President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he ordered military airstrikes in Somalia, taking out a senior ISIS attack planner and other terrorists the planner had recruited.

The strikes come just weeks after an ISIS-inspired terrorist killed 14 people and injured dozens more after he plowed a truck into New Year's Eve revelers in New Orleans. 

"These killers, who we found hiding in caves, threatened the United States and our Allies," Trump wrote on Truth Social. 

Trump said that the strikes destroyed the caves the terrorists were living in and did not "in any way" harm civilians. 

6 TIMES ISIS HAS INSPIRED TERROR ATTACKS ON US SOIL

"Our Military has targeted this ISIS attack planner for years, but Biden and his cronies wouldn’t act quickly enough to get the job done. I did!" Trump wrote.

"The message to ISIS and all others who would attack Americans is that ‘WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!’" Trump wrote.

It is unclear how many people in total were killed.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth provided further details on the strikes, saying they were carried out by U.S. Africa Command in coordination with the Somali government.

"I authorized U.S. Africa Command to conduct coordinated airstrikes today targeting ISIS-Somalia operatives in the Golis mountains," Hegseth said in a statement.

"Our initial assessment is that multiple operatives were killed in the airstrikes and no civilians were harmed. This action further degrades ISIS's ability to plot and conduct terrorist attacks threatening U.S. citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians."

Hegseth said the strikes "send a clear signal" that the U.S. always stands ready to find and eliminate terrorists who threaten the country and its allies even as it carries out robust border protections at home. 

An official in the Somali president's office, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the strikes to Reuters and said Somalia's government welcomed the move.

"Somalia cannot be a safe haven for terrorists," said the official, adding that the impact of the strikes was still being assessed.

The United States has periodically carried out airstrikes in Somalia for years under Republican and Democratic administrations.

A strike, which also targeted Islamic State militants, was carried out by the U.S. in coordination with Somalia last year. It killed three members of the group, the U.S. military said.

Reuters contributed to this report.

New Orleans terrorist attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar was radicalized by ISIS online "within weeks," according to FBI Director Christopher Wray.

Jabbar killed 14 civilians when he rammed a rented Ford F-150 truck through a New Year's crowd celebrating on Bourbon Street around 3:15 a.m. on Jan. 1. He then began shooting at police, who returned fire, killing the attacker.

"[H]e appears to have been inspired — from afar — by ISIS. And it is, in many ways, the most challenging type of terrorist threat we face," Wray told "60 Minutes" in a wide-ranging interview that aired Sunday. "You're talking about guys like this, who radicalize not in years but in weeks, and whose method of attack is still very deadly but fairly crude. And if you think about that old saying about connecting the dots, there are not a lot of dots out there to connect. And there's very little time in which to connect them."

The FBI noted earlier this month that Jabbar, 42, traveled to Cairo, Egypt, from June 22 to July 3, 2023, then returned to the U.S. In a separate trip on July 10, 2023, he traveled to Ontario, Canada, and returned to the U.S. a few days later.

BODY LANGUAGE EXPERT SAYS NEW ORLEANS ATTACKER EXHIBITED ‘RED FLAGS’ BEFORE ATTACK

The Texas native was a twice-divorced Army veteran who, despite a lucrative job at a large consulting firm, had a history of financial struggles and missed child support payments, records show.

Prior to the New Orleans attack, he visited the city twice — once in October and again in November. He used Meta smart glasses to take videos of his surroundings as he rode a bike through the French Quarter months before carrying out the deadly attack.

BOURBON STREET TERROR VICTIMS SUE NEW ORLEANS AS LOUISIANA AG INVESTIGATES SECURITY LAPSES

On Dec. 31, Jabbar rented the Ford truck in Houston and then drove it to New Orleans, where he checked in to an AirBnb. Authorities would later find bomb-making materials and remnants of a fire at the property, saying Jabbar likely attempted to cover up his crime by attempting to burn evidence at the rental home in the St. Roch neighborhood, about two miles from the French Quarter.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT VICTIMS OF NEW ORLEANS TERRORIST ATTACK

"It's pretty clear so far that this is a guy who was radicalized online and who was determined to try to murder as many innocent people as he could in the name of ISIS," Wray said in his interview with "60 Minutes."

He added that these kinds of lone wolf threats are becoming more common in the United States.

"There was a guy, a Pakistani citizen, who, just a few months ago, we worked with our Canadian partners to arrest," Wray explained to host Scott Pelley. This guy was trying to get into the U.S., get into New York City, to conduct a mass shooting at a Jewish Center in Brooklyn. … In his words, he wanted to conduct the largest attack in the U.S. since 9/11."

The FBI continues to investigate the attack and said that while Jabbar apparently acted alone, authorities are still investigating whether he had any accomplices.

Fox News' Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.

As a former military intelligence officer, serving in the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), I tracked foreign threats to the U.S. homeland, identifying adversaries’ plans, intentions and capabilities that could harm Americans. I predicted Russia’s invasion of Ukraine more than a year before it took place. In March, in my Fox News Digital article titled "Ignore FBI director's urgent warning about terrorist threats at our own peril," I predicted terrorist attacks striking inside the U.S. homeland, the kind that took place on New Year’s Day in New Orleans and in Las Vegas.

Here are the top three reasons why we will likely face more terrorism in America this year. This time, it will be something we haven’t seen before.

Bureaucratic inertia prevents government agencies from acting on threats they themselves identify and warn about. During last year’s annual congressional briefing on the top "worldwide threats" facing the United States, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned that terrorist threats have reached a "whole other level" from the already heightened situation. Wray mentioned the "elevated" threat posed by "homegrown violent extremists, that is jihadist-inspired, extremists, domestic violent extremists, foreign terrorist organizations, and state-sponsored terrorist organizations." 

He also specifically called out violent gangs and smugglers with ties to ISIS entering the country via the southern border. This was in March 2024. 

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Wray’s concerns, however, did not translate into an augmented security posture that should have been adopted by intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies, and could have avoided the tragic events in New Orleans and Las Vegas, and saved American lives. 

Millions of migrants, predominantly military-age males, including criminals, terrorists and foreign intelligence operatives, continued to pour into our country. The highly dangerous transnational criminal gang from Venezuela, Tren de Aragua, has established operations in 16 states, including New Jersey and New York, as of November. They’re attacking Americans, at will.

To this day, the border has not been fully secured, enabling millions of illegal crossings, straining local law enforcement and making communities unsafe. The notorious free mobile application called the CBP One app, continues to be widely available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Foreigners of all stripes who wish to enter the United States use it to schedule interview appointments, conducted remotely, to qualify for asylum status and entry to our country. All of this is courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). 

Did the FBI implement any of the 18 recommendations made by the 2012 William Webster Commission to improve and detect terrorist threats? What actions, if any, were taken following Wray’s March warning? These are fair questions for Americans to ask of their government. Especially given that we’ve had two assassination attempts on President-elect Trump, mysterious drone overflights over our military installations, and rampant crime committed by members of a transnational criminal gang – all since March.

There’s a whole new threat that is looming over the horizon. And it hasn’t even hit the government’s to-do-list yet. Drone warfare is a prime example of such an emerging threat, which is driven by the democratization of high-tech capabilities, such as uncrewed aircraft systems (UASs). UAS is a general term for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV – aircraft or drone), but it encompasses the UAV’s entire operating system, including a ground control station (hosting the pilot operating the UAV); communication hardware (linking the UAV and controller); payload (cameras, sensors, explosives, etc.); and flight planning software.

PUTIN'S 'FOG OF WAR' MISSILE CONFUSES EXPERTS, BUT THAT'S HIS PLAN

UASs easily present the most dangerous threat our homeland has ever faced for three reasons. They are commercially available, relatively inexpensive, highly maneuverable, extremely difficult to identify and characterize, and have virtually unlimited payload capacity. You can outfit a UAS with a non-kinetic payload, such as a sensor or a camera, or with a kinetic or lethal capability, such as an explosive device, a bomb, or a WMD (chemical, biological, radiological). 

Originally employed by our military for surveillance purposes and then later as a counterterrorism tool to eliminate terrorist leaders, drones are now widely available and used, including by terrorists. Drone warfare is being operationalized and perfected in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and in combat zones in the Middle East.

