Islamic State: Despite the Fall of Its Caliphate, the Group Is Still Influencing Terrorism

Intelligence agencies have foiled many more. In August, for example, three Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna, Austria, were cancelled after the authorities arrested two people who were allegedly planning an attack. The suspects had been radicalized by extremist Islamist propaganda from IS and Al-Qaida.

Challenges Moving Forward
Jabbar’s attack demonstrated an ability to keep up with technological developments. Security camera footage shows Jabbar cycling through the Bourbon Street area a few months before the attack while filming on Meta smart glasses to record a video. This enabled Jabbar to become familiar with the area and assess its security measures.

On the day of the attack itself, Jabbar also drove an electric truck. This enabled him to cause as many causalities as possible as electric vehicles can accelerate faster than their gas-powered counterparts. The use of emerging technologies by terrorists clearly presents a significant challenge for law enforcement and intelligence officials moving forward.

Another important point to consider is Jabbar’s background in the US military. The involvement of military personnel in far-right extremism and terrorism has become an increasing concern over recent years. Research has found that the proportion of terrorist attacks in the US involving people with a military background jumped from 0.8% in 2018 to 6.4% in 2020.

The attack on the US Capitol Building on January 6 2021 brought the issue of extremism within the armed forces firmly into the spotlight. A former air force officer called Larry Brock was sentenced to two years in prison in 2023 for his role in the riots. Of the 400 people who have been sentenced for their role in the attack, at least 70 had served in the military.

Similarly, in 2022, a German soldier named Franco Albrecht was found guilty of plotting to carry out attacks on senior politicians and anti-racist activists while posing as a Syrian refugee, hoping the blame would be placed on migrants. Albrecht’s case triggered an attempt to seek out more far-right networks in the German military.

At the time of writing, there is not much information about how Jabbar himself became radicalized. But there is enough evidence to suggest that radicalization is not a linear process and differs from one person to another. It could happen to anyone and individuals may not even realize the process they have gone through.

Causes of radicalization vary. They are not limited to people with certain types of vulnerabilities or grievances, and cannot be attributed to people with mental health issues. This is simply because not everyone experiencing mental health problems or grievances will resort to violence to address their problems.

The FBI continues to gather information about the motive behind the attack and Jabbar’s potential affiliations with terrorist groups. But the findings related to the technology he used and his military background of highlight the challenge states face moving forward in their efforts to combat and eliminate the threat posed by terrorism.

Busra Nisa Sarac is Lecturer in Terrorism Studies, University of Portsmouth. This article is published courtesy of The Conversation.