons. |
| Officials have been aware for some time of the risk of attacks on holiday-themed events in Europe. The State Department issued a travel alert on Nov. 21 recommending that Americans “exercise caution at holiday festivals, events and outdoor markets” throughout the Continent. | Officials have been aware for some time of the risk of attacks on holiday-themed events in Europe. The State Department issued a travel alert on Nov. 21 recommending that Americans “exercise caution at holiday festivals, events and outdoor markets” throughout the Continent. |
| “Credible information” indicated that the Islamic State, its affiliates and sympathizers “continue to plan terrorist attacks in Europe, with a focus on the upcoming holiday season and associated events,” the alert said, and that an attack could come with little or no warning. | |
| Throughout Tuesday, Berlin residents bearing flowers and candles placed them at makeshift memorials on either side of the church. Oliver Horn said he had written the slogan “Même pas peur” (French for “Not even afraid”), from the aftermath of the Nice attacks, on a poster and hung it near the site on his way to work on Tuesday. | Throughout Tuesday, Berlin residents bearing flowers and candles placed them at makeshift memorials on either side of the church. Oliver Horn said he had written the slogan “Même pas peur” (French for “Not even afraid”), from the aftermath of the Nice attacks, on a poster and hung it near the site on his way to work on Tuesday. |
| “It just came to my mind,” he said of the gesture. “I felt I had to do something.” | “It just came to my mind,” he said of the gesture. “I felt I had to do something.” |
| The sign caught the attention of Cyril Leteuil, who was visiting Berlin from Bordeaux. “It’s just like Nice,” he said. “We’ve seen this in France.” | The sign caught the attention of Cyril Leteuil, who was visiting Berlin from Bordeaux. “It’s just like Nice,” he said. “We’ve seen this in France.” |