Drones are a perfect capability to strike soft targets and crowded places, which the homeland is full of. Here’s what a 2023 study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security noted: "The growing use of UASs in both the private sector and government operations likely means that more people will have access to these systems in the future and the expertise to operate them, making the use of UASs for attacks increasingly likely." The study highlighted the fact that "UASs can also give the operator the ability to act anonymously and a greater chance to avoid detection and capture." This characteristic can be very attractive to terrorists as well as state actors who are U.S. adversaries.

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As early as 2018, the U.S. government knew about the drone threat. Kirstjen M. Nielsen, then secretary of Homeland Security, wrote in a Washington Post article, "The U.S. isn’t prepared for the growing threat of drones," and was defenseless against them. She even revealed that "terrorist groups such as the Islamic State aspire to use armed drones against our homeland and U.S. interests overseas." 

And yet, to this day, we remain vulnerable to drone attacks. It became very obvious to everyone just how defenseless we still are to such attacks during the recent mysterious drone incidents. For weeks since November, unidentified drones were reportedly flying over military sites and critical infrastructure facilities in multiple East Coast states, including New Jersey and New York, and neither federal nor state security agencies put an end to it. The White House and the Pentagon even admitted not knowing the origin of those drones.

The entire government security apparatus is now politicized, having shifted its focus from foreign threats, such as terrorists, to American dissidents. Instead of identifying and stopping those who are hell-bent on harming Americans, our government agencies have been targeting our own citizens who oppose the spread of woke ideologies in our society. Catholics, whose religious convictions prevent them from accepting things like transgenderism, and parents, who protest against the brainwashing of their children in leftist ideologies, such as the critical race theory (CRT), engulfing our public schools, are now viewed by government agencies as domestic threat actors.

This heinous politicization comes from the very top. President Biden has been minimizing the terrorist threat to the homeland, including that emanating from ISIS. In June 2021, Biden said: "According to the intelligence community, terrorism from White supremacy is the most lethal threat to the homeland today. Not ISIS, not al Qaeda – White supremacists." Is it any wonder that the FBI agent-in-charge initially ruled out any links between the New Orleans attacker and terrorism or ISIS? That despite the fact that the attacker, 42- year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar of Texas, had an ISIS flag installed on his Ford pickup, which he intentionally rammed into a group of civilians celebrating the New Year in the French Quarter, killing 14. 

Similarly, the FBI failed to identify an Army psychiatrist, Maj. Nidal Hasan, who in 2009 shot and killed 13 people and injured 31 at Fort Hood, Texas, as someone involved in terrorist activities – despite the fact that Hasan was in regular contact with a known terrorist, Anwar al-Awlaki. In his correspondence, Hasan, an American-born Muslim, discussed suicide bombers, and whether it is permissible for "the killing of innocents for a valuable target." 

According to a 2012 Report of the William Webster Commission on the FBI, Counterrorism, Intelligence and the Events at Fort Hood, Texas on Nov. 5, 2009, the FBI agents on the San Diego Joint Terrorism Task Force were aware that Hasan had contacted al-Awlaki numerous times before the shooting spree. Nevertheless, the FBI field office in Washington determined that Hasan "was not involved in terrorist activities." The FBI therefore did not issue a warning about Hasan’s terrorist links to the Department of the Army and the Pentagon, both of which classified the incident as workplace violence and not an act of terrorism. The 2012 report made 18 formal recommendations to the FBI to improve and detect terrorist threats.

The incoming Trump administration promised to de-politicize government agencies. Nominating Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat, as the Director of National Intelligence, as part of a Republican administration is a step in the right direction. Intelligence is supposed to be nonpartisan. Intelligence officers should not fear to speak truth to power even if their analytic line contradicts the sitting president’s policies. But eradicating government’s inertia will be a much taller order. Let’s see, if DOGE can compel government bureaucrats to mount defenses against the drone threat and save Americans.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM REBEKAH KOFFLER

The heinous act of terror in New Orleans early on New Year’s Day underscores the Biden administration’s staggering failure to keep America safe and deter radical Islamic terror. By allowing focus on this persistent threat to America’s national security to lapse, and instead wasting time and resources attacking political opponents, parents going to school board meetings and Catholics, Team Biden left America vulnerable. It will be up to the incoming Trump administration to fix this mess and keep Americans safe.  

In January 2017, when we in the Trump administration took office, the Islamic State (ISIS) controlled a massive piece of Syria and was expanding its vision of radical Islamism on a global scale. It had beheaded two Americans during the Obama-Biden administration.  

It took a serious president to actually dismantle that caliphate alongside partners and allies, as well as bring down the threat of radical Islamic terror at home and abroad. By the end of our time in office, we had done just that: the ISIS caliphate was no more, and the threat of radical Islamic terror within our homeland was greatly reduced.  

6 TIMES ISIS HAS INSPIRED TERROR ATTACKS ON US SOIL

Over the past four years, we have witnessed a complete abdication of this responsibility in the White House that has resulted in a dangerous resurgence of this threat. Instead of combating radical Islamic terror at home and abroad, Biden downplayed this threat in favor of conjured political threats and allowed the real threats to metastasize culminating in the New Orleans attack.  

His administration allowed Afghanistan to fall to the Taliban, allowed Iran and its proxies to thrive and perpetrate the October 7th massacre, and failed to address the rising threat of radical Islamic terror here at home. This empowered our enemies and weakened America.  

Even worse, this administration allowed political ideology to undermine America’s core national security imperatives. For four years, we’ve watched this administration call ‘far right’ groups and even supporters of President-elect Donald Trump the greatest threat to American democracy, all while barely lifting a finger when protesters waved Hamas and ISIS flags in city streets and university campuses following the terrible Oct. 7 attacks.  

For four years, our wide-open borders have allowed extremists, with ties to groups like ISIS, to cross into our country unfettered, bolstering their capacity to plan and carry out attacks and enhancing their radicalization efforts. By treating counterterrorism as another political weapon or tool for advancing woke ideology, Team Biden left a gap in our national security apparatus that actors like ISIS have eagerly exploited.  

In the wake of the New Orleans attack, we’ve unfortunately seen more unseriousness. First, the FBI said the suspect did not act alone, only to now reverse course and say he did act alone. Let’s be clear: the idea that this individual acted alone is absurd on its face. Perhaps he carried out this specific attack alone – but these deplorable acts never occur in a vacuum.  

The very idea of a "lone wolf" is fiction. Whether or not accomplices were assisting him the night of the attack, or even in the planning of it, this terrorist was part of a cabal of Islamists who have been radicalized to attack America, and he was not stopped. 

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For the FBI to now say he acted alone demonstrates either the continued influence of a warped political agenda, or a complete misunderstanding of the depth and complexity of ISIS’ operations within the United States. Every measure must be taken to discern how and where this individual was radicalized so that the next attack can be anticipated or prevented.  

Correcting these gaps in our national security is urgent and must be a priority for the incoming Trump administration. In response to the rising threat of terror, the task is not for the American people to fundamentally alter how they live their lives. This would be a victory for the Islamists. 

Instead, the task is for responsible agencies – the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, as well as state and local law enforcement – to recognize the risk posed by radical Islamic terror and take the proper steps to reduce and eliminate it.  

This past May, the FBI tweeted that diversity was a top priority for the agency; the safety and security of every American should be its top priority. Fortunately, there couldn’t be a better leader entering the White House to fix the mess created by President Joe Biden. Having served as President Trump’s CIA Director and Secretary of State, I know he will take every measure to eliminate this threat to the American people within our borders and globally, just as we did during his first term.  

Most importantly, he will move the focus of our law enforcement and national security apparatus away from domestic political opponents, DEI and wokeness back where it belongs: on taking down the despicable individuals who wish to harm innocent Americans. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM MICHAEL POMPEO

FIRST ON FOX: Newly-minted Arizona Republican Rep. Abe Hamadeh was sworn in to the U.S. House Friday, revealing to Fox News Digital that he honored the life of ISIS victim Kayla Mueller by using her family’s Bible during the ceremony in Washington, D.C.

