Israel's ongoing war in Gaza likely drove suspected domestic terrorist Shamsuddin Jabar to become radicalized, two domestic terrorism experts told the Post.
Experts not involved in the investigation agreed that the radicalization was recent.
By Jabbar's own admission, his allegiance to ISIS began before last summer.
While ISIS-inspired terrorists were operating in Afghanistan, Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Corps colonel who now works in the Defense Security Division at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the Post, “Situations like Gaza were ” is likely to become a move that Israel said is underway. Jabbar proceeded down the dark path and began his attack.
Cancian said his 2019 “visit to Afghanistan” was “too long ago,” adding there was no evidence to suggest he was radicalized by ISIS recruiters at local mosques.
Federal investigators are continuing to investigate what led a decorated U.S. military veteran to brutally kill 14 people with his truck in New Orleans' French Quarter on New Year's Day.
They also want to know how the 42-year-old terrorist came to pledge allegiance to ISIS just a few months ago.
Javad Ali, a former U.S. government counterterrorism official, also said that the “impact of October 7, the impact on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, is not yet clear and cannot be ruled out” for Jabar's actions. I agreed. ”
Ali noted that Jabbar's radicalization appears to have progressed rapidly after several divorces and failed business ventures.
“The timeline for people to become radicalized is usually much longer,” Ali said.
“He was trying to do even more harm than murder. He got out of the truck and started shooting, which shows the depth of his extremism. Until the moment he died, he was able to He was going to do his best. He was lucky he didn't kill more people.”
Cancian explained that radicalization usually begins online.
“There are many jihadist websites that individuals access, and they are drawn into radical Islamic ideology,” he says.
“The process begins with a degree of alienation from the surrounding culture, often expressed in extreme religiosity,” Cancian continued. “Individuals then connect with radical sources online or through mosques.”
Investigators will know more details in the coming weeks, but Ali said they want to know when Jabbar began planning the attack.
“There is more than one path to radicalization, and people are still being radicalized here in the United States,” Ali said. “But then things can escalate and cross this imaginary line into what we call a mobilization of violence.” We're still learning about Jabbar and what happened to him. ”
