Keating says mentally ill Americans highly susceptible to ISIS ideologies

July 16--In the wake of the slaughter of 84 people in Nice, France -- a grim tally that includes 10 children and could still climb -- U.S. Rep. William R. Keating is warning that ISIS is using social media to recruit and radicalize mentally ill Americans, preying on those who are vulnerable to violent and extremist ideology.

"They're trying to find information about targeting people that might be having some of these mental health problems," Keating said on Boston Herald Radio's "Morning Meeting" show yesterday. "They are getting more sophisticated, not just on their message, but we've got information they might be getting more sophisticated in targeting people who might be more susceptible."

Keating, who is a ranking member on the Terrorism and Foreign Affairs Committee and also serves on the Homeland Security Committee, said this information has been gleaned through various hearings and briefings.

Research shows that while members of highly organized groups like ISIS are rarely classified as mentally ill, lone-wolf terrorists are far more likely to have psychological disturbances. And social media could expose people who have violent tendencies to recruitment attempts, said Dr. Ronald Schouten, a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital.

"For lone-wolf actors, they self-radicalize, and it's much easier now in the age of the internet," said Schouten, who has served as a terrorism consultant for the FBI. "These can be people who do not have social relations, but they connect online. If someone can convince them to take action, and that they're going to be doing something of great value, then yes, they're vulnerable."

Also yesterday, the State Department warned U.S. travelers in Europe that the likelihood of terror attacks "will continue" as foreign ISIS fighters stream back to their European home countries.

The Bureau of Diplomatic Security issued a report urging travelers in France to "maintain a high level of vigilance, exercise caution at large gatherings, and take the appropriate steps to bolster their personal security."

The report cautioned that being in large crowds "may increase your risk" of being a target.

In France, authorities identified the killer as native Tunisian Mohamed Bouhlel, a petty criminal who took a 19-ton truck on a terror ride down the famous seaside promenade in Nice, leaving at least 84 dead and 202 injured -- including 52 listed as critical.

French President Francois Hollande said the attack was "undeniably terrorist in nature," but prosecutors said the 31-year-old driver, who lived in Nice, wasn't known to intelligence services.

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