Official portrait of Department of Homeland Security
Secretary Jeh Johnson
Authorities Warn of Potential Fourth of July Terror Attacks
By Newsmax Wires | Sunday, 28 Jun 2015 09:52 AM
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson says his department is encouraging law enforcement
"to be vigilant and prepared" ahead of the July 4th holiday in the
U.S. following attacks in France, Tunisia and Kuwait.
Johnson says people should attend Independence Day events as
planned but "remain vigilant" and report any suspicious activity.
He says U.S. authorities will adjust security measures,
including those unseen by the public, as necessary.
On Sunday, House Homeland Security Chairman Mike McCaul said Americans should heed the government's warning.
"It is concerning," McCaul told "Fox News Sunday." There is a great deal of chatter, a high volume," he said of terrorist network communications.
He noted that a spokesman for the Islamic State (ISIS) has called for jihad during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan — currently under way — the one-year anniversary of the establishment of the ISIS caliphate and the American Independence Day holiday.
In addition to that confluence is the "Bloody Friday" attacks in France, Tunisia and Kuwait, all within hours of each other, in which ISIS claimed credit.
The warning to Americans was issued jointly by the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Counterterrorism Center.
"I think given these confluence of events we're being on the cautious side here to warn the public to remain vigilant," McCaul said, "to enjoy the Fourth of July parades, but remain vigilant during these celebrations."
Foiled terror plots have increased "exponentially" in the past year, McCaul said, because of Internet recruiting.
"I'm extremely concerned about the way the Syrian ISIS recruiters can use the Internet at lightning speed to recruit followers in the United States, with thousands of followers in the United States," he said, "And then activate them to do whatever they want to do, whether it's military installations, law enforcement or, possibly, a Fourth of July event parade."
On Sunday, House Homeland Security Chairman Mike McCaul said Americans should heed the government's warning.
"It is concerning," McCaul told "Fox News Sunday." There is a great deal of chatter, a high volume," he said of terrorist network communications.
He noted that a spokesman for the Islamic State (ISIS) has called for jihad during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan — currently under way — the one-year anniversary of the establishment of the ISIS caliphate and the American Independence Day holiday.
In addition to that confluence is the "Bloody Friday" attacks in France, Tunisia and Kuwait, all within hours of each other, in which ISIS claimed credit.
The warning to Americans was issued jointly by the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Counterterrorism Center.
"I think given these confluence of events we're being on the cautious side here to warn the public to remain vigilant," McCaul said, "to enjoy the Fourth of July parades, but remain vigilant during these celebrations."
Foiled terror plots have increased "exponentially" in the past year, McCaul said, because of Internet recruiting.
"I'm extremely concerned about the way the Syrian ISIS recruiters can use the Internet at lightning speed to recruit followers in the United States, with thousands of followers in the United States," he said, "And then activate them to do whatever they want to do, whether it's military installations, law enforcement or, possibly, a Fourth of July event parade."
A gunman killed at least 37 people and wounded 36 in an
attack on a beach resort in Tunisia Friday. In Kuwait, a suicide bomber killed
at least 25 people, while a man with suspected ties to French Islamic radicals
rammed a car into a gas factory in southeastern France, triggering an explosion
that injured two people. The severed head of a local businessman was left
hanging at the factory's entrance.
While there was no specific or credible threat of attack, one law enforcement official told USA Today that a new intelligence bulletin is alerting local colleagues to the ongoing threats posed by the group that calls itself the Islamic State [also known as ISIS or ISIL] and other homegrown extremists. The official was not authorized to comment publicly.
The bulletins are frequently issued in advance of major U.S. holidays out of an abundance of caution and concern that operatives may exploit the timing to generate greater attention.
The FBI and other agencies have worked to disrupt a number of Islamic State-inspired plots, including a planned assault earlier this month on police officers in Boston. In that case, authorities fatally shot Usaamah Rahim as he allegedly planned to attack police with military-style knives.