"This year will mark 10 years since the tragic loss of Kayla Mueller, a beacon of selflessness and courage whose legacy continues to inspire Americans across the nation. Kayla’s parents, Carl and Marsha Mueller, have borne the unimaginable pain of losing their daughter and endured years of uncertainty surrounding her fate," Hamadeh told Fox News Digital. "Their strength and resilience are the foundation of Kayla’s extraordinary spirit."

A humanitarian worker from Arizona, Mueller was abducted by terrorists while leaving a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Aleppo, Syria, in 2013. She was held hostage for 18 months, when she was believed to be repeatedly tortured and raped by ISIS militants, including then-ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. 

Mueller was killed in February 2015. 

KAYLA MUELLER’S PARENTS PRAISE TRUMP, SOLDIERS FOR RAID THAT KILLED AL-BAGHDADI

Mueller’s parents, Carl and Marsha Mueller, have previously praised President-elect Trump for carrying out a military mission in 2019 that killed al-Baghdadi and spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention. 

GOP CONGRESSMAN-ELECT REVEALS AMBITIOUS 100-DAY PLAN FOR TRUMP ADMIN: 'NOT GOING TO GET FOOLED AGAIN'

"The Trump team gave us empathy we never received from the Obama administration. Kayla should be here. If Donald Trump had been president when Kayla was captive, she would be here today," Carl Mueller said. 

Hamadeh cited the Muellers’ 2020 RNC address in his comment to Fox Digital, reflecting on how the young woman’s mother read a letter her daughter wrote while imprisoned, which stated: "I have been shown in darkness light and have learned that even in prison, one can be free."

"What a powerful thing to write in the face of such horror. Kayla’s unshakable faith and inner strength were a reflection of the values instilled by her remarkable parents," Hamadeh said. 

"As I take the oath of office, I am profoundly honored to fulfill my promise to the Muellers and the American people by being sworn into Congress using Kayla’s family Bible. It serves as a testament to her unwavering belief in light over darkness and freedom over oppression."

Hamadeh, 33, is an Army veteran and former Maricopa County prosecutor who won his election to represent Arizona's 8th Congressional District during the 2024 cycle. The Trump-backed candidate, the son of Syrian immigrants, joined Fox News Digital in November for his first interview since winning the election, celebrated the GOP's successes nationwide and previewed his top priorities. 

ARIZONA GOVERNOR, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER UNVEIL PAINTING HONORING KAYLA MUELLER

"I know election integrity is the top of my list as well, because without secure elections, we can't have a republic. And, so, I know that's going to be top priorities — election integrity, border security, as well as making sure we increase our energy independence — because that's going to help reduce inflation rather quickly once we start growing the economy," Hamadeh told Fox Digital at the time. 

"[Trump] does have a mandate from the American people," Hamadeh added. "The last time a Republican won the popular vote and Electoral College was 2004 with an incumbent president, President George W. Bush. You know, the last time it was a non-incumbent, I believe, was 1988 under George H.W. Bush. And he was still at least the VP at the time. So, this was a historic mandate. And President Trump, I'm going to support him all the way in Congress and make sure that we're going to change our country around very quickly."

Hamadeh told Fox Digital he will carry Kayla Mueller's legacy with him as he dives into his work in Congress. 

"Kayla’s memory calls on us to live with purpose and courage, and I will carry her legacy with me as I fight for the freedoms and values she so deeply cherished. I am eternally grateful to Carl and Marsha Mueller for entrusting me with this sacred honor and for their enduring faith in our country’s ability to uphold the principles Kayla embodied," he said. 

Hamadeh's swearing-in ceremony follows a tragic terrorist attack in New Orleans on New Year's Day that left at least 14 dead and dozens injured when a truck plowed through crowds of people on Bourbon Street. 

Authorities confirmed an ISIS flag was recovered in the suspect's car and reported that the individual was "inspired" by the terrorist organization. But they believe he acted alone in carrying out the attack. 

Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report. 

Investigators probing the deadly New Year's Day terror attack in New Orleans say suspect Shamsud-Din Jabbar flew an ISIS flag on the back of the pick-up truck he used to mow down dozens of innocent revelers – killing at least 14 of them.

Jabbar, a former Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, joined ISIS before this summer and posted several videos on Facebook declaring support for the group before he carried out the heinous attack, FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raja said on Thursday.

"In the first video, Jabbar explains he only planned to harm his family and friends but was concerned the news headlines would not focus on the 'war between the believers and the disbelievers,'" Raja said. 

ISIS REMAINS GLOBAL THREAT A DECADE AFTER DECLARING CALIPHATE, US MILITARY OFFICIAL SAYS

But what exactly is ISIS and how many attacks have they been responsible for in the United States?

ISIS, IS, or the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, is a breakaway terrorist group from al-Qaeda that has conducted and inspired terrorist attacks around the world, causing thousands of deaths and injuries, according to the Director of National Intelligence.

The group embraces Sunni Islamist ideology that seeks to establish a global caliphate, a global Islamic state governed by a strict interpretation of Sharia law.

As well as terror attacks, the group has been known to carry out beheadings on videos and systematic rape and other sexual violence against members of other faiths. The group also targets fellow Sunni Muslims who stray from its harsh interpretation of Islam.

SUSPECT BEHIND CYBERTRUCK THAT EXPLODED AT TRUMP HOTEL IDENTIFIED AS ACTIVE-DUTY US ARMY SOLDIER

Under former leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ISIS seized stunning amounts of territory in Iraq and Syria by 2014. 

Al-Baghdadi was killed by U.S. Joint Special Operations Command in 2019 and U.S.-backed forces ejected ISIS from its last stronghold in Syria before declaring victory over the terror group, although it continues to operate clandestinely there and in Iraq.

The group’s roots can be traced to 2004, when an Iraqi extremist network led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi merged with al-Qaeda to form ISIS’s predecessor group, al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). In 2013, AQI changed its name to ISIS and in 2014 the group separated from al-Qaeda, declaring itself a caliphate, taking over vast swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria. 

Experts say that the group inspires psychotic sympathizers to commit "lone wolf" attacks that blur the line between random crime and terrorism.

ISIS has become decentralized compared to a decade ago and some experts argue that ISIS is powerful today partly as a brand, inspiring both militant groups and individuals in attacks that the group itself may have no real role in.

The group’s credo and military successes have led armed extremist organizations in Africa, Asia and Europe to swear allegiance to it.

ISIS has inspired several terror attacks on US soil over the last decade. Here are six. 

Omar Mateen opened fire on a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that was hosting "Latin Night" in June 2016, killing 49 people and wounding 53 others in the deadliest terror-related mass shooting in U.S. history. 

The FBI previously said that he carried out the mass shooting in support of ISIS.

Mateen was born to Afghan parents in New York in 1986 and was living in Port St. Lucie, in Florida. He was killed after a three-hour standoff with SWAT team members.

Wednesday’s terror attack in New Orleans was carried out by Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who got behind the wheel of a white pick-up truck and barreled into dozens of revelers along the city’s famed Bourbon Street, leaving 14 people dead. 

The FBI said Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen from Texas, drove the rented Ford truck laden with an ISIS flag, weapons and a potential improvised explosive device (IED) into a crowd at approximately 3:15 a.m. local time Wednesday and injured more than 30 others.

He was subsequently killed in a shootout with police. 

WHO IS SHAMSUD-DIN JABBAR? WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE NEW ORLEANS NEW YEARS' TERRORIST SUSPECT

In 2015, Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, shot up a San Bernardino County Department of Public Health training event and Christmas party, killing 14 people and injuring more than 20 others. 

The couple, who were both Muslim, were killed following a shootout with police. 

The FBI said the couple "homegrown violent extremists" inspired by foreign terrorist groups, although the agency did not specifically say they were inspired by ISIS. 

Reports at the time said Malik, who was born in Pakistan and was in the U.S. on a green card, pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on Facebook while the shooting was happening.

He was killed in a shootout with a SWAT team member.

Uzbekistan native Sayfullo Saipov killed eight people by driving a truck into a bike path full of cyclists and runners in New York City in 2017.

