Homeland Security: Highest Terror Threat Since 9/11

A new report by Homeland Security says there have already been more U.S.-based jihadist terror cases in 2015 than in any year since 9/11.

Source: Majority Staff of the House Homeland Security Committee

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The Islamist terror threat to the U.S. is “surging” and the situation is getting “steadily worse,” concludes a new report by the House Homeland Security Committee.

Terror Threat Snapshot, prepared by the Majority staff, said the increased threat is largely due to radicalization and recruitment by the Islamic State.

Key takeaways about the U.S. from the report include:

To date in 2015, there have been more U.S.-based jihadist terror cases than in any (full) year since 9/11

Since early 2014, the majority of Islamist terror plots on U.S. soil have featured plans to kill police or U.S. soldiers

Globally, the Islamic State is “fueling the Islamist terror wildfire—and at unprecedented speed.”  As of the end of last month, the Islamist terror group “has inspired or directed 55 terrorist plots/attacks against Western targets, including 14 in the United States. There have been nearly twice as many ISIS-linked terror plots against the West this year (35) as there were in all of 2014 (20).”

The summary report also states the United States and its coalition partners “have largely failed to rollback the ISIS terror safe haven.” As Clarion Project reported last May, the actual numbers of Islamic State fighters being killed by coalition airstrikes have been more than offset by new recruits – mostly foreigners recruited online. The Homeland Security Committee report sites recent information from the intelligence community which concluded that the Islamic State is “no weaker” than it was before the strikes and “can still muster 20-30,000 foot soldiers.”

The report estimates the Islamic State Twitter accounts have 20,000 followers globally and mentions online recruitment has proven successful for the terror group, whose direct reach can now be found in a minimum of 18 countries or territories, including:  Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Lebanon, Nigeria, Gaza, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia (in the North Caucasus region), Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen.

The Islamic State outright controls 12 cities and towns in Iraq and 10 more in Syria as of mid-July.  

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• Congressional Report: Iran Spends Billions to Foment Global Terror
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http://www.clarionproject.org/news/homeland-security-terror-threat-highest-2015-911