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WASHINGTON, D.C. (NewsFirst) — FBI Director Christopher A. Wray warned Congress on Tuesday that the terror threat against the U.S. has reached “a whole other level” after Hamas’ attack on Israel earlier this month.
Wray said that several foreign terrorist organizations, including al Qaeda, Islamic State and Hezbollah, have issued calls for attacks on Americans and U.S. interests in response to the ongoing war in the Middle East.
He said the most likely scenario is that lone actors or small cells of radicalized individuals will use weapons to target “soft targets” such as Jewish communities, public places or government facilities.
“The reality is that the terrorism threat has been elevated throughout 2023, but the ongoing war in the Middle East has raised the threat of attack on Americans to a whole other level,” Wray told the House Judiciary Committee.
He said the FBI is working closely with its partners in the intelligence community and law enforcement to monitor and disrupt any potential plots.
Christine Abizaid, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, said that Hamas’ October 7th raid on Israel, which killed dozens of civilians and soldiers, has given new momentum to terrorist groups that have been weakened by U.S. counterterrorism efforts.
She said al Qaeda has issued its most specific call for attacks on the U.S. in years, Islamic State leaders have ordered followers to attack Jewish communities and Hezbollah is eyeing U.S. targets in the region. Iran, meanwhile, has pushed proxy attacks on U.S. military bases.
“To have this many foreign terrorism organizations this explicitly calling for attacks … significantly takes the threat level, the threat environment, the risk to a whole other level here,” Wray said.
He also said that the Jewish community faces a unique threat from “pretty much every terrorist organization across the spectrum.”
“They need our help,” he said.
The hearing was interrupted several times by protesters who shouted slogans against U.S. support for Israel and accused Wray of lying. They were escorted out by security officers.
The Washington Times reported on Wray’s testimony.
