U.S. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) returned to the United States last week after visiting Egyptian leaders to discuss the growing presence of ISIS in the region and efforts to combat terrorist groups throughout North Africa.
“ISIS may be losing some ground in Syria and Iraq, but the group is expanding its foothold globally,” McCaul said. “I remain deeply concerned that emerging terrorist sanctuaries — from Libya to the Sinai Peninsula — will be used to plot attacks against Americans and our allies, yet the Administration still does not have a clear strategy to prevent them from growing, let alone for rolling them back. Islamist militants have the wind at their backs, and we are clearly in their crosshairs. Finally, I return from North Africa and the Middle East alarmed that Europe remains wide open to the terror threat and convinced that we must urgently help our partners enhance security before another attack. Our friends are counting on American leadership — and the security of our own people depends on it.”
The delegation made four stops along its trip, including Cairo to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, to the Sinai Peninsula to visit the Multinational Force and Observers North Camp, then to the USS Harry S. Truman Navy aircraft carrier and finally to Tunis, Tunisia, to assess terror threats.
The Congressional delegation that joined McCaul included U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), and U.S. Reps. Pete Sessions (R-TX), Michael Pompeo (R-KS), David Valadao (R-CA), Bill Keating (D-MA) and Kathleen Rice (D-NY).