McCaul releases January terror threat snapshot

Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee Michael McCaul (R-TX) released a monthly snapshot on Monday of potential terror threats for the U.S. and its allies.

“ISIS and al Qaeda terrorists are expanding their networks and carving out sanctuaries abroad, while their supporters and operatives have been plotting terror attacks in the West,” McCaul said. “President Obama has another opportunity tomorrow to level with the American people and present a viable strategy to defeat ISIS and other Islamist extremists. Unfortunately, what he will provide is an assessment that is out of touch with reality and a response that sees ‘messaging’ as the biggest shortcoming in the failing war against ISIS.”

The committee highlighted several potential threats, including repeated attempts to infiltrate the U.S. via the refugee resettlement program, the unprecedented terror threat level the U.S. faces, the rising number of jihadi fighters that are plotting attacks upon the West and the growing sense of aggression by the Iranian regime in the face of sanctions relief.

The committee also noted that 2015 was the deadliest terror campaign upon the U.S. since 2001 and in Europe since 2004. Furthermore, the committee expressed concerns over former Guantanamo detainees re-joining the fight against the West.