The Islamic State has applauded a man who killed 14 people when he rammed a truck into a busy New Orleans street early on New Year's Day, the group said in a newspaper Thursday that its online propaganda inspired the attack.
The group said the attacker who ran over pedestrians on Bourbon Street was “influenced by the rhetoric and message of the Islamic State.” but its message stopped and failed to call for responsibility.
The newspaper report, obtained by the Counter Extremism Project, a terror watchdog, appeared to mock the US media for “holding their breath” while waiting for ISIS to launch an attack.
Although the ISIS message did not specifically mention New Orleans, it did describe the attack on the American man and mentioned Meta glasses. The FBI said the attacker, Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, was wearing Meta glasses. and the Counter Extremism Project said the ISIS message was a reference to the New Orleans attack.
The truck driven by Mr. Jabbar, a 42-year-old US Army veteran from Texas, was carrying an ISIS flag. Mr. Jabbar, who was killed in a shootout with New Orleans police, also left a recorded message for his family, telling them he had joined a terrorist group.
The authorities denied that Mr. Jabbar had active ties to the terrorist group, but the FBI said he was “100 percent inspired by ISIS.”
It is not clear what online content Mr. Jabbar may have eaten before the attack, but ISIS produces weekly newsletters as part of a complex media operation that keeps its remote parts connected.
Experts say this latest claim is unusual for this group.
“Unlike other attacks in the past, where ISIS issued a claim for the attack, in this case, the group said the attacker was inspired by ISIS propaganda messages but did not say they had a direct relationship,” Joshua said. Fisher-Birch, researcher at the Counter Extremism Project.
The emphasis of the ISIS statement on the importance of people translating and sharing ISIS content, Mr. Fisher-Birch said, “he is talking about the efforts to continue spreading the official messages of this group and the illegal propaganda efforts by supporters.”
He added that this article includes a clear call for future attacks during events and holidays.
Aaron Boxman, Neil MacFarquhar again Alyssa J. Rubin reporting contributed.
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