Intelligence official: ISIS to attempt US attacks in 2016
- 8 years ago
The top U.S. intelligence official said Tuesday that ISIS was likely to attempt direct attacks on the U.S. in the coming year and that the group was infiltrating refugees escaping from Iraq and Syria to move across borders.
James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence, estimated that violent extremists were active in about 40 countries and that there currently exist more terrorist safe havens "than at any time in history."
Clapper said ISIS was "taking advantage of the torrent of migrants to insert operatives into that flow," adding that they were "pretty skilled at phony passports so they can travel ostensibly as legitimate travelers."
ISIS fighters have reportedly seized Syrian passport facilities with machines capable of manufacturing passports.
James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence, estimated that violent extremists were active in about 40 countries and that there currently exist more terrorist safe havens "than at any time in history."
Clapper said ISIS was "taking advantage of the torrent of migrants to insert operatives into that flow," adding that they were "pretty skilled at phony passports so they can travel ostensibly as legitimate travelers."
ISIS fighters have reportedly seized Syrian passport facilities with machines capable of manufacturing passports.