FBI Director Christopher Wray warned on Tuesday that Hamas’ rampage inside Israel could inspire violence in the U.S., telling lawmakers that multiple foreign extremist groups have called for attacks against Americans and the West in recent weeks.
Quick Read
Speaker: FBI Director Christopher Wray
Date: Tuesday
Main Warning:
- Hamas’ actions inside Israel might inspire violence in the U.S.
- Multiple foreign extremist groups have recently called for attacks against Americans and the West.
Comparison to Previous Threats:
- Wray compares the inspiration from Hamas to the rise of ISIS’ caliphate.
- Recalls the FBI’s efforts to disrupt violence inspired by the Islamic State group.
- Notes the potential danger of the current Middle East conflict.
Current FBI Assessment:
- No tracking of an “organized threat” inside the U.S.
- Concerned about potential attacks by individuals or small groups, similar to the rise of the Islamic State in the past.
- Observed an increase in attacks on overseas military bases.
- Expectation of worsening cyberattacks targeting American infrastructure due to the conflict.
Wray’s Quote: “It is a time to be concerned. We are in a dangerous period. We shouldn’t stop going out, but we should be vigilant.”
The Associated Press has the story:
FBI director warns about threats to US from those inspired by Hamas attack
Newslooks- (AP)
FBI Director Christopher Wray warned on Tuesday that Hamas’ rampage inside Israel could inspire violence in the U.S., telling lawmakers that multiple foreign extremist groups have called for attacks against Americans and the West in recent weeks.
“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 years ago,” Wray said, using an acronym for the Islamic State group.
In his testimony before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Wray gave his most detailed and ominous assessment of potential threats to the U.S. since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israeli soldiers and civilians.
His reference to the Islamic State, a reminder of when the FBI scrambled to disrupt hastily developed plots of violence by people inspired by the group’s ascendancy, underscores the bureau’s concerns that the current Middle East conflict could create a similarly dangerous dynamic.
Though the FBI isn’t currently tracking an “organized threat” inside the United States, law enforcement is concerned about the potential of attacks by individuals or small groups, as occurred during the rise of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq a decade ago.
The bureau has already seen an increase in attacks on overseas military bases and expects cyberattacks targeting American infrastructure to get worse as the conflict expands, he said.
“It is a time to be concerned. We are in a dangerous period,” Wray said. “We shouldn’t stop going out, but we should be vigilant.”
