LEDE: Can the feds be trusted on the New Orleans attack? After their behavior the last few years, no.
The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”
President Ronald Reagan
Like countless people, I was shocked and horrified by the terrorist attack in the New Orleans French Quarter New Year’s morning. I’m originally from New Orleans (now call Houston my adopted hometown) and I’ve spent countless times enjoying the Quarter.
Any incident like this starts as a mass of confusion. That was on full display at the opening press conference later with the city mayor LaToya “The Destroyer” Cantrell, the Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, and the FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan. While the first two ladies to speak said nothing extraordinary, it was surprising to hear Ms. Duncan say the attack was not an “act of terrorism.”
Not an “act of terrorism?” A man with a truck flying an ISIS flag ran over dozens of people, killing 14, sending over 30 to the hospital, then shooting from his vehicle with an “assault weapon” (actually an AR 10, a 308 caliber semiautomatic rifle more popular for hunting than target shooting), when he was (thankfully) cleansed from the human gene pool by the New Orleans Police is not an “act of terrorism?” One of the few times I’ll agree with that moron my hometown elected mayor, she was dead on calling it terror. And the feds, again, were wrong.
Am I making this comment just to criticize a federal law enforcement agency that has seriously lost its way? No. Now I may not be Joe Friday or Elliot Nest, but I do know some simple facts. You don’t know the full story hours after the incident. If Ms. Duncan has said “it’s too early to call it terrorism, “ that would only be slightly less foolish. Going on what was known at the time, it was very likely a terrorist act.
Tarnishing the FBI’s reputation more, they announced the terrorist acted alone. As of twelve noon on Thursday January 2, 2025. Yes, thirty-two and a half hours after the attack they can say the murderer acted alone. A suspect that rented a truck, drove to New Orleans on New Year’s Eve, attached New Year’s morning, was apparently inspired by ISIS to attack Americans was a lone wolf.
They supposedly looked fully into his background. A 42-year-old man who was born in Texas, stationed in the Army at Fort Bragg NC and Afghanistan, attend Georgia State University and sold real estate in the Houston area. He was also married and divorced two times, and reportedly was pending bankruptcy, and you tell me you can fully investigate all that in just over a day? To borrow the phase from Colonel Sherman Potter of the 4077th M*A*S*H, “Horse hockey!”
To really look into someone’s background, you need to interview the people who know or knew him. What he was like, what activities he attended, his interest, hobbies, etc. Who did he hang out with is of critical interest, as a man is well judged by the people he keeps company with. And what an investigator will really want to ask of any individual interviewed about a subject of an investigation, “Can you tell us the name of anyone else we can speak to about this person?”
I say that as not only a veteran of law enforcement, but a veteran of the Army. I held a Top Secret clearance for my entire career (trust me, not James Bond, very boring), and every five years it was renewed. Part of the application was listing three personal references. Now they know you will list three friends who will call you God’s gift to the service, so when the investigator is finished with your reference, they will also ask “Can you tell us the name of anyone else we can speak to about this person?” An unplanned third person who can give more insight about a person, if you will.
Can you fully investigate this man and determine his motivations, planning, and methods execution in a matter of hours? Hell no! Any good investigation take time, and as I write this we still don’t have a full background on the man (that fact not stopping Wikipedia from setting up a page within hours of the attack).
To add more uncertainty to what we know, within two days of the nation’s premier law enforcement agency (pardon me while I snort my scotch) saying the suspect acted alone, we’re hearing he traveled to Egypt and Canada prior to the New Orleans attack. Also, it was discovered he used an explosive (R-Salt) never used in an attack the US or Europe before. Not saying this is a vast conspiracy, but let’s just get a full picture before we make determinations
As I’ve said in countless events, in the initial hours of an incident you cannot be sure of anything, especially if it’s not vetted. Remember the greatest lie of the 21st Century, “Hands Up! Don’t Shoot!” It took time to show that Michael Brown actually did reach for Officer Darren Wilson’s gun and he charged the officer before Wilson fired.
We should apply the same skepticism here? Actually cynicism, the FBI’s earned it. Exaggeration? For a federal law enforcement agency that had agents sabotaging the Trump 2016 campaign, that lied about Hunter Biden’s laptop, bungled the Hillary Clinton email investigation, not to mention disastrous operations at Ruby Ridge and Waco, I think it’s fair to not take FBI at its word. As Reagan said, Doveryai, no proveryai. Trust, but verify.
Michael A. Thiac is a retired Army intelligence officer, with over 23 years experience, including serving in the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the Middle East. He is also a retired police patrol sergeant, with over 22 years’ service, and over ten year’s experience in field training of newly assigned officers. He has been published at The American Thinker, PoliceOne.com, and on his personal blog, A Cop’s Watch.
Opinions expressed are his alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of current or former employers.
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