Key Takeaways:
– The recent terror attack in New Orleans by a U.S. citizen and Army veteran claiming ISIS inspiration resulted in 14 deaths.
– Allies of Donald Trump, including Kimberly Guilfoyle and Steve Bannon, have criticized the FBI for not preventing the attack. They argue that the agency was overly focused on white supremacist investigations.
– The FBI had not commented on these allegations at the time of reporting.
– Some argue these claims ignore data on terror acts committed on U.S. soil and the understanding of what is most effective in stopping such events.
The terror attack Tuesday in New Orleans, claimed to be the work of ISIS and resulting in the tragic loss of 14 lives, has added fuel to a significant controversy. Allies of president-elect Donald Trump, including Kimberly Guilfoyle who has an appointment as ambassador to Greece, and Steve Bannon, the former White House strategist, have scrutinized the FBI severely. They suggest the bureau failed to prevent the dreadful event due to an excessive focus on white supremacist investigations.
“Distraction from the Real Threat”
In a commentary on the streaming video platform Rumble, Guilfoyle amplified the president-elect’s fusion of unauthorized border crossings with Islamic extremism, despite the absence of proven connections. She directed her criticism at the Department of Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorcas, accusing him of being more concerned with white supremacy than the threat of Islamic terrorism.
Similarly, Bannon, in an episode of his “War Room” podcast dedicated to the New Orleans attack, criticized the bureau for being more focused on white nationalists and white separatists instead of the real threat.
However, their criticism neglects an essential fact; the culprit, named Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was an American citizen and Army veteran residing in Houston.
Accusations of Political Influence
Guilfoyle and Bannon have questioned the FBI’s balance between investigating extremists with ideologies linked to Isis and those associated with white supremacy.
A former special agent, Kyle Seraphin, suggested that prioritizing intelligence gathering based on political leanings led to the FBI being “upside down.” He argued that the focus on white supremacy resulted in the neglect of international terrorism.
While the devastating September 11, 2001 attack by Islamic extremists resulted in the highest number of fatalities within the last 25 years, the number of white supremacist attacks has been increasing steadily from 2012 through 2019, according to data.
Reports show that the last lethal Islamic extremist attack on U.S. soil was carried out by a citizen of Saudi Arabia in 2019. Yet, there hadn’t been a significant jihadist-inspired terror attack in the U.S. before Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s attack in New Orleans, as confirmed by Jon Lewis, a researcher at the Program on Extremism at George Washington University.
Call for Return to Old Policies
Retired Army Col. Derek Harvey suggested the FBI’s focus should return to groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, a group Trump tried unsuccessfully to designate as a foreign terrorist organization during his term. Previously, Harvey worked as a senior aide to former Rep. Devin Nunes, and the two played a significant role in challenging the FBI’s investigations into Trump’s campaign’s potential ties with Russia.
A Dangerous Game
These seemingly strategic criticisms stoke anti-immigrant hatred, promote anti-government conspiracies, and aim to undermine the legitimacy of the FBI, according to some observers.
Elizabeth Neumann, who served as assistant secretary for threat prevention and security policy at the Department of Homeland Security during the first Trump administration, noted that such commentaries appear designed to support a specific political agenda; that is, justifying further drastic actions at the border and a possible third travel ban.
Ultimately, to prevent such tragic incidents, experts argue that a balanced and well-rounded approach is required, elevating focus on early indications of potential terror acts and maintaining focus on all forms of extremism.
“Whether you’re inspired by ISIS or a militia or antifa, the underlying psycho-social factors of potential perpetrators show a lot of similarities,” mentioned Neumann, emphasizing the need for proper care and treatment to prevent individuals from resorting to terrorist acts.
Thus, attempting to link this tragic event to political agendas may distort the path towards effective solutions. The necessity for strong vigilance against all forms of extremism remains critical to prevent similar tragedies in the future.