Six of the deceased were foreign tourists, while thirteen were injured, including a Belgian woman who had both of her legs amputated. Prosecutors in New York described the vehicle ramming terror event as the worst terrorist attack since 9/11.

A Black Standard flag, one of the flags flown by the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and a document indicating allegiance to the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) were found in the truck.

Saipov, a green card holder at the time, was given 10 life sentences plus 260 years in prison.

SUSPECT IDENTIFIED AS FBI INVESTIGATES ACT OF TERRORISM AFTER BOURBON STREET ATTACK

Somali student Abdul Razak Ali Artan plowed a car into a crowd at Ohio State University in November 2016 before stabbing several pedestrians with a butcher knife.

The attack left 11 people injured before Artan was shot and killed by a university police officer.

Law enforcement sources told Fox News at the time that they believed that the attacker was "self-radicalized" by ISIS propaganda.

Artan also praised American-born al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki as a "hero" and railed against U.S. interference in Muslim lands in a series of Facebook posts, officials said.

ISIS-inspired Akayed Ullah set off a pipe bomb that partially exploded in New York City’s busiest subway station in 2017.

The device targeted the pedestrian tunnel between Times Square and Port Authority stops in Manhattan.

Ullah was arrested after his bomb failed to fully explode, leaving him with serious burns. The blast spread panic but caused only minor injuries to three people near him. 

After growing angry at American foreign policy in the Middle East, Ullah grew consumed by online Islamic State propaganda "glorifying brutally violent stabbings, shootings, and bombings targeting Americans," prosecutors argued in federal court in Manhattan.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Thursday the United States won’t allow an "atmosphere of fear" to prevail after a deadly terror attack in New Orleans on Wednesday killed 14 people and injured dozens more.

The attack suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was an Army veteran and U.S. citizen from Texas who was killed by police in the early morning hours of the new year after driving a truck into a crowd of holiday revelers.

"This does appear to be an individual, a U.S. citizen, radicalized to violence by a foreign terrorist ideology, specifically the ISIS ideology," said Mayorkas on "Your World." "This is a phenomenon, a phenomenon of homegrown violent extremists that we have seen develop and emerge over the past ten years."

Officials said an ISIS flag was recovered from the Ford pickup truck Jabbar used to mow down people in the French Quarter.

Christopher Raia, the deputy assistant director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, said in a press conference Thursday that Jabbar posted videos online as he drove from Houston to New Orleans proclaiming his support for ISIS. 

"This investigation is only a little more than 24 hours old, and we have no indication at this point that anyone else was involved in this attack other than Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar," said Raia.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT VICTIMS OF NEW ORLEANS TERRORIST ATTACK

Mayorkas said ISIS’ goal is to have Americans "live in fear" but American democracy and its way of life "must prevail."

"We will continue to enjoy and flourish in our democratic way of life and not allow an atmosphere of fear to prevail and therefore have ISIS's goal succeed. We will not allow that to occur," he told Fox News anchor Sandra Smith.

Smith pressed Mayorkas on the number of terror watchlist encounters at the southern border under the Biden administration and why more wasn’t done earlier on to curb the number of people illegally crossing into the country.

NEW ORLEANS TERROR SUSPECT'S BROTHER SAYS ATTACK IS SIGN OF ‘RADICALIZATION': REPORT

Mayorkas said the men and women of U.S. law enforcement work daily to "ensure the safety and security of the American people" and screen individuals who pose a threat to public safety and national security. 

"Whatever the nature of the threat, those who pose a threat to the American people are our highest priority for law enforcement action as our laws provide. And we enforce and execute those laws every single day," he added. 

During his first term as president, Donald Trump saw the height of a violent civil war in Syria, a resurgence of Islamic State activity, and a rise in ISIS-inspired attacks both abroad and on U.S. soil.

Eight years later, many of these bogeymen have returned.

In the last eight weeks, Syrian rebels launched a lightning offensive, wresting back control of the country and then of its capital—forcing longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad to flee to Russia for safe haven. Like Trump’s first term, the instability in the Middle East has prompted fresh questions over if, or what role the U.S. should play in Syria—amid concerns that failing to act will further open the power vacuum in Syria, making it ripe for exploitation by Islamic State militants and other terrorist groups.

And on Wednesday, U.S. authorities scrambled to investigate and respond to two separate attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas. Despite taking place thousands of miles apart, both are being investigated as possible acts of terrorism—a glaring indicator that the threat of homegrown extremism remains just as pervasive as ever. 

Ahead of Trump's second term, the violence—and the unexpected collapse of Syria's authoritarian regime— have prompted new questions as to how the U.S. might act.

BOMB-MAKING MATERIALS FOUND AT NEW ORLEANS AIRBNB POTENTIALLY TIED TO BOURBON STREET TERRORIST: REPORT
 

Options for Trump

Trump, for his part, has long opposed the idea of involving U.S. troops in foreign wars. In 2019, he ordered the complete withdrawal of all military personnel in Syria's north.

He reiterated that view in a post last month on Truth Social, saying the U.S. should "have nothing to do with" the situation in Syria.

"Let it play out," he said. 

It's unclear whether, or to what degree, this week's deadly attacks may have swayed Trump's decision. Fourteen people were killed in New Orleans early Wednesday morning by Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a Texas native and U.S. army veteran who had driven from Houston to Bourbon Street in a rented pickup truck, plowing through crowds of people massed outside the famed string of bars to celebrate the new year. Jabbar himself was fatally shot by police.

FBI officials said that Jabbar, who had affixed an Islamic State flag to the rented vehicle, was "100% inspired by ISIS" in carrying out the terrorist attack, though it remains unclear whether he has any legitimate ties to the group.

Jabbar had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and is believed to have joined the group this past summer, officials said. He was also seen on surveillance footage planting two explosive devices in coolers along the corners of Bourbon and Orleans Streets, and another intersection nearby, though both were later rendered safe by bomb squad teams.

Separately, the FBI said they are investigating a Las Vegas explosion carried out in a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump hotel in Las Vegas as a possible act of terrorism. 

The suspect in that case, Matthew Alan Livelsberger, had been a member of the U.S. Army's elite special forces unit prior to the explosion, and FBI officials raided a house in Colorado Springs on Thursday that they said they believe could be connected to the case.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE TRUMP INAUGURATION

Should Trump opt to maintain his longtime opposition to U.S. intervention in "foreign wars," there are other options he could take to try to crack down on violent domestic attacks. This could include cracking down on immigration— a policy long embraced by Trump and many Republicans in Congress—to prevent possible threat actors from crossing the border.

In fact, the Department of Homeland Security told reporters in June that it had identified more than 400 migrants from Central Asia and other countries who had been smuggled into the U.S. by ISIS-linked smuggling groups over the last three years, prompting a flurry of new arrests and "subjects of concern" designations.

DHS officials said the arrests, first reported by NBC, were made out of "an abundance of caution," and noted at the time that they had not identified any credible threats to the U.S. by the migrants, who may have simply been attempting to find a way to cross into the U.S. 

Still, a border crackdown might not be enough to solve the problem, made especially complex by the role of lone-wolf threat actors and individuals who become radicalized online.

A pervasive threat 

The FBI has focused heavily on the risk of terrorism posed by domestic and homegrown violent extremists, as it noted in its most recent "Worldwide Threats to the Homeland" report. 

These small groups or individuals pose the biggest risk to national security, the report noted—often using easily accessible weapons, such as guns and cars, to attack so-called "soft targets," or groups of civilians gathered en masse at accessible locations.

The "greatest, most immediate international terrorism threat to the homeland" are individuals who have lived primarily in the U.S. and who carry out actions inspired by, but not at the express direction of, a foreign terrorist organization such as ISIS, the law enforcement agency said. 

Early in December, the FBI and other authorities warned of a heightened risk of vehicular attacks by lone-wolf offenders during the holidays, noting in a shared bulliten that threat actors have "plotted and conducted attacks against holiday targets" in previous years, with likely targets including public places with "perceived lower levels of security" holding large gatherings.

