It seems like every few days there is a new video released by Islamic militants threatening to take aim at Western targets, and the latest one is threatening shopping malls across the U.S., Canada and Europe. The idea of lone-wolf attackers targeting softer targets such as shopping facilities is nothing new overseas, but here it has the U.S. Department of Homeland Security stepping up police presence and asking shoppers to be extra careful. The Mall of America, in Minnesota, was one of the targets mentioned by name, and this morning Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson was interviewed on CNN about the warning that has been sounded to consumers in middle America.
"This latest statement from al Shabaab reflects the new phase we've evolved to in the global terrorist threat, in that you have groups such as al Shabaab and ISIL publicly calling for independent actors in their homelands to carry out attacks. Anytime a terrorist organization calls for an attack on a specific place, we've got to take that seriously. I'm very concerned about the serious potential threat of independent actors here in the United States. We've seen this now in Europe. We've seen this in Canada," explained Johnson, who himself advised people going to the Mall of America to be particularly careful and aware of their surroundings.
In the last year these militant groups such as ISIL/ISIS seem to have certainly stepped up their game in how barbaric their actions are and also the way they attack. Hitting softer targets in middle America rather than a federal building in Manhattan sends the message that no one is safe and that everyone can easily become either a target or a casualty. Other countries have dealt with this type of threat and the fear that it brings for years now. Apparently, it is time for the U.S. and Canada to catch up with everyone else.
The Mall of America has issued a statement saying that is has done everything in its power to beef up security. Do you think shoppers are really at risk or is ISIS just as happy to create the element of fear that alters the way we choose to live our lives? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.
