ISIS-inspired New Orleans terrorist attack is horrific reminder of threat US faces | Opinion
Americans need to know the extent of terrorist threats inside the United States, and we need to know what our government is doing to protect us.
The horrific attack early Wednesday in New Orleans, which killed at least 14 people and injured more than 30 others, is an agonizing reminder that the Islamic State continues to recruit and inspire enemies, foreign and domestic.
This attack should inspire vigilance and unity in America. And we must take the threat of future terrorist attacks seriously in a world increasingly divided by armed violence.
The FBI identified the suspect in the New Orleans attack as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old Army veteran and Texas native. Police say he drove a 3-ton truck at a high rate of speed into a festive crowd on Bourbon Street in the early hours of New Year's Day. Jabbar was dressed in military gear and reportedly carried an ISIS flag in the rental truck. Police shot and killed him as he opened fire on officers after the crash.
FBI says New Orleans attacker joined ISIS
The FBI reportedly found recorded evidence indicating that Jabbar had planned to kill his family but joined ISIS instead.
This time, the weapon was a speeding truck. Next time, it could be even worse.
On the same day as the New Orleans attack, a Tesla Cybertruck − loaded with gas tanks, camping fuel and fireworks − exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. Police said the driver, who was killed in the blast, used a device to set off the explosion, which injured seven people.
Federal authorities are investigating whether the incidents in Las Vegas and New Orleans are related.
What radicalized Jabbar, who served in the Army for more than a decade? And how deep were his connections to ISIS?
New Orleans terrorist attack comes as ISIS ramps up recruitment
Those aren't merely idle questions. For months, U.S. officials have warned that a branch of ISIS based in Afghanistan has significantly increased its recruitment efforts in the United States and other countries.
In October, an immigrant from Afghanistan living in Oklahoma was charged with planning to launch a terrorist attack on Election Day. Authorities in Europe in recent months said they stopped similar terrorist attacks planned against targets in France and Sweden.
Americans need to know the extent of the threats inside the United States, and we need to know what our government is doing to protect us.
The current political environment in which this terrorist act, or acts, took place must not be overlooked. Only weeks from Inauguration Day, Republicans in Congress are fighting over who will serve as House speaker. The Senate also will be led by a new majority leader.
Terrorists look for weak spots that they can exploit, and the fact that the presidential transition is unfolding and new leadership may be on the way in both houses of Congress would appear to create an opportunity to sow fear and confusion.
Political infighting is a petty privilege that takes Americans' safety and the nation's stability for granted. Our political leaders act as if each day is guaranteed to them and their constituents. It's not.
This act of terrorism should bring us back to the political center, with the White House and Congress focused on national security.
Terrorism has a way of clarifying things. We must embrace that clarity now. The act of terror perpetrated in New Orleans − and perhaps in Las Vegas − is a sobering reminder that fear and chaos can strike in the heart of America even as we gather to celebrate the hope and joy of a new year.
Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with Paste BN. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.