An Israeli Special Operations veteran delivers scathing criticism of U.S. federal agencies following a deadly New Year's Eve attack in New Orleans.
According to Breitbart, Aaron Cohen, speaking on Fox News Channel's "Hannity," highlighted significant failures in the FBI's counterterrorism capabilities, particularly pointing to what he termed a "serious DEI problem" in the wake of an attack that claimed 15 lives.
The incident involved a lone-wolf terrorist with ISIS connections who orchestrated a deadly ramming attack during New Year's celebrations on Bourbon Street. The attacker, wielding stolen weapons, including an AR-type weapon and a Glock, targeted civilians during what should have been festive celebrations.
Cohen's criticism extended beyond the immediate incident, drawing parallels to a recent car-ramming terror attack in Magdeburg. He emphasized the concerning pattern of security breaches and the apparent inability of federal agencies to prevent such attacks despite their increasing frequency.
The special ops veteran highlighted three major failures in the system: inadequate intelligence sharing among agencies, insufficient physical security measures such as bollards, and what he described as compromised counterterrorist capabilities due to DEI policies. These shortcomings, according to Cohen, contributed directly to the tragic outcome.
Cohen stated:
[I]t appears to have worked here. And the fact that, that a lone wolf terrorist who's clearly connected to ISIS was able to, two weeks after the Magdeburg car-ramming terror attack, take a vehicle, drive it through a giant New Year's event in New Orleans on Bourbon Street, and run down and kill 15 people with a stolen AR type of weapon, I believe it was a 308, and a stolen Glock — leads me to believe here that we have multi-failures in our counter-terrorist capabilities.
The attack has sparked renewed debate about the effectiveness of current counterterrorism measures. Security experts point to the alarming ease with which the perpetrator obtained weapons and executed the attack without detection.
Questions are now being raised about the FBI's internal policies and their impact on operational effectiveness. The incident has highlighted potential gaps in the agency's ability to track and prevent lone-wolf attacks, particularly those inspired by international terrorist organizations.
The timing of the attack, coming just two weeks after another vehicle-ramming incident in Magdeburg, has intensified scrutiny of federal law enforcement's preparedness for coordinated responses to terrorist threats. Cohen emphasized the need for more proactive measures and improved intelligence-gathering capabilities.
The aftermath of this tragic event has prompted calls for immediate action to address vulnerabilities in the nation's security infrastructure. Law enforcement agencies face mounting pressure to reevaluate their protocols and enhance their preventive capabilities.
Security experts are advocating for increased physical security measures at major public events, particularly in high-traffic areas like Bourbon Street. The lack of protective barriers has been identified as a critical oversight that requires immediate attention.
Cohen's final assessment was particularly pointed:
Nobody knew that he had stolen weapons, and nobody knew that he was on his way to go commit an act of terror. So that's a multi-failure terror attack, and we need to start getting in front of these. We need to start being proactive, and it's time to stop messing around because those are real humans who were killed.
The New Year's Eve attack in New Orleans, perpetrated by an ISIS-linked lone-wolf terrorist, resulted in 15 deaths and numerous injuries during what should have been a celebratory event on Bourbon Street. Israeli Special Ops veteran Aaron Cohen's analysis highlighted critical failures in the FBI's counterterrorism capabilities, particularly emphasizing issues with DEI policies and intelligence sharing.
