After initially arresting the wrong man, German authorities are reportedly on a massive manhunt for Anis Amri, a 23-year-old Tunisian. Amri became the focus of the Berlin Christmas market attack after police found his ID in the cab of the truck that mowed down scores of holiday shoppers.

Cultural and political leaders in Europe and even in America are in shock. Not at the horror of the attack — the 12 dead and dozens wounded. Instead, they are worried that people will demand an end to the left’s open borders ideology.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel confessed that “it would be especially hard for us all to bear if it were confirmed that the person who committed this act was someone who sought protection and asylum.” Frau Merkel had better reach for the Maalox.

It turns out that Anis Amri arrived in Germany in 2015 and applied for asylum this year. Evidently, he has known connections to radical Islamists, and was arrested and released earlier this year. He was supposed to be under surveillance, but somehow managed to evade the authorities.

None of this should be a surprise to anyone. ISIS told us it was infiltrating the massive waves of migrants and refugees with terrorists. The CIA has warned us. Even the Germans were well aware of the danger.

Tis The Busy Season

Everybody is busier during the Christmas season, and no one more so than Barack Obama.

He has dramatically accelerated the influx of refugees from the Middle East, bringing in more than 23,000 in recent weeks. He imposed harsh new regulations against coal companies.

[Tuesday], Obama issued an order effectively banning oil exploration off much of the Atlantic coast and in the Arctic. And he did so using an obscure law, which some officials contend cannot be undone by President-elect Trump.

The intake of new refugees is particularly troubling because the administration refuses to tell governors when refugees are settled in their states. Clearly, the vetting process is not as good as it needs to be, as we saw in Berlin this week.

Some politicians say that Angela Merkel has the blood of the Berlin victims on her hands. I would add that Obama’s hands are not clean either.

He was among the most high-profile supporters of her open border policies, which allowed more than 1 million refugees into Germany. Obama said Merkel was on the “right side of history” and promised “substantial support.”

You may recall that when Hillary Clinton was asked who she most admired on the world stage she said Angela Merkel and cited her “bravery” in accepting so many migrants.

Donald Trump and Mike Pence will have so many urgent things to deal with the moment their hands come off their Bibles after their swearing in. I hope they will immediately stop the massive influx of people coming into the country from nations infected by the virulent scourge of radical Islam.

Refugees are supposed to be brought into the country as temporary residents, while plans are made for their return to their home countries or resettlement in other nations. That is not happening now. Refugees are being brought in as part of a left-wing effort to fundamentally transform America.

My view is that when we refer to our Judeo-Christian nation, it is like nails on a chalk board to those on the left. They reject assimilation and “embrace diversity.” At a minimum, they want America to become a Judeo-Christian-Muslim nation.

Before someone accuses me of intolerance, let me point out that the civilization built on the first two faiths is in many ways the exact opposite of that built by the Muslim world. And I am willing to debate this with anyone who disagrees.

A Notre Dame Christmas

I don’t have the heart to share with you any of the other troubling things that are going on. This is the Christmas season after all. So here’s something that will warm your heart and bring a smile to your face.

Notre Dame point guard Matt Farrell probably got the best Christmas present he could have imagined. In Monday night’s game, he scored 13 points to help the Irish win 77-to-62 against the Colgate Raiders. But the win was minor compared to what happened next.

As the game ended, a special holiday message appeared on the Jumbotron. It was Matt’s brother, Army First Lieutenant Bo Farrell, who was deployed to Afghanistan and not due to return home until February.

“Matty, I’ve been watching you tonight from here,” Bo said. “For us, home is wherever we’re together. And I look forward to being home with you soon. Really, really soon.”

It turns out soon was a lot sooner than the Farrell family imagined. Bo had come home early and had been in the stadium the whole game. He had planned this surprise with the Notre Dame athletic department for two months. You can watch the video here.