Was New Orleans attack ISIS directed or inspired?

January 02, 2025 16:42

Update on the New Orleans attack: From CNN: One of the FBI's challenges when investigating the deadly New Orleans attack is determining whether the suspect was inspired by ISIS or directed by the Islamist militant group, a security expert said.

The attack had "several strategic and symbolic considerations as potentially textbook ISIS," Sajjan M. Gohel told CNN's Christina Macfarlane.

"So if you look at the combination of ramming and shooting, it does suggest a desire to maximize casualties. We've seen vehicle attacks by ISIS in the past," said Gohel, International Security Director at the Asia-Pacific Foundation.

"What you then see is that the suspect then seeks to kill as many people as possible, then die in a hail of bullets' what's described as 'death by cop'."

"I think the challenge now for the FBI is that -- was this inspired or was this directed by ISIS?" Gohel also pointed out that the attack, which happened less than a mile from where The Sugar Bowl was to be hosted hours later, prompting the annual college football game's postponement, was also intended to "have an economic repercussion."

The city is also due to host the Super Bowl and the Mardi Gras carnival, which attracts about a million people annually.

Gohel said the attack appeared well-planned.

"The fact that this individual was able to take his vehicle into a pedestrian part of Bourbon Street is important because it's very likely that he had done reconnaissance, advanced planning. So he knew the route and he knew how to bypass security."

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