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FUNERAL ‘TARGET’
Terror fears for Carter funeral as state send-off is ‘perfect time for an attack’ after New Orleans rampage & Vegas bomb
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FORMER President Jimmy Carter's state funeral is the "perfect target for terrorists" after the two deadly New Year's Day attacks, warns a security expert.
International security specialist Will Geddes told The Sun that American officials "cannot afford" to allow for another strike at the event, which will have the world's attention.
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The US has been rocked by two separate attacks, which left 16 people dead earlier this week.
A suspected terrorist with links to ISIS mowed down and shot dead 14 New Year's Eve revelers in New Orleans.
He was taken out by cops in a firefight after leaving behind a trail of destruction in .
Hours later, an active-duty US soldier shot himself inside a Cybertruck before blowing up the Tesla on a busy street in Las Vegas and sending debris flying into terrified pedestrians.
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Geddes told The Sun that these two tragedies should act as a "wake-up call" for security teams preparing for Carter's funeral.
The grand event will take place in Washington DC on January 9. Dozens of world leaders and the general public will attend to celebrate Carter's life.
President Joe Biden is set to lead the occasion for his close friend, and incoming President Donald Trump has also said he will attend.
Dozens of other American politicians and global figures are expected to attend, making security at the funeral paramount.
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"In the wake of the two specific incidents that took place on New Year's Day it does not come as a huge surprise to the security community," Geddes said.
"But the significance of it plays havoc certainly in terms of any major events that are going to be taking place in the United States for the foreseeable future, and especially the State funeral for President Jimmy Carter.
NOT A TARGET Chilling reason N.Orleans terrorist opted to kill strangers instead of family
"One of the greatest concerns will be that there will be heads of state from various countries from across the world in attendance.
"The US will very much be on the world stage right now, and Al Qaeda and Islamic State know this.
"They also know anything they undertake in the lead up to this funeral, and even perhaps on the day itself, will garnish and gain the world's attention.
"A globally impactful funeral, by pure simplicity, means it is going to always be an attractive and viable prospect for a terrorist attack."
The security specialist added that this must present "a very, very troubling and very worrying concern" for those responsible for ensuring safety.
They cannot afford to get it wrong when it comes to President Jimmy Carter's state funeral. They have to get absolutely everything right
Will Geddes
The Secret Service has spent the week securing the area where the funeral and procession will occur.
Thousands of cops will be present at every step of the event,, and the Secret Service and the Military Joint Task Force will lead the security.
They will be assisted by local cops as well as special agents who will be on hand guarding each individual leader.
“A state funeral is our way, our nation’s way of rendering its last honor to the commander in chief," Retired Army chaplain Colonel Tom Waynick told Georgia CBS affiliate .
"And the military takes it very serious, of course, because it’s a no fail mission and you need to make sure that when the day comes that we’re ready for that."
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NO MORE MISTAKES
Investigations are still ongoing over the New Orleans and Las Vegas attacks, but many experts have already voiced their concerns over failed security measures.
In Las Vegas, the Cybertruck driver parked up directly outside the Trump International Hotel before he is believed to have pulled the trigger on himself and sparked a fireball inferno.
In New Orleans, several decisions around the deadly attack have come under intense scrutiny.
The suspect, US Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar, had shown signs of being radicalized by ISIS before he rammed partygoers.
The truck he used in the rampage also featured an IS flag.
But Geddes' biggest issue was with the failures around security barriers which had been purposely set up to prevent a car from driving down Bourbon Street.
Officials said these anti-terror barricades were being replaced at the exact time Jabbar swerved around a temporary police car put in place instead and started to mow down terrified revelers.
Super Bowl security fears
By Sunni Upal, Deputy US Sport Editor
AN emergency declaration has already been issued early ahead of the Super Bowl after the terrorist attack in New Orleans.
The city in Louisiana will host the NFL's showpiece season finale on Sunday, February 9 - a whole month after Carter's funeral.
There were immediate concerns over the staging of the Sugar Bowl later on New Year's Day following the attack.
The Superdome was scheduled to stage the College Football Playoff quarterfinal between Notre Dame and Georgia this week.
But that game was postponed, authorities confirmed.
And attention also turned to the Super Bowl in little over a month's time at the same stadium.
Authorities announced at a press conference Wednesday that preparations for the Super Bowl have been altered in the wake of the attack.
"We have been drawing and working very diligently to address concerns for the Super Bowl since October," Governor Jeff Landry announced.
"In preparation for the Super Bowl, I had intended to issue an emergency declaration tomorrow so that we could bring all of our federal, state and local agencies in preparation.
"But because of the events today, I have amended that emergency declaration and issued it today.
"That will allow our federal, state and local partners to bring in all of the resources necessary to get this city safe."
A similar issue took place at the Magdeburg Christmas market in Germany just over a week earlier when a crazed driver managed to break past bollards with ease.
Geddes says these slight openings for attackers will not be acceptable going forward - and especially not at the funeral.
"We've seen serious lapses in security around the Christmas market attack in Germany, on Bourbon Street in New Orleans and even security around Donald Trump's hotel in Vegas," he said.
"But they cannot afford to get it wrong when it comes to President Jimmy Carter's state funeral. They have to get absolutely everything right.
"I do think we should hopefully anticipate that the security will be visible and will be present but not only effective, but incredibly robust because it is a perfect target for the terrorists."
When asked how he hopes organizers will use the recent attacks to bolster their operations, Geddes said he expects a few things to happen.
"One would hope that the lessons learned from the two incidents on New Year's Day will have been rapidly absorbed and adapted and now implemented and inserted into the plans for the state funeral," he added.
"I expect these to be over and beyond what they were going to do anyway."
Up to 7,000 people are predicted to attend Carter's state funeral.
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Carter was the 39th president of the United States and spent just one term in office between 1976 and 1980.
He went on to become one of the most appreciated and beloved politicians in US history.
Who was Shamsud-Din Jabbar?
THE man police suspect drove his car into a crowd of New Year's Eve revellers in New Orleans was 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar.
He is believed to have killed 14 people in what authorities are investigating as a terrorist attack before cops shot him dead.
More details are emerging about the US Army veteran who was born and lived in Texas.
Jabbar had a criminal history after being arrested in Katy, Texas, in 2002 for misdemeanor theft.
He was also arrested in 2005 for driving without an invalid license.
Documents viewed by The U.S. Sun confirmed Jabbar held a real estate license from 2019 until it expired in February 2021.
In a YouTube video uploaded on May 12, 2020, Jabbar introduced himself as a Team Lead for the Midas Group and Property Manager at Blue Meadow Properties.
He shared that he was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas, but was living in Houston at the time of the video.
During his 10-year stint in the Army, Jabbar said he served as a human resources specialist and IT specialist from 2007 to 2015.
He was deployed to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010.
Between 2015 and 2020 he served in the Army Reserve as an IT specialist, the Army said.
Jabbar is a dad to two daughters and had two previous wives.
It's unclear when his second divorce happened, but court files show that a restraining order was granted against him in 2020.
The New York Times reported a court document that the suspect filed in August 2022 as part of a divorce proceeding said he worked at the accounting firm Deloitte and made about $120,000 a year.
A ISIS flag was found in the truck by cops following the attack after it had been attached to a pole on the truck's trailer hitch, the FBI said.
Jabbar had only converted to Islam within the last year and was "being all crazy" the new husband of his ex-wife said, the New York Times reports.
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