Photo: AFP
The Christmas attack in Germany, the attack in New Orleans, and the attempted Trump Tower bombing in Las Vegas, all employed cars. So, do terrorists have a new go-to method for mass murder? Unfortunately, after the last few weeks, it looks like the answer is yes.
Former FBI Agent and global counterterrorism expert James Conway says that terrorist groups have latched on to this particular method of attack. He said, "We see that in their propaganda, in their literature, in their chat sites. This is something that the law enforcement community is keenly cognizant of."
The good news is, there are steps that can be taken to protect vulnerable large crowds from these attacks, and many have already been used in the recent past. He said, "Perimeters will be hardened with heavy vehicles, and also with barricading, often using cement or steel barricades."
According to Conway, however, the absolute best way to prevent these attacks is with strong counter-intelligence, which tragically failed in New Orleans.
Conway says that this new threat is going to require a "heightened sense of situational awareness" from both law enforcement and those attending big events like the Super Bowl, college football playoffs, and even Trump's upcoming inauguration on January 20th.
