As far as authorities can determine, the terrorist attack on New Orleans last week was an isolated incident. Only a single individual decided to plow into New Year’s Day revelers.
In information since discovered, he had been radicalized by the Islamic State terrorist group, better known as ISIS, over the past year.
Otherwise, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, age 42, gave no inkling he was disturbed.
He was a U.S. Army veteran living in Houston with a high-paying job in information technology security.
Fourteen have died from Jabbar driving his truck into a crowd with many others grievously wounded.
Research shows Jabbar planned for more carnage. His truck was loaded with guns and he had planted two explosive devices in coolers near the site of the attack which it appears he planned to detonate with a transmitter found in his truck.
Jabbar was shot dead by New Orleans police during the attack. In his rental truck was found an ISIS flag. And before the rampage he had sent family members videos saying he had become aligned with the terrorist group.
Jabbar was not, as President-elect Donald Trump claimed, an immigrant who had illegally crossed the U.S. border.
This violence was home-grown, and is the hardest nut to crack.
As columnist David Ignatius recently pointed out, you can’t destroy an idea. Something in its messaging made Jabbar switch his allegiance from the United States to ISIS.
In the 23 years since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Americans have dropped their guard against terrorist attacks, which is a good thing.
It does no good to live in a state of fear.
Credit goes to the intelligence networks within the Federal Bureau of investigation, Department of Defense, and Central Intelligence Agency authorities who have done a remarkable job of finding such plots as Jabbar’s and stopping them in advance.
In the coming weeks, members of the U.S. Senate will decide who will lead our national security institutions when they vet Trump’s cabinet appointments.
Kash Patel has been nominated to lead the FBI; Pete Hegseth the Department of Defense, and Tulsi Gabbard national intelligence.
