Early on New Year's Day, police say a 42-year-old Army veteran drove a rented truck flying a black ISIS flag into a crowd of New Orleans revelers, killing at least 15 people and injuring over 30 more. The attack, which the FBI is investigating as an act of terrorism, comes on the heels of a similar attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, that killed five and injured dozens, and follows an FBI warning to law enforcement on December 6 to prepare for low-tech vehicle ramming attacks at outdoor crowds during the holiday season. The New Orleans attack seems to have been planned to enact as much harm as possible, including the attacker's use of an electric truck rented on a car-sharing app, which provided low-cost, easy access to a vehicle. A main prevention strategy for the U.S. government in this area is called "secondary prevention" and is almost entirely focused on stopping an already-radicalized actor from effectively executing an attack. But the apparent ease with which the perpetrator planned and executed the attack — despite the FBI warning — suggests our national strategy for preventing mass violence and violent extremism is failing. This is a preview of Cynthia Miller-Idriss latest article. Read the full column here. |
