Two Americans Stabbed by Afghan Man at Amsterdam Train Station

The U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands reports that the two victims of yesterday’s stabbing at the Amsterdam Central Train Station by an Afghani man were Americans.

A statement released by Ambassador Pete Hoekstra thanked Dutch authorities who aided the victims and who quickly captured the suspect.

My statement on yesterday's attack at Amsterdam Centraal Station.https://t.co/BlptgGOLzZ

— Ambassador Pete Hoekstra (@usambnl) September 1, 2018

The stabbing happened around noon Friday. The suspect, a 19-year-old Afghan man with a German residency permit, was shot by police at the scene and taken into custody.

Dutch police officers point their guns at a wounded 19-year-old man who was shot by police after stabbing two American tourists in the central railway station in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Friday Aug. 31, 2018.The individual is a 19 year old Muslim Afghani refugee. pic.twitter.com/R54vpoqIx8

— Beirut Mugharid (@BeirutMugharid) September 1, 2018

Authorities say that the injuries to the two American victims are not severe.

Dutch police have said that they are investigating the incident as a possible terror attack.

VIDEO: Dutch police are investigating a suspected terror attack at Amsterdam's Central Station, in which two people were stabbed before the knifeman was shot by police. pic.twitter.com/PXepEocHbv

— AFP news agency (@AFP) September 1, 2018

Among the motives being investigated is that the stabbing was in response to a call on Thursday by the Taliban to take action against the Netherlands in order to retaliate against a planned Muhammad cartoon contest inside the Dutch Parliament sponsored by controversial political leader Geert Wilders.

#NIEUWS
Engelse vertaling beschikbaar van uitgebracht statement Afghaanse #Taliban. Zij veroordelen de cartoonwedstrijd, gehouden door Geert Wilders. pic.twitter.com/kfsHTaqKfU

— Terrorisme Nieuws (@TerreurNieuwsNL) August 29, 2018

The Taliban also threatened Dutch NATO troops stationed in Afghanistan.

Afghan Taliban threats to turn weapons on Dutch troops in Afghanistan likely be the reason of cancelation of caricature contest by #GeertWilders pic.twitter.com/cULvzP6Zsu

— Izharullah (@Izhar2u) August 30, 2018

Wilders called off the planned event after the threats, following large protests in Pakistan.

Islam showed its true face once again with death threats, fatwas and violence.

However, the safety and security of my fellow countrymen comes first. https://t.co/1IL5NFWR7d

— Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) August 30, 2018

Earlier this week a Pakistani man was arrested in Holland for threats he made against Wilders in a Facebook post.

Netherlands police has detained 26-year-old Pakistani man suspected of threatening an attack on Dutch Parliament/ MP Geert Wilders for scheduling anti-Islam cartoon competition. In the Facebook post, suspect tells that he's travelled from France to Holland to stop the blasphemy. pic.twitter.com/u8qf5yxHoL

— Naila Inayat नायला इनायत (@nailainayat) August 28, 2018

A Muhammad cartoon contest event in Garland, Texas, at which Wilders was the keynote speaker, was targeted by two ISIS supporters in May 2015.

The two men, Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, were killed by police at the scene.

As I reported here at PJ Media, the two suspects were being followed by an undercover FBI agent to the event, following directly behind the terrorists’ vehicle and taking pictures just seconds before the attack.

The undercover agent had been in direct contact with the two terrorists in the days and weeks leading up the event, even encouraging the pair to “tear up Texas.”

This FBI agent apparently egged on a Texas terrorist: https://t.co/rKIA8gnsKo pic.twitter.com/oMFBL9cq4o

— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) August 5, 2016

However, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security said days before the event that they didn’t anticipate any attacks inside the U.S. because of the event.

Jihadist chatter about the Garland event was sparked by a demand by two Muslim U.S. congressmen — Keith Ellison and Andre Carson — who asked the State Department to prohibit Wilders from entering the country to attend the event.