Austrian Minister of Interior admitted the oversight: We were warned

Austrian Minister of Interior admitted the oversight: We were warned

Nehammer told reporters that the information was correct that the Slovak intelligence service informed the Austrian Service for the Protection of the Constitution and Counter-Terrorism (BVT) this summer about the person's attempt to buy ammunition.

"Obviously, there were communication problems in the next steps," the minister said, announcing that he would propose to the Austrian National Security Council the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry to shed light on the case.

He said that it was obvious that the predecessor Herbert Kickl had caused great damage to BVT, while destroying this service.

"Surprisingly, the one who is responsible for the destruction of BVT, the one who is responsible for the loss of trust in the partner services, and the creation of an insecure situation in Austria, is now the loudest," he said.

He pointed out that they are working on the reform of BVT and that the investigation commission will be a support to include everything in the reforms regarding the omissions in the current case.

Nehammer said that during the investigation in connection with the terrorist attack, the police searched numerous apartments of people from the area of the killed attacker and that they arrested 14 people, who are between 18 and 28 years old.

All of them, as he added, are of migrant origin and some of them do not have Austrian citizenship.

As he stated, an investigation is being conducted against them due to the terrorist association.

According to him, the police, based on the insight into the video material submitted by the citizens, and there was more than enough material, confirmed the theory about only one attacker.

Also, he says, the video showed the brutality of the attacker.

"Now, 43 hours after the terrorist attack, there are many questions, and one question - who is to blame for the attack, there is a clear answer, and that is always the perpetrator," Nehammer said.

He pointed out that the task of the police is to do everything to prevent such attacks, and if they happen, to end them as soon as possible.

"The VEGA special unit acted extraordinarily and neutralized the attacker in nine minutes. However, some other things were not good," he stated.

Nehammer said that it is now clear that the attacker "fooled" the deradicalization program, on the basis of which he was released from custody prematurely.

In this regard, he said that it is necessary to make some changes in order to act effectively against all those who are in danger, and this applies not only to those in prison, but also to those who are at large and who are presumed to endanger security.

Director General for Public Safety Franz Ruf said that the investigation commission, proposed by the minister, should determine whether everything was in accordance with the law regarding the investigation of information obtained from Slovakia.

As for the attacker, he said that he tried to travel to Afghanistan in August 2018, but did not get a visa, so he later tried to reach Syria through Turkey in order to join the Islamic State.

Turkish authorities arrested and expelled him to Austria on January 9, where he was recognized and arrested as a terrorist, on the basis of which he was later sentenced to prison.

The Vienna police chief, Gerhard Puerstl, said that they were investigating how the attacker got to the crime scene, because by inspecting the video material of the city transport, it was established that he did not use the subway.

Another thing that the police are investigating, as he added, is the video from November 3, in which the attacker takes the oath to the Islamic State in Arabic.

"The question is whether he uttered those words or it was added later. It is unclear where he could have learned to speak Arabic in that way," Puerstl explained.