Earlier this month, a New York suspect in an Islamic State-related terror investigation was arrested after attacking an FBI agent with a kitchen knife during a search of his home. Fareed Mumuni, 21, was charged with attempted murder, after he emerged as a suspect in alleged plots to use pressure-cooker explosives and knives to attack police.
"Particularly with the upcoming July Fourth holiday, here in the United States the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI continue to communicate with state and local law enforcement about what we know and see," Johnson said Friday. "We are encouraging all law enforcement to be vigilant and prepared."
Johnson said that "all Americans" should continue to "attend public events and celebrate."
Friday's attacks that spanned three continents are leading U.S. intelligence agencies to reconsider an earlier opinion that the Islamic State is mostly a "regional threat."
The National Counterterrorism Center and the CIA are working together to determine if the murders were coordinated by ISIS leaders or carried out by "lone wolves" in the name of the militant group, reports Politico.
But either way, the attacks will likely change how the United States and the Obama administration deals with the ISIS attacks in three countries on Friday, which officials suspect may have been directed — or at least heavily influenced — by the militant group.
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Earlier this year, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told Congress that ISIS was a regional threat that would probably only conduct operations in the Middle East, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey called ISIS "an internal conflict, internal to Islam."
But ISIS is becoming a global threat because of its ability to "evangelize followers, retired Army Col. Peter Mansoor, who helped create the U.S. military campaign against al-Qaida.
"This will only continue unless something is done to destroy ISIL and reduce its appeal to the extremist fringe in the Islamic community," he commented.
The timing of the attacks was not coincidental, said California Republican Rep. Ed Royce, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The day of attacks were launched after ISIS pushed followers to "rush and go to make Ramadan a month of disasters for the infidels," leading to fears of attacks during the Muslim holy month that started on June 17. The "bloody Friday" also came just days before ISIS will celebrate its first anniversary of when its leaders declared intentions to establish a caliphate in its controlled territories.
"These attacks show that the [ISIL] threat is spreading well beyond Iraq and Syria," Royce told Politico. "A continued safe-haven there means more attacks across the region, Europe and even here at home."
Royce called for more targeted airstrikes, as well as finding a way to destroy ISIS' ability to target young people online and sending a counter message that "ISIS offers no peace, no community, and no future."
Counterterrorism experts says ISIS may not need to exercise much coordination pull off such attacks, as the terror group's leaders can simply use social media to make a general call for worldwide attacks.
"We do know that ISIL encourages lone wolf attacks," Air Force Col. Pat Ryder, spokesman for the U.S. Central Command, responsible for the Middle East, told reporters at the Pentagon this week."They urged their regional affiliates to conduct attacks against Western and coalition interests and Shia population centers, but it’s really too early to tell whether they were involved in these attacks."
ISIS may also be moving away from al Qaida's method of waging large attacks, such as the Sept. 11 events, Western officials fear, meaning that the attacks could come more frequently, but with less warning.
The attacks came a day after House Intelligence Chairman Mike McCaul, R-Texas, citing ISIS, proposed legislation to create a special office on the Department of Homeland Security to counter the spread of violent extremism.
"We have arrested more people in the United States this year who have been inspired by [ISIS] than there are officials working to keep [the group] from radicalizing Americans," McCaul said.
The Texas Republican has proposed legislation to create a special Department of Homeland Security office to counter violent extremism.
"Terrorists at home and overseas are bringing the battle into our homes through the internet," he said. "We cannot afford to complacently watch the threats mushroom. It is time for action, and to treat this issue like the priority that it is."
While there was no specific or credible threat of attack, one law enforcement official told USA Today that a new intelligence bulletin is alerting local colleagues to the ongoing threats posed by the group that calls itself the Islamic State [also known as ISIS or ISIL] and other homegrown extremists. The official was not authorized to comment publicly.
The bulletins are frequently issued in advance of major U.S. holidays out of an abundance of caution and concern that operatives may exploit the timing to generate greater attention.
