The Rise Of Domestic Terrorism
Emergency responders on the scene graphic (Jonathan Jones/The Puma Prensa)
Written By: Jonathan Jones, staff writer
Terrorism. This term was initially coined to describe the Reign of Terror, the period of the French Revolution from the 5th of September 1793 to the 27th of July 1794, during which the Revolutionary Government directed violence and harsh measures against citizens suspected of being enemies of the Revolution. The American public first popularized the term after the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York on September 11, 2001. Following the attacks came a very long and violent period in American history where citizens blamed foreigners, specifically immigrants from the Middle East and surrounding countries. This racism led to a war on terrorism that lasted almost a decade, and that was only declared over once the culprit, Osama Bin Laden, was found and killed. Years have come and gone with treaties signed and peace formed between the U.S. and foreign countries, so why is terrorism creeping back into our vocabulary?
On January 1, at around 3:15 am on Bourbon Street, New Orleans, a man by the name of Shamsud-Din Jabbar rented a truck and drove into a crowded street, killing 14 and critically injuring 35 pedestrians. The authorities were immediately contacted, and paramedics rushed to the scene. A high-speed chase was enacted as Jabbar attempted to flee the scene, which led to him crashing his car into a telephone pole. In a panic, Jabbar took out his firearm and began to shoot at the police who had caught up with him. Body-cam footage was released to the public, which depicts the shootout from the point of view of Officer Luis Roble, who was shot and injured. The police ended up shooting and killing Jabbar before searching through his truck. Although no definitive proof has been released, the police and FBI have stated that they had found two makeshift bombs stashed in coolers in the bed of his truck.
Hours later, at 5:18 am, police responded to a distress call about a fire lit down on Bourbon Street. When the police rushed over to find that the fire had only spread to a small portion of the building before extinguishing itself. After searching around, they discovered the building was a house Jabbar had recently rented, where blueprints, ingredients, and components to construct more bombs from a foreign substance — “R-salt” — a chemical substance created in India and distributed throughout East Europe, were found. They believed the fire to be a failed attempt at a colleague of Jabbar trying to destroy the evidence. When the police searched through his electronics, they found that Jabber had pre-recorded multiple videos of himself “Proclaiming his support for ISIS” and mentioning that he had joined the group previously that year.
The Islamic State, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or ISIS, is a terrorist organization known for many attacks across Africa and Europe, as well as collaborating with other groups such as Al-Qaeda and influencing other attacks across seas in Asia and America. Islamic State's predecessor organization, Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), was established in October 2006 after the dissolution of the insurgent groups fighting under the coalition of Mujahideen Shura Council. Under the leadership of Emir Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, ISI was involved in the Iraqi insurgency against American occupation. After the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, ISI, then led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, continued its rebellion against the Iraqi government. In April 2013, the group officially changed its name to "Islamic State of Iraq and Levant" and established a presence in Syria. Such attacks include the 2015 Paris Attacks that occurred on November 13 of that year. They attacked in many places, such as the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, when three suicide bombers attacked during an international soccer game. Another group started firing on crowded cafes and restaurants in Paris. A third group also took a crowd of fans hostage during an Eagles Of Death Metal concert at the Bataclan Theatre, which led to a shootout with local police. A separate attack from here in the States was the Curtis Culwell Center attack. The attack was a failed terrorist attack on an exhibit featuring cartoon images of Muhammad at the art center in Garland, Texas, U.S., on May 3, 2015, which ended in a shootout with police guarding the event and the deaths of the two perpetrators. The attackers shot an unarmed Garland Independent School District security officer in the ankle. Shortly after opening fire, both attackers were shot by an off-duty Garland police officer and killed by SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics Unit). It is believed that the attack was carried out due to religious reasons, as it is seen as disrespectful and blasphemous to present visual imagery of the prophet Muhammad in the Islamic culture.
Along with the many attacks throughout New Orleans, there were more events concerning the public on January 1, just hours later. In Las Vegas, Nevada, just outside Trump International Hotel, a Tesla Cybertruck had been blown up by Matthews Livelsberger, a highly decorated American army soldier who served for two terms in Afghanistan as a Green Beret. The explosion minorly injured seven people and left no lasting damage to the building. However, it was found that Livelsberger had previously shot and killed himself that same morning. When they searched his belongings to look for evidence as to why he would do it, they discovered that he had left some notes on his phone and letters written around the house, with some describing the details of the attack with words saying that it was “not a terrorist attack, it was a wake-up call. Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives.” Livelsberger’s letters covered various topics, including political grievances, societal problems, and domestic and international issues such as the war in Ukraine. He said in one letter that the U.S. was “terminally ill and headed toward collapse.” As new data was found and searched through, it was determined that Livelsberger harbored no ill will toward President Donald Trump. In one of the notes he left, he said the country needed to “rally around” Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, with many believing he was attempting to warn the American public of something to come.
As we’ve seen in the past, these recent events have caused an uproar in the general public, as well as some fear and anger. These are trying times but it is important to remember that it won't always be like this. As Americans, we have proved time and time again that we can push through and overcome the most difficult of challenges. It is a constant struggle but we can make it through.