Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., slammed mainstream media coverage of the New Orleans terrorist attack for refusing to admit the U.S. is "in state of war against radical Islamic forces."
The FBI on Thursday said it believes the suspect in the New Year's Day attack acted alone, and that there is no "definitive link" between that attack, in which at least 14 people died, and the suspect and the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas hours later.
The FBI identified the New Orleans driver as Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, 42, who was flying a radical Islamic State (ISIS) flag from his truck when he plowed into a crowd of revelers.
"As I watch coverage of this barbaric, cowardly attack that was ISIS-inspired, it is disturbing how far America has drifted from the fact that we are in a state of war with radical Islamic forces," Graham posted Thursday on X.
"The coverage suggests we're fighting a crime and that ISIS-inspired attacks are mere criminal events, not part of the larger war on terrorism. The difference between fighting a war and a crime is substantial. It is now time for America to realize that radical Islamic-directed or inspired attacks are acts of war, not part of a criminal enterprise. The tools designed to protect America in a time of war are being under-utilized. I am hoping President [-elect Donald] Trump will realize this key distinction."
The two suspects of the ISIS-inspired New Orleans attack that killed at least 14 and the Tesla Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas reportedly served at the same military base. An ongoing investigation into both attacks is looking into terrorist ties.
"So what I can tell you right now is that he [Jabbar] was 100% inspired by ISIS. And so we're digging — we're digging through more of the social media, more interviews, working with some of our other partners to ascertain just how to ascertain a little bit more about that connection," Christopher Raia, deputy assistant director of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division, said at a news conference Thursday, CNN reported.
ISIS once imposed a reign of terror over millions of people in Syria and Iraq.
Though largely crushed by a U.S.-led coalition several years ago, ISIS has managed some major attacks while seeking to rebuild. The attacks include an assault on a Russian concert hall in March, killing at least 143 people, and two explosions that killed nearly 100 people in the Iranian city of Kerman in January.
ISIS also claimed responsibility for an assault by suicide attackers on a mosque in Oman last year, killing at least nine people.
Reuters contributed to this story.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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