The threat is also not going away. Trump's first term as president saw multiple attacks carried out by individuals pledging allegiance to ISIS or other jihad groups—even if they had not been operating at the direction of the group itself. These individuals were responsible for the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting, the 2017 New York City truck attack, a 2017 machete attack at a Middle Eastern restaurant in Columbus, Ohio, and many more acts of violence.

Vehicular attacks have also increased: Since 2014, there have been at least 16 vehicular ramming attacks in the U.S. and Europe carried out by individuals practicing jihad, according to a report from the think tank New America.

And since 2020, the number of domestic terrorism investigations conducted by the FBI has more than doubled—a staggering rate that indicates both the scope and the complexity of the growing problem.

Speaking to reporters at a press briefing on Thursday, FBI officials said the suspect in the New Orleans attack, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was "100% inspired by ISIS." 

"First and foremost, let me be very clear about this point," the FBI Assistant Director of Counterterrorism, Christopher Raia, told reporters. "This was an act of terrorism. It was premeditated and an evil act." 

The FBI under the Biden administration's leadership has faced repeated scandals over the last four years, including in the waning days of the administration when a suspected terror attack rocked New Orleans early on New Year's Day morning.

Outgoing FBI Director Christopher Wray, who was nominated by Trump in his first administration, announced last month that he would step down from his post, clearing the path for Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, Kash Patel, to rally support for his confirmation process in earnest ahead of Trump's inauguration this month. 

As President Biden’s administration comes to a close, Fox News Digital revisits some of the top scandals the FBI has faced in the last four years. 

Chaos broke out on New Orleans' famed Bourbon Street just after 3 a.m. on New Year’s Day when a truck plowed through crowds of revelers, leaving at least 15 dead and dozens of others injured. 

The FBI took the lead on the case and landed in hot water with conservatives and others for initially reporting to the public that the attack was not an instance of terrorism before ultimately backtracking. 

NEW ORLEANS ATTACK: INVESTIGATION CONTINUES FOR POTENTIAL LINKS BETWEEN BOURBON STREET AND TRUMP HOTEL BOMBING

"We'll be taking over the investigative lead for this event. This is not a terrorist event," said New Orleans field office FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan during a Wednesday morning press conference. 

During that same press conference, however, the mayor of New Orleans contradicted Duncan’s comment and minced no words in detailing that the city faced an act of terror. 

"Know that the city of New Orleans was impacted by a terrorist attack. It's all still under investigation," Mayor LaToya Cantrell said.

The FBI soon backtracked from its position that the attack was not an act of terror, releasing statements throughout the day that they were investigating the matter as related to terrorism, including confirming that an ISIS flag was found on the suspect’s vehicle that plowed through the crowds. 

"This morning, an individual drove a car into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing a number of people and injuring dozens of others. The subject then engaged with local law enforcement and is now deceased. The FBI is the lead investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism," the FBI said in one of its three statements provided to Fox News Digital.

The FBI’s handling of the matter, however, has sparked outrage from elected officials, Trump allies and voters on social media.

"The FBI has a no-fail mission. There is no room for error. When they fail, Americans die. It's a necessity that Kash Patel gets confirmed ASAP," a source close to Trump told Fox News Digital on Thursday morning. 

Other conservatives and Trump allies railed against the FBI on social media, claiming the FBI has focused resources on issues such as DEI training and hiring instead of investigating and preventing crime.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and other conservatives also took issue with the FBI for allegedly responding to the suspect’s home in Texas after the media had already staked out the property. 

"The FBI didn’t show up to the NOLA suspect’s address until 1pm today. We were on scene before. No one came out of the home or answered the door," New York Post reporter Jennie Taer posted to X on Wednesday.

Blackburn responded to the Post reporter by saying the FBI had "failed" its mission as the nation’s top law enforcement agency. 

"The fact that a reporter has better intel than the FBI tells us all we need to know. The FBI has failed its core mission," Blackburn posted. 

The suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was armed with a Glock and a .308 rifle during the attack and was killed after opening fire on police. Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen who lived in Texas, is believed to have acted alone, the FBI announced Thursday. 

Trump slammed Biden and his administration’s policies for the attack. 

"With the Biden ‘Open Border’s Policy’ I said, many times during Rallies, and elsewhere, that Radical Islamic Terrorism, and other forms of violent crime, will become so bad in America that it will become hard to even imagine or believe. That time has come, only worse than ever imagined. Joe Biden is the WORST PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICA, A COMPLETE AND TOTAL DISASTER," Trump posted on Truth Social.

Earlier Thursday, when approached for comment on the criticisms of its handling of the attack, the FBI directed Fox News Digital to its three previous statements on the attack that described it as an act of terror but did not comment on the New Orleans’ agent saying Wednesday that the attack was not connected to terrorism. 

"An ISIS flag was located in the vehicle, and the FBI is working to determine the subject's potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations," one FBI statement said.

"The FBI is the lead investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism. We are aggressively running down all leads to identify any possible associates of the subject," the statement added.

Approximately 30 armed FBI agents converged on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida in August 2022 to execute a search warrant regarding classified documents in the former president’s possession. 

The unprecedented raid included agents rifling through former, and upcoming, first lady Melania Trump’s wardrobe. The agents seized 33 boxes of documents. 

"He invaded my home. I’m suing the country over it. He invaded Mar-a-Lago. I’m very unhappy with the things he’s done. And crime is at an all-time high. Migrants are pouring into the country that are from prisons and from mental institutions, as we’ve discussed. I can’t say I’m thrilled," Trump said of Wray during an interview with NBC that aired Sunday. 

Earlier this year, it was revealed the Biden administration authorized the use of deadly force during the raid. The jarring revelation added fuel to the fire of conservatives slamming the raid, though the FBI clarified that the same language was used in a similar search warrant for President Biden’s Delaware home.

SPECIAL COUNSEL, IRS WHISTLEBLOWERS SAY DON'T BUY BIDEN 'SPIN' ABOUT HUNTER BIDEN LEGAL SAGA

Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who called for Wray’s resignation in a scathing letter last month, argued there were "serious questions" about the raid, considering that Trump had been cooperating with investigators with regard to the classified documents. 

"This raid occurred despite serious questions about the need for it. President Trump apparently was cooperating with the investigation, notwithstanding liberal press reports. He voluntarily turned over 15 boxes of documents months before the FBI’s drastic escalation," Grassley continued, adding that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton never faced such a raid "even though she and her staff mishandled highly classified information while using a non-government server."

Trump, in reaction to Wray’s resignation, again railed against the "illegal" raid on Mar-a-Lago.

RAID ON TRUMP'S MAR-A-LAGO ESTATE QUESTIONED BY SOME LEGAL SCHOLARS

"Under the leadership of Christopher Wray, the FBI illegally raided my home, without cause, worked diligently on illegally impeaching and indicting me, and has done everything else to interfere with the success and future of America. They have used their vast powers to threaten and destroy many innocent Americans, some of which will never be able to recover from what has been done to them," he wrote on Truth Social. 

Wray testified before the ​​House Judiciary Committee in July and said he "would not call it a raid" on Mar-a-Lago, instead saying the FBI conducted "the execution of a lawful search warrant."

GRASSLEY RIPS WRAY'S 'FAILED' LEADERSHIP AT FBI WITH 11 PAGES OF EXAMPLES IN BLISTERING 'NO CONFIDENCE' LETTER

In January 2023, conservative lawmakers slammed an internal FBI memo from the Richmond field office titled "Interest of Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists in Radical-Traditionalist Catholic Ideology Almost Certainly Presents New Mitigation Opportunities."

The memo identified "radical-traditionalist Catholic[s]" as potential "racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists" and said that "racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists (RMVEs) in radical-traditionalist Catholic (RTC) ideology almost certainly presents opportunities for threat mitigation through the exploration of new avenues for tripwire and source development."

The memo was rescinded, but lawmakers scrutinized Wray as to why Americans were targeted due to their religious beliefs, which defies the U.S. Constitution. 

Twenty Republican lawmakers in a letter to Wray last year said the memo "singled out traditional Catholics for their pro-life views, accusing RTCs of ‘hostility towards abortion-rights advocates’ in the aftermath of the Dobbs decision."

