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CNN: NYC Hatchet Attacker 'Radicalized' by Islamic State Propaganda

'If linked, this is the third terror case in four days'

October 23, 2014

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and correspondents discussed a disturbing hatchet attack by 32-year-old Zale Thompson on two NYPD officers Thursday and the potential that Thompson may have been "radicalized" by Islamic State propaganda after a review of his social media accounts.

"What is truly concerning police are his social media postings--Facebook, YouTube, et cetera--which has raised suspicions that this random attack that you see in the surveillance video right there is tied to recent calls by radical groups including ISIS for random attacks like this on law enforcement," CNN correspondent Jim Sciutto said.

Sciutto said witnesses indicated that Thompson appeared to be stalking the two police officers, one of whom is in critical condition after the attack.

Former DHS official and CNN national security correspondent Juliette Kayyem said even if Thompson was not a member of an organized terror cell or affiliated with IS, the attack is still cause for concern.

"Look, Anderson, that was the first time I had seen the video, just about two minutes ago, and the words 'my God' came out of my mouth, and I don't get easily spooked," Kayyem said. "We know the call came out by ISIS and others for these random attacks of violence. They matter to ISIS. It shows that they have support and it amplifies their message."

Due to the proliferation of social media, Kayyem said, lone wolf attacks are "almost impossible to stop."

"It doesn't matter whether he was abroad getting trained or not, the power of ISIS or any organization of using social media to radicalize those who have never met them and gone abroad even is the sort of new terrain of counterterrorism," Kayyem said. "It is almost impossible to stop, as we've seen. If this is linked, this is the third incident in a Western country in four days."

Published under: CNN , New York , Terrorism