On Christmas Day, a Nigerian man attempted to blow up a Northwest Airlines plane by strapping plastic explosives to his underwear. Though the man was caught before detonation occurred, the incident disturbed government officials, who feared the new tactic would be popular among terrorist groups.
It seems those fears were well founded. In the latest video released by al-Qaida, American-born Adam Gadahn urged followers to adopt smaller-scale methods of attack. "Even apparently unsuccessful attacks on Western mass transportation systems can bring major cities to a halt, cost the enemy billions and send his corporations into bankruptcy," Gadahn said in a video, which was translated by a US intelligence agency that keeps tabs on militant activity.
This could be a new era for terrorism, and it will force national security teams to really step up their game. With more attacks focusing on smaller targets, the already hardworking officials will have to be even more diligent about tracing the strikes before they happen.
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Spotted by: Rachel |
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