CIA Chief: ISIS Is Likely Plotting Strikes in US

Says ISIS Seeking Istanbul-Type Attack in US

Speaking today in the wake of the Istanbul airport attacks, which US officials have attempted to attribute to ISIS despite a lack of formal evidence, CIA chief John Brennan insisted it was to be expected that ISIS is plotting attacks inside the US and against US interest abroad, and that he would be “surprised” if they were not.

Though Brennan appeared not to want to offer any particular details, he said the Istanbul attacks showed a “determined enemy,” though again offered no evidence this was actually an ISIS attack, but saying that ISIS would likely want a similar attack in the US.

This suggests that there isn’t any new intelligence on actual ISIS plots inside the US, but that officials like Brennan are simply looking to parlay what happened in Istanbul into another chance to talk up the threat, with an eye on scaring an even bigger budget out of Congress.

In a later interview, however, Brennan insisted it would be a lot more difficult for ISIS to actually launch an attack inside the US, what with there being an ocean between ISIS territory and US soil, and insisting the US had “very very comprehensive efforts” in place to prevent any such attacks.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.