"This specific call out to pro-life views is of even greater concern, considering the slow rate of investigation and response to the violent attacks that a number of pro-life pregnancy centers and Catholic Churches have experienced since the Dobbs decision was leaked in May of last year," they wrote.

But Wray said at a 2023 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that "We do not and will not conduct investigations based on anybody’s exercise of their constitutionally protected religious [expression]."

HEAVILY REDACTED RECORDS SHOW FBI'S TARGETING OF CATHOLICS WENT BEYOND WHAT IT CLAIMED: WATCHDOG

The FBI also came under fire durin​​g Wray’s tenure when the FBI raided a home and arrested a pro-life man in Pennsylvania in 2022.

Mark Houck, a Catholic father of seven who would often pray outside a Philadelphia abortion clinic, was arrested at his rural Pennsylvania home in Kintnersville by the FBI. The arrest stemmed from an altercation he had with a Planned Parenthood escort in Philadelphia in October 2021. Houck was accused of pushing the abortion clinic escort, who allegedly verbally harassed Houck's 12-year-old son outside the clinic.  

The Biden administration alleged Houck violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which makes it a federal crime to use force with the intent to injure, intimidate and interfere with anyone because that person provides reproductive health care. 

Houck was acquitted by a jury last year after arguing that he was protecting his son. He and his wife, Ryan-Marie, argued that the FBI used excessive force during the arrest, filing a lawsuit against the DOJ this year alleging the arrest followed a "faulty and malicious investigation."

The DOJ and FBI were heavily criticized by parents nationwide in 2021 when Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a memo directing the FBI to use counterterrorism tools related to parents speaking out at school board meetings against transgender-related issues and critical race theory curricula.

The memorandum followed the National School Boards Association (NSBA) sending a letter to President Biden and asking that the federal government investigate parents protesting at school board meetings, claiming school officials were facing threats at meetings. 

The NSBA requested that parents' actions be examined under the Patriot Act as "domestic terrorists," sparking Garland’s eventual memo, which did not use the phrase "domestic terrorist."

"After surveying local law enforcement, U.S. Attorney’s offices around the country reported back to Main Justice that there was no legitimate law-enforcement basis for the Attorney General’s directive to use federal law-enforcement and counterterrorism resources to investigate school board-related threats," the House Judiciary Committee stated in an interim report on the memo last year. 

Garland testified before the Senate last year that the memo "was aimed at violence and threats of violence against a whole host of school personnel," not parents "making complaints to their school board," but the memo set off a firestorm of criticism from parents nonetheless. 

HOUSE JUDICIARY SUBPOENAS FBI DIRECTOR WRAY ON TARGETING OF PARENTS AT SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS

"The premier law enforcement agency of the United States of America, the FBI, was used as a weapon by the DOJ against parents who dared to voice their concerns at the most local level: their school board," Moms for Liberty founder Tiffany Justice told Fox News Digital last year. 

In Grassley’s blistering 11-page letter to Wray last month, he slammed the FBI for acting as an "accomplice to the Democrats’ false information campaign" surrounding his investigation into "alleged Biden-family corruption."

Grassley said the FBI "sat on bribery allegations" against Biden when he served as vice president, as well as Biden's son, Hunter Biden, and Ukrainian officials. 

"Consistent with that FBI failure, yet another glaring example of FBI’s broken promises under your leadership is its inexcusable failure to investigate bribery allegations against former Vice President Joe Biden, while strictly scrutinizing former President Trump. You’ve repeatedly claimed you would ensure the FBI does justice, ‘free of fear, favor, or partisan influence.’ The FBI under your watch, however, had possession of incriminating information against President Biden for three years until I exposed the existence of the record outlining those allegations, but did nothing to investigate it," he wrote. 

BIDENS ALLEGEDLY 'COERCED' BURISMA CEO TO PAY THEM MILLIONS TO HELP GET UKRAINE PROSECUTOR FIRED: FBI FORM

At question in the investigation was an FBI-generated FD-1023 form that allegedly described a multimillion-dollar criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Biden and a foreign national relating to the exchange of money for policy decisions. Grassley ultimately acquired the document through legally protected disclosures by Department of Justice whistleblowers. 

That document reflects the FBI's interview with a "highly credible" confidential human source who described meetings and conversations they had with an executive of Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings over the course of several years, starting in 2015. Hunter Biden sat on the board of Burisma at the time. 

Biden denied the accusations, calling the bribery allegations a "bunch of malarkey" last year. 

"Still, to-date, the DOJ and FBI have neither answered whether they investigated the substance of the FD-1023, nor have they provided an explanation for any effort undertaken to obtain the financial records and other pieces of evidence referenced within the document," Grassley wrote to Wray on Monday. "This sounds a lot like Director Comey’s leadership of the FBI, which was nothing short of shameful."

FIVE MOST SIGNIFICANT ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE BIDENS IN FBI FD-1023 FORM

When asked about Grassley’s letter last month, the FBI said it "has repeatedly demonstrated our commitment to responding to Congressional oversight and being transparent with the American people."

"Director Wray and Deputy Director Abbate have taken strong actions toward achieving accountability in the areas mentioned in the letter and remain committed to sharing information about the continuously evolving threat environment facing our nation and the extraordinary work of the FBI."

Trump faced a shocking assassination attempt in July while giving a speech at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The shooter, perched on the roof of a nearby building, fired a series of shots that grazed Trump's right ear and wounded two rally attendees. Local father and volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore was fatally struck while protecting his family.

Wray came under criticism regarding the assassination attempt when he appeared before the House Judiciary Committee and cast doubt on whether a bullet actually struck Trump. 

"I think with respect to former President Trump, there’s some question about whether or not it’s a bullet or shrapnel that, you know, hit his ear," Wray said at the hearing.

Trump blasted him online for the comment.

"FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress yesterday that he wasn’t sure if I was hit by shrapnel, glass, or a bullet (the FBI never even checked!), but he was sure that Crooked Joe Biden was physically and cognitively ​​’uneventful’ - Wrong!" Trump wrote on Truth Social in July. 

​​"No, it was, unfortunately, a bullet that hit my ear, and hit it hard. There was no glass, there was no shrapnel. The hospital called it a "bullet wound to the ear," and that is what it was. No wonder the once storied FBI has lost the confidence of America!"

The FBI later confirmed a bullet, "​​whether whole or fragmented," struck Trump.

Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

President-elect Donald Trump's allies are excoriating the FBI for its initial characterization of the brutal car attack in New Orleans as not terror-related, before the nation’s top federal law enforcement agency backtracked and launched a terrorism investigation allegedly connected to ISIS. 

"The FBI has a no-fail mission. There is no room for error. When they fail, Americans die. It's a necessity that Kash Patel gets confirmed ASAP," a source close to Trump told Fox News Digital on Thursday morning. 

Early Wednesday morning, chaos broke out on Bourbon Street in New Orleans as New Year’s Eve revelers partied on the streets. The suspect, later identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, is accused of ramming a truck into the crowds on the beloved and famed party street, killing at least 15 and injuring dozens of others. Jabbar, who was armed with a Glock and a .308 rifle, was killed after opening fire on police. 

As details filtered to the public on Wednesday morning, law enforcement officials, including the FBI, held a press conference where a special agent initially told the public that the attack was not related to terrorism. 

NEW ORLEANS ATTACK: SEARCH CONTINUES FOR BOURBON STREET 'PEOPLE OF INTEREST' AS STATE AG VOWS DEATH PENALTY

"We'll be taking over the investigative lead for this event. This is not a terrorist event," said New Orleans field office FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan during the press conference. 

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT VICTIMS OF NEW ORLEANS TERRORIST ATTACK

The mayor of New Orleans contradicted Duncan in the same press conference, declaring that the attack was connected to terrorism. 

"Know that the city of New Orleans was impacted by a terrorist attack. It's all still under investigation. You'll hear more after me," Mayor LaToya Cantrell, a Democrat who has served in the role since 2018, said at the presser. 

The FBI released statements later Wednesday outlining that the attack was now under investigation as an act of terror, including reporting that an ISIS flag was found on the truck that rammed into the crowds. 