The FBI and other agencies have worked to disrupt a number of Islamic State-inspired plots, including a planned assault earlier this month on police officers in Boston. In that case, authorities fatally shot Usaamah Rahim as he allegedly planned to attack police with military-style knives.
Earlier this month, a New York suspect in an Islamic State-related terror investigation was arrested after attacking an FBI agent with a kitchen knife during a search of his home. Fareed Mumuni, 21, was charged with attempted murder, after he emerged as a suspect in alleged plots to use pressure-cooker explosives and knives to attack police.
"Particularly with the upcoming July Fourth holiday, here in the United States the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI continue to communicate with state and local law enforcement about what we know and see," Johnson said Friday. "We are encouraging all law enforcement to be vigilant and prepared."
Johnson said that "all Americans" should continue to "attend public events and celebrate."
Friday's attacks that spanned three continents are leading U.S. intelligence agencies to reconsider an earlier opinion that the Islamic State is mostly a "regional threat."
The National Counterterrorism Center and the CIA are working together to determine if the murders were coordinated by ISIS leaders or carried out by "lone wolves" in the name of the militant group, reports Politico.
But either way, the attacks will likely change how the United States and the Obama administration deals with the ISIS attacks in three countries on Friday, which officials suspect may have been directed — or at least heavily influenced — by the militant group.
Special: Expert Says: "Look who's going bankrupt next in America"
Earlier this year, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told Congress that ISIS was a regional threat that would probably only conduct operations in the Middle East, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey called ISIS "an internal conflict, internal to Islam."
But ISIS is becoming a global threat because of its ability to "evangelize followers, retired Army Col. Peter Mansoor, who helped create the U.S. military campaign against al-Qaida.
"This will only continue unless something is done to destroy ISIL and reduce its appeal to the extremist fringe in the Islamic community," he commented.
The timing of the attacks was not coincidental, said California Republican Rep. Ed Royce, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The day of attacks were launched after ISIS pushed followers to "rush and go to make Ramadan a month of disasters for the infidels," leading to fears of attacks during the Muslim holy month that started on June 17. The "bloody Friday" also came just days before ISIS will celebrate its first anniversary of when its leaders declared intentions to establish a caliphate in its controlled territories.
"These attacks show that the [ISIL] threat is spreading well beyond Iraq and Syria," Royce told Politico. "A continued safe-haven there means more attacks across the region, Europe and even here at home."
Royce called for more targeted airstrikes, as well as finding a way to destroy ISIS' ability to target young people online and sending a counter message that "ISIS offers no peace, no community, and no future."
Counterterrorism experts says ISIS may not need to exercise much coordination pull off such attacks, as the terror group's leaders can simply use social media to make a general call for worldwide attacks.
"We do know that ISIL encourages lone wolf attacks," Air Force Col. Pat Ryder, spokesman for the U.S. Central Command, responsible for the Middle East, told reporters at the Pentagon this week."They urged their regional affiliates to conduct attacks against Western and coalition interests and Shia population centers, but it’s really too early to tell whether they were involved in these attacks."
ISIS may also be moving away from al Qaida's method of waging large attacks, such as the Sept. 11 events, Western officials fear, meaning that the attacks could come more frequently, but with less warning.
The attacks came a day after House Intelligence Chairman Mike McCaul, R-Texas, citing ISIS, proposed legislation to create a special office on the Department of Homeland Security to counter the spread of violent extremism.
"We have arrested more people in the United States this year who have been inspired by [ISIS] than there are officials working to keep [the group] from radicalizing Americans," McCaul said.
The Texas Republican has proposed legislation to create a special Department of Homeland Security office to counter violent extremism.
"Terrorists at home and overseas are bringing the battle into our homes through the internet," he said. "We cannot afford to complacently watch the threats mushroom. It is time for action, and to treat this issue like the priority that it is."
Jeh Johnson
Jeh Charles
Johnson is the secretary for the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security, and was a governor for the Roosevelt Institute.
