FBI: Hostage taker was not focused on Jewish community

By JAKE BLEIBERG, ERIC TUCKER and MICHAEL BALSAMO
Associated Press

COLLEYVILLE, Texas (AP) — The FBI says the man who held hostages for hours inside a Texas synagogue was specifically focused on an issue not directly connected to the Jewish community. Authorities say all four hostages held at Congregation Beth Israel on Saturday are safe and unharmed. One was released during the standoff, three others were rescued when authorities entered the building. Authorities say the hostage taker is dead but are not saying how he was killed. FBI Special Agent in Charge Matt DeSarno says there’s no immediate indication the man had connections to any broader plan but that the agency’s investigation “will have global reach.” An official earlier told the AP that the hostage-taker demanded the release of a Pakistani neuroscientist suspected of having ties to al-Qaida.