"An ISIS flag was located in the vehicle, and the FBI is working to determine the subject's potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations," one FBI statement said. 

SUSPECT IDENTIFIED AS FBI INVESTIGATES ACT OF TERRORISM AFTER BOURBON STREET ATTACK

"The FBI is the lead investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism. We are aggressively running down all leads to identify any possible associates of the subject," the statement added. 

Conservative lawmakers decried the attack and mourned for the victims, while also directing their ire at the FBI for its alleged failures in handling the attack. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, a key Senate ally of Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, Kash Patel, slammed the FBI in a series of messages posted to X and again rallied support for Patel’s confirmation to serve as FBI director. 

OFFICIALS POSTPONE SUGAR BOWL IN  THE WAKE OF APPARENT TERROR ATTACK ON BOURBON STREET

"The tragic terror attack that killed innocent people in New Orleans is a stark reminder of the importance of strong leadership. America needs a fearless fighter like @Kash_Patel at the FBI," Blackburn posted on Wednesday. 

Blackburn also took issue with the FBI for allegedly reporting to the suspect’s home in Texas after the media had already staked out the property. 

"The FBI didn’t show up to the NOLA suspect’s address until 1pm today. We were on scene before. No one came out of the home or answered the door," New York Post reporter Jennie Taer posted to X on Wednesday. 

Blackburn responded to the Post reporter, saying that the FBI had "failed" its mission as the nation’s top law enforcement agency. 

"The fact that a reporter has better intel than the FBI tells us all we need to know. The FBI has failed its core mission," Blackburn posted. 

WHO IS KASH PATEL? TRUMP'S PICK TO LEAD THE FBI HAS LONG HISTORY VOWING TO BUST UP 'DEEP STATE'

When approached for comment on the criticisms, the FBI directed Fox Digital to its three previous statements on the attack that described it as an act of terror but did not comment on the New Orleans’ agent saying Wednesday that the attack was not connected to terrorism. 

"This morning, an individual drove a car into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing a number of people and injuring dozens of others. The subject then engaged with local law enforcement and is now deceased. The FBI is the lead investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism," the FBI said in one of its three statements provided to Fox Digital. 

Jabbar was identified as a 42-year-old U.S. citizen from Texas. He was an Army veteran who served as a human resource specialist and information technology specialist from March 2007 until Jan. 2015, and he deployed to Afghanistan from Feb. 2009 to Jan. 2010.

Trump slammed President Biden and his administration’s policies for the attack. 

TRUMP FBI PICK KASH PATEL SHOULD TAKE THESE CONCRETE STEPS TO RESTORE TRUST: FORMER SPECIAL AGENT

"With the Biden ‘Open Border’s Policy’ I said, many times during Rallies, and elsewhere, that Radical Islamic Terrorism, and other forms of violent crime, will become so bad in America that it will become hard to even imagine or believe. That time has come, only worse than ever imagined. Joe Biden is the WORST PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICA, A COMPLETE AND TOTAL DISASTER," Trump posted to Truth Social. 

Biden mourned the attack on Wednesday, highlighting that despite the violence, "our New Orleans will never, never, never be defeated."

"New Orleans is a place unlike any other place in the world," the president said. "It's a city full of charm and joy. So many people around the world love New Orleans because of its history, its culture, and above all, its people."

"So I know while this person committed a terrible assault on the city, the spirit of our New Orleans will never, never, never be defeated," he added.

Before the devastating terror attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day rocked the nation, President Biden and his administration repeatedly stressed that the greatest threat facing the country was White supremacy — even explicitly stating that terrorist organizations such as ISIS could not compare to the danger posed by White supremacists. 

"According to the intelligence community, terrorism from white supremacy is the most lethal threat to the homeland today. Not ISIS, not al Qaeda — White supremacists," Biden said in June 2021 on the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. 

The comment came just weeks after he declared during the State of the Union that year, "We won’t ignore what our intelligence agencies have determined to be the most lethal terrorist threat to the homeland today: White supremacy is terrorism."

Early on New Year’s Day, New Orleans and the nation were rocked by a suspected terror attack when a man identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, allegedly rammed a truck into crowds of revelers celebrating the holiday on the city’s famed Bourbon Street. The FBI confirmed on Wednesday that they were investigating the incident as an act of terror, noting that they had confirmed the suspect had an ISIS flag in the vehicle at the time of the attack. 

BIDEN BLASTED FOR CALLING ‘WHITE SUPREMACY’ ‘MOST DANGEROUS TERRORIST THREAT’ AT COLLEGE SPEECH: ‘PURE EVIL’

ISIS is a jihadist group that has carried out terrorist attacks worldwide but has lost momentum in recent years, including in 2019 when U.S. forces killed Iraqi militant and ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The FBI said Thursday that Jabbar had been "inspired" by ISIS, adding that they have not found any evidence that he was directed by ISIS to carry out the attack. 

BIDEN TELLS HOWARD GRADS 'WHITE SUPREMACY' IS THE 'MOST DANGEROUS TERRORIST THREAT' TO THE UNITED STATES

The shocking attack has resurrected Biden's previous rhetoric on White supremacy and the state of national security, which was also promoted by administration leaders such as Attorney General Merrick Garland. 

"In the FBI’s view, the top domestic violent extremist threat comes from ‘racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists, specifically those who advocated for the superiority of the white race,’" Garland declared in May 2021 before the Senate Appropriations Committee of the top threats to the U.S.

Garland was joined by Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayarokas in sounding the alarm on the threat that White supremacists posed to the U.S. that year. Garland and Biden administration officials at the time argued that Jan. 6, 2021 — when supporters of President-elect Trump breached the Capitol buildig — opened the floodgates to concern over home-grown threats to democracy. 

"I have not seen a more dangerous threat to democracy than the invasion of the Capitol," Garland said at the time, calling it "an attempt to interfere with the fundamental element of our democracy, a peaceful transfer of power."

Biden has also cited the threat of White supremacy in more recent public remarks, including during his commencement address to Howard University in 2023. 

"White supremacy … is the single most dangerous terrorist threat in our homeland," Biden said. "And I’m not just saying this because I’m at a Black HBCU. I say this wherever I go."

BIDEN ADMIN MOCKED FOR LABELING 'WHITE SUPREMACY' THE GREATEST THREAT TO US

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under the Trump administration released a report in 2020, called the "Homeland Threat Assessment," which found that White supremacists and other "domestic violent extremists" posed "the most persistent and lethal threat" to the nation. Following Biden’s inauguration, Mayorkas declared that DHS was "taking a new approach to addressing domestic violent extremism, both internally and externally," compared to the previous administration. 

Following the attack on Wednesday morning, conservative social media users and critics of the Biden administration resurrected Biden’s previous comments on White supremacy, quipping that the comments have "not aged well."  

COLLEGE OFFERING 'WHITE SUPREMACY IN THE AGE OF TRUMP' COURSE AS PRESIDENT-ELECT RETURNS TO WHITE HOUSE

The brother of the suspected terrorist told The New York Times that Jabbar had been raised Christian, but converted to Islam. The sibling, Abdur Jabbar, underscored that his brother does not represent the Islamic faith and instead called his actions an example of "radicalization."

"What he did does not represent Islam," he added. "This is more some type of radicalization, not religion."

"Syria is a mess, but is not our friend. THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!" This is what President-elect Donald J. Trump posted, in all caps, on X (formerly Twitter) on Dec. 7 as the Assad regime was rapidly collapsing. 

The barbaric despot who ruled Syria for decades was driven out by the rebel forces who had mounted a blitzkrieg-like offensive in which they captured Aleppo, Homs and other key cities and seized control of the capital, Damascus. 

Likely driven by the goal of fulfilling his mandate to stop sending Americans to fight foreign wars, President Trump’s instincts are noble. Let Allah sort this one out seems like a reasonable approach. America has plenty of our own problems at this time, not the least of which are the unknown drone swarms flying over our critical military installations inside the homeland – a mystery that our government seems incapable of solving. But here’s the dilemma that will almost certainly complicate Trump’s "stay out of someone else’s fights" foreign policy approach.

