The radicalization of Americans by Islamic State and other groups, particularly through sophisticated use of social media, is a top concern for the FBI as it grapples with evolving terrorism threats, Director James Comey said on Thursday (March 12).
Like other militant groups, Islamic State, also known as ISIL, has called for lone wolf attacks in Western countries and has specifically encouraged attacks on soldiers, law enforcement and the intelligence community, Comey said at an appropriations subcommittee budget hearing.
Comey cited the group’s continuing efforts to recruit Americans to join Islamic State fighting in Syria and Iraq, then have them return to the United States to commit acts of terrorism.
He said Islamic State’s appeal to radicalized Americans and their ability to reach those individuals through the Internet and social media is most concerning.
“This poses an enormous challenge to us: to find the people who are responding to that siren song,” Comey said.
U.S. National Intelligence Director James Clapper said early this month that about 180 Americans have traveled to Syria to join Islamist militants and about 40 have returned to the United States.
U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, a long-time advocate for sharper curbs on the availabilty of guns in the United States, told Comey that the threat of lone wolf attacks could be curtailed by more stringent regulation on firearm sales.
Reuters
