OPINION:
The Islamic State has long encouraged attacks on soft targets in the United States. In the recent addition of its “terror magazine,” Dabiq, an extremist group, calls the Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City an excellent target for automobile attacks against civilians, saying, “vehicle attacks are one of the most effective weapons in the terrorist arsenal.”
“Though being an essential part of modern life, very few actually comprehend the deadly and destructive capability of the motor vehicle and its capacity of reaping large numbers of casualties if used in a premeditated manner,” the authors of the feature “Just Terror Tactics” wrote in the English-language magazine.
The New York Police Department stated it has provided additional security to prevent such an event. “As you’ll recall, last year the route was lined with hundreds of blocker cars, very much similar to what we do along presidential routes,” said John Miller, deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism for the NYPD, reports UPI.
NYPD vows the event will be safe and has scouted out 200 nearby locations where people could rent trucks to fill with explosives, as well as other unique security measures.
“We handle these large events almost every day. Come down to the parade. It’s going to be safe. It’s going to be the safest place in New York City,” said NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill.
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