PUTIN'S IRAN-ISRAEL DILEMMA AMID GROWING FEARS OF REGIONAL WAR: 'COMPLEX CONSIDERATIONS'

If left to its own devices, Syria will highly likely turn into a terrorist state. That is a nation state run by terrorists and harboring terrorist groups. Another Afghanistan in other words.

Following the fall of Bashar al Assad, Syria is now run by a de facto terrorist organization, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). HTS is the dominant rebel force that led the various disparate groups to stage the insurrection. The U.N. Security Council itself considers HTS as a terrorist group, having unanimously adopted in 2015 Resolution 2254, which calls on member states to "to prevent and suppress terrorist acts committed specifically by" HTS’s predecessor, the Al-Nusra Front. Consequently, Member states are now obligated to comply with the sanction regime levied on HTS – asset freeze, a travel ban and an arms embargo. There’s a reason why Syria has been designated a State Sponsor of Terrorism since December 1979.

A former Al Qaeda affiliate with ties to ISIS, HTS adheres to the violent jihadist doctrine. The head of HTS and de facto leader of Syria is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who, after the ouster of Assad started presenting himself by his legal name Ahmad Hussein al-Sharaa.

Al Golani received his marching orders in 2011 to insert a rebel group into the civil war in Syria by none other than Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the founder and leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, also known as Al Qaeda in Iraq. In 2014, ISIS, an outgrowth of al-Qaeda in Iraq, burrowed itself in Syria, taking advantage of the civil war and proclaimed itself a caliphate. Al Bagdadi is the thug who killed himself and three of his young children when he detonated his vest when U.S. commandos and their dogs chased him down in a tunnel in northwestern Syria as part of a special operation authorized by President Trump in October 2019. 

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ISIS and Al Qaeda are a bunch of head choppers who have decapitated Jews and Christians and burned a Jordanian pilot alive in a cage. Al Golani comes from that stock. He is a radical militant, a designated terrorist with a $10 million bounty on his head placed by the U.S. State Department. Just because he scored an exclusive CNN interview, having polished his image, trimmed his beard and donned a Zelenskyy-like olive green uniform doesn’t make him a moderate. 

On Wednesday, he claimed that Syria is not a threat to the world and called for the lifting of sanctions from Syria and for the delisting of HTS as a terrorist organization designated as such by the U.N., U.S., EU and U.K. He claimed that he supports women’s education, noting in an interview with the BBC that when he ruled Idlib some 60% of women attended university there. 

But when asked if alcohol would be allowed in Syria, his response was telling: "There are many things I just don't have the right to talk about because they are legal issues." He added that the "Syrian committee of legal experts [is] to write a constitution. They will decide. And any ruler or president will have to follow the law." The law that he is talking about is highly likely the extremist version of Islamic Law, a repressive form of Sharia law that is typically imposed by Islamist groups, such as the Taliban.

Already there are reports that Christmas decorations are being torn down and women are forced to wear veils. 

President Trump will likely have to deal with Syria for the same reasons that the U.S. military went into Afghanistan in 2001 – to prevent the spread of terrorism. But his options are not limitless. He will likely apply pressure on Turkey’s Erdogan, who is the main backer of HTS and the sponsor of the Syrian National Army, another militia group, that is part of the rebel alliance leading the anti-Assad insurrection.

But as the balance of power is shifting in the Middle East, away from Iran, favoring Turkey, Erdogan’s ambitions will likely grow. Having ruled Turkey for more than 20 years, Erdogan’s mission has been to place Turkey back at the center of the world map, reviving the country’s Ottoman Empire past. He also wants to place religion in the predominantly Muslim Turkey as the centerpiece of the Turkish identity "that will work for the construction of a new civilization."

Eyeing dominance in the region, Turkey, which is already playing both sides, U.S./NATO and Russia, is unlikely to be a cooperative partner for the U.S., whose influence in the region has diminished during the Biden administration.

Doing nothing will lead to the emergence of a terrorist state at the heart of the Middle East on Trump’s watch. Deploying American troops to calm things down in Turkey will violate his no-foreign wars promise. Either way, Trump will be blamed for what happened to Syria on Biden’s watch.

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In an exclusive interview with Fox News, Gen. Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the main U.S. ally whose fighters are currently guarding 45,000 ISIS militants and their families at camps and prisons in Eastern Syria, said the Turkish military and its allied forces continue to attack his Kurdish forces, despite a U.S. brokered ceasefire deal Wednesday. 

"We are still under constant attack from the Turkish military and the Turkish-supported opposition which is called SNA," Gen. Mazloum told Fox. "Eighty drone attacks a day we have from the Turkish military. There is intensive artillery shells. This situation has paralyzed our counterterror operation." 

The attacks by the Turkish military on the SDF have increased since Bashar Al Assad’s fall on December 8. Gen. Mazloum warned that if his Kurdish fighters have to flee, ISIS would return.

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Gen. Mazloum said half of his fighters guarding the ISIS camps had to withdraw in recent days.

"All of the prisons still are under our control. However, the prisons and camps are in a critical situation because who is guarding them? They are leaving and having to protect their families," said Gen. Mazloum in an interview from his base in Eastern Syria. "I can give you one example like the Raqqa ISIS prison, which contains about 1,000 ISIS ex-fighters. The number of guards there have diminished by half which is putting them in a fragile position." 

A chilling warning from one of America’s staunchest allies. The U.S. has 900 troops in Eastern Syria, and they would likely have to withdraw if the allied Kurdish fighters retreat under attack from Turkey’s military, which views the Kurds as a terrorist threat.

"We don't want to see that happen. So we're in very close touch with our SDF partners to try to maintain that focus on counter-ISIS missions. And we are just as importantly in touch with our Turkish counterparts," said National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby during a White House press briefing Thursday.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is in Turkey today meeting with President Recep Erdogan to discuss how to bring stability to Syria.

Secretary Blinken "reiterated the importance of all actors in Syria respecting human rights, upholding international humanitarian law, and taking all feasible steps to protect civilians, including members of minority groups," State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement following the meeting with President Erdogan. "He emphasized the need to ensure the coalition can continue to execute its critical mission to defeat ISIS." 

CENTCOM Commander General Erik Kurilla met with Gen. Mazloum and the SDF in Syria on Tuesday, two days after the U.S. military carried out extensive airstrikes targeting dozens of ISIS positions in Eastern Syria. The operation struck over 75 targets – camps and operatives – using U.S. Air Force B-52s, F-15s, and A-10s, according to a statement released by U.S. Central Command.

"There should be no doubt – we will not allow ISIS to reconstitute and take advantage of the current situation in Syria," said Kurilla. "All organizations in Syria should know that we will hold them accountable if they partner with or support ISIS in any way."

On Wednesday, the SDF announced a truce with Syria’s Turkey-backed rebels in northern Manbij following U.S. mediation "to ensure the safety and security of civilians," Gen. Mazloum said early on Wednesday.

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"The fighters of the Manbij Military Council, who have been resisting the attacks since November 27, will withdraw from the area as soon as possible," Gen. Mazloum added. 

And new indications suggest a ceasefire late Thursday has tentatively been agreed to in Aleppo and Deir Ezzor south of Raqqa along the Euphrates River.

Gen. Mazloum worries about what would happen if the U.S. pulled its forces out of Syria right now.

"We saw that the Russians – they have no further leverage in the country – same for the Iranians. So if now U.S. troops withdraw from Syria that will bring a vacuum."

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He added the following warning: "We expect those Islamists, different factions to unite, to fight with ISIS and that will bring back tougher extremists, terrorist organizations back to the country."

The SDF Commander fears another bloody civil war could start if the new Syrian government in Damascus does not include different minority groups, like the Syrian Kurds.

"So any new government in Syria needs to be representative, needs to be inclusive and contain and include all different parties of Syria. So if not that takes us to a bloody civil war in the country and that will put us in huge stage of escalatory path that no one can predict the fate of that," Gen. Mazloum told Fox.

Facing the Turkish fighter jets, the SDF mistakenly shot down a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone in Syria on Monday, the result of "friendly fire," a U.S. defense official told Fox News. "The U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters who are under attack from the Turkish military misidentified the drone as a threat," the official said.