An Islamic State banner secured to the pickup truck utilized in the attacks that resulted in numerous fatalities and injuries in New Orleans serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing menace posed by Islamist radicalism.
Investigators are diligently working to uncover the motives behind Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a US citizen and military veteran, who is allegedly responsible for the heinous act during the early hours of New Year’s Day, which seems to have been motivated by the terrorist organization better known as ISIS.
A pivotal inquiry will revolve around determining whether he was self-radicalized by the extremist beliefs of the terrorist organization or if he received guidance or support from active IS members or other individuals who have been radicalized.
Initially, the FBI stated that they did not believe the individual, who was fatally shot during a confrontation with law enforcement after driving his rental truck into a crowd in one of America’s most devastating terror incidents, acted independently.
Latest updates on New Orleans assault
However, President Joe Biden indicated that the “situation is very fluid”, and as the inquiry progresses, he advised that “no one should leap to assumptions”.
He also disclosed that the perpetrator had shared videos on social media just hours before the incident suggesting that he “was motivated by ISIS”.
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President Joe Biden mentioned Jabbar was ‘inspired by ISIS’
Regardless of the motivations leading Jabbar to execute such violence, his lethal spree and the display of the IS flag highlight the ongoing peril presented by extremist Islamist ideologies, five years post the physical dismantling of Islamic State’s declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar. Pic: FBI
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Former President Donald Trump has consistently asserted throughout his administration that he “defeated ISIS” during his initial term.
Indeed, the US-led coalition against Islamic State played a significant role in aiding Iraqi and Syrian Kurdish forces to reclaim vast territories previously under IS occupation.
Moreover, the US military executed a successful raid in October 2019 that resulted in the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the then-leader of Islamic State.
Pic: AP
Nevertheless, the extremist ideology that led countless individuals to pledge their loyalty to Islamic State—perpetrating brutal acts of murder, torture, and kidnapping against anyone who rejected their distorted interpretation of Sunni Islam—remains ever-present.
A significant number of fighters from the organization have been captured and are currently held in camps and detention facilities in northern Syria, yet their future appears increasingly uncertain following the downfall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, instigated by a rival Sunni Islamist militant group known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was formerly associated with Islamic State.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of HTS, who has become the de facto ruler of Syria, has attempted to sever ties with his group’s past associations with Islamist extremism.
Nonetheless, HTS continues to be classified as a terrorist organization by the UK, the US, and other Western nations.
analysts express concerns that the situation in Syria could invigorate sympathizers and supporters of Islamic State worldwide, leading to further acts of violence.
It is premature to directly associate specific events such as the fall of the Assad regime with the violence erupting on the streets of New Orleans.
Nonetheless, security leaders, including the head of MI5, have consistently cautioned about the reemerging peril posed by Islamic State and al-Qaeda.
In a speech delivered in October, Ken McCallum articulated the terrorist trend that alarms him most: “The accelerating threat from al-Qaeda and specifically from Islamic State”.
