A surge of confidence on the part of followers of the Islamic State terrorist group – reflected in a series of online threats against Europe, combined with a deadly attack on a concert hall in Russia– is giving US security officials cause for concern.
US law enforcement and national security agencies have long been concerned that small groups or individuals are inspired by terrorist plots around the world to carry out attacks in the US.
However, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray is scheduled to inform lawmakers this Thursday that something much more worrying could be in the works.
“There is now growing concern about the possibility of a coordinated attack here in the country, similar to the ISIS-K attack we saw at the Russian Concert Hall a couple of weeks ago,” Wray warns in prepared testimony, using a acronym for an Afghan organization affiliated with the Islamic State.
Just a few days ago, police agencies across Europe beefed up security after media outlets linked to the Islamic State, also known as IS – or ISIS – published calls to attack stadiums hosting Champions League football matches this week. in Madrid, London and Paris.
The FBI warning also signals a possible change in US thinking about the possible reach of ISIS and its Afghan affiliate, which claimed responsibility for the March 22 attack on the Crocus City concert hall outside Moscow. . The attack killed 145 people.
Following the incident, the US Department of Homeland Security said it had no specific or credible intelligence to suggest that IS had the capacity to threaten the US.
And several US military and intelligence officials have said that while ISIS has ambitions to carry out attacks, there have been no indications that the group or any of its global affiliates have the ability to reach US soil.
The terrorist group is “struggling in many ways to mount a significant capability that is relevant to the United States,” National Counterterrorism Center Director Christine Abizaid recently said during a podcast appearance in the room with terrorism analyst Peter Bergen.
Other warnings have focused on the threat to American targets outside the United States.
“ISIS-Khorasan retains the ability and willingness to attack American and Western interests abroad in as little as six months and with little or no warning,” said Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East. and South Asia. at a Senate committee hearing last month.
For now, the US Department of Homeland Security urges the country's citizens to be cautious.
“The US continues to be in a heightened threat environment,” a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson told the VOA on Wednesday, in response to questions about IS threats to several European locations.
“DHS continues to work with our partners to assess the threat environment, provide updates to the American public, and protect our homeland,” the spokesperson added. “We urge the public to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious activity to local authorities.”
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