NBC News justice and intelligence correspondent Ken Dilanian discussed growing concerns regarding ISIS-inspired radicals and far-right extremism during a report on the deadly New Year’s Day terror attack in New Orleans. The attack, which took place on Bourbon Street, killed 15 and injured at least 30. Dilanian highlighted the increasing risks associated with terrorist threats, especially in the wake of global tensions, including the controversy surrounding the war in Gaza.
The Biden administration's former Director of Hostage Rescue and Recovery and current Senior Vice President for Global Operations at The Soufan Group, Christopher O'Leary, told MSNBC that terrorist groups are "stronger now than they’ve ever been."
President Joe Biden said the FBI is leading an investigation to “determine what happened, why "it happened, and whether there is any continuing threat to public safety" after Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove into a crowd in New Orleans.
The suspect in the deadly New Year’s Day attack on Bourbon Street has been identified as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar, according to law enforcement sources confirmed by Fox 8 and the FBI.
The Defense Department disclosed on Thursday that the Biden administration has more than doubled the number of U.S. troops in Syria, increasing the total from approximately 900 to around 2,000.
Barbara Leaf, the State Department’s top official for the Middle East, will travel to Damascus this week, marking a significant step in U.S. diplomatic engagement with Syria.
U.S. officials are raising alarms over the possibility of thousands of ISIS fighters escaping from detention centers in Syria due to ongoing Turkish-backed military operations.
Several Druze Arab villages in southwestern Syria are calling to be annexed by Israel rather than remain under rebel-controlled Syria, citing concerns over security and radical Islamist threats. The Druze, a religious minority with roots in the Levant, have historically maintained loyalty to their residing nations while prioritizing local stability.