Note: Jonathan Soros is
a senior fellow at the Roosevelt
Institute, George Soros’s son,
and was the vice chairman for the Foundation
to Promote Open Society.
George
Soros is Jonathan Soros’s
father, and was the chairman for the Foundation
to Promote Open Society.
Foundation
to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Roosevelt Institute, and the Committee
for Economic Development.
Anna Eleanor
Roosevelt is the chair for the Roosevelt
Institute, and was the VP corporate citizenship for the Boeing Company.
Madelyn Payne
Dunham was an aircraft inspector for the Boeing Company, and Barack
Obama’s maternal grandmother.
Akin,
Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP is the lobby firm for the Boeing Company.
Vernon E. Jordan
Jr. is a senior counsel for Akin,
Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP,
Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle, a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg
(think tank), and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).
Valerie B. Jarrett
is Vernon E. Jordan Jr’s great niece, the senior
adviser for the Barack Obama administration,
and a member of the Commercial Club of
Chicago.
W. James
McNerney Jr. is the chairman & CEO for the Boeing Company, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Barbara G. Fast
was a VP at the Boeing Company, and
a VP for the CGI Group Inc.
Ronald A. Williams
is a director at the Boeing Company,
and a trustee at the Committee for
Economic Development.
Stephen W.
Bosworth is a trustee at the Committee
for Economic Development, and was a U.S. ambassador for Tunisia.
Donna
S. Morea was a trustee at the Committee
for Economic Development, and the EVP for the CGI Group Inc.
CGI Group Inc.
was the Obamacare contractor that
developed Healthcare.gov web site.
Obamacare
is Barack Obama’s signature policy
initiative.
Barack
Obama’s signature policy initiative is Obamacare,
Madelyn Payne Dunham was his maternal
grandmother, an intern at Sidley Austin
LLP, and a parishioner at the Trinity
United Church of Christ (Chicago).
Michelle
Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin
LLP.
Newton
N. Minow is a senior counsel at Sidley
Austin LLP, and a member of the Commercial
Club of Chicago.
Newton
N. Minow is a member of the Commercial
Club of Chicago, and a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP.
Trumpeter
Newsmagazine is a publication for the
Trinity United Church of Christ (Chicago).
Louis Farrakhan
is awarded the 2007 Jeremiah Wright Jr. Trumpeter award from the Trumpeter Newsmagazine, and is the
acting head for the Nation of Islam.
Jeremiah A.
Wright Jr. is the senior pastor at the Trinity
United Church of Christ (Chicago), and was Harold Washington’s adviser.
Harold Washington’s
adviser was Jeremiah A. Wright Jr,
and was the Chicago (IL) mayor.
Richard
M. Daley was the mayor of Chicago
(IL), is a member of the Commercial
Club of Chicago, and William M.
Daley’s brother.
William
M. Daley is Richard M. Daley’s brother,
a member of the Commercial Club of
Chicago, was the chief of staff for the Barack Obama administration, and a director at the Boeing Company.
Anna Eleanor
Roosevelt was the VP for corporate citizenship at the Boeing Company, is the chair for the Roosevelt Institute, and an advisory board member for the Wheelchair Foundation.
Jeh Charles
Johnson was a governor for the Roosevelt
Institute, and is the secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Valery
Giscard d'Estaing is an advisory board member for the Wheelchair Foundation, and was the president of France.
Dean
Ornish is an advisory board member for the Wheelchair Foundation, and was a funder for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton
Foundation.
Kuwait was a funder for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.
Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.
Jonathan Soros is the vice chairman for the Open Society Foundations, a senior fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, George Soros’s son, and was the vice chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Kuwait was a funder for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.
Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.
Jonathan Soros is the vice chairman for the Open Society Foundations, a senior fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, George Soros’s son, and was the vice chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
George
Soros is Jonathan Soros’s
father, the founder & chairman for the Open
Society Foundations, and was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Foundation
to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Roosevelt Institute, and the Committee
for Economic Development.
Jeh Charles
Johnson was a governor for the Roosevelt
Institute, and is the secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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