The head of the FBI has issued a dire warning to Congress that the United States faces the greatest terror threat since ISIS due to the ongoing war in the Middle East.
The dire warning comes from FBI Director Chris Wray, who informed Congress on Tuesday that the United States is facing an elevated level of terror threat due to Israel–Hamas war.
Wray told the Senate Homeland Security Committee that terrorism threats have increased throughout 2023, and the Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East has further heightened that threat.
The reality is that the terrorism threat has been elevated throughout 2023, but the ongoing war in the Middle East has raised the threat of an attack against Americans in the United States to a whole other level, Wray told lawmakers.
Wray also warned that the greatest concern is that individuals or small groups may be inspired by the attacks in the Middle East to target Americans. This includes homegrown violent extremists who draw inspiration from foreign terrorist organizations, as well as domestic violent extremists who specifically target Muslim or Jewish communities.
We assess that the actions of Hamas and its allies will serve as an inspiration, the likes of which we haven’t seen since ISIS launched its so-called caliphate several years ago, Wray said. In just the past few weeks, multiple foreign terrorist organizations have called for attacks against Americans and the West.
He also pointed to concerns about the threats posed by Hezbollah, as well as Iran, which supports both Hamas and Hezbollah. He noted their histories of supporting terrorist and criminal operations.
Given that disturbing history, we are keeping a close eye on what impact recent events may have on those groups’ intentions here in the United States and how those intentions might evolve, he said, citing cyber-targeting of American interests by Iran and other foes.
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