Another Lone Wolf Who Wasn’t

Prosecutor François Molins held a news conference today in which he updated reporters on the investigation into Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel’s terrorist attack in Nice. Molins said the investigation has revealed that Bouhlel plotted his attack over a considerable period of time, and had accomplices, several of whom have been arrested:

The man who killed 84 people in a terrorist attack in Nice, France, last week planned his assault over several months and got help from at least five people, the Paris prosecutor said on Thursday. …

Mr. Molins said that investigators had been able to confirm “not only the premeditated character of Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel’s deadly act” but also that he had “benefited from support and complicity in the preparation and carrying out of his criminal act.”

Like Mr. Lahouaiej Bouhlel, none of the accomplices were known to French intelligence services, Mr. Molins said.

So far there is no evidence of a direct link to ISIS or other terrorist groups, which is not surprising. There is not much difference between terrorists who are directed by ISIS, and terrorists who are “merely” inspired by ISIS–except that, as in this case, the latter are harder to identify and pre-empt. Which is one reason why ISIS delenda est. (Scott, feel free to correct my Latin!)

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