The leader of the Senate Armed Services Committee said Wednesday that “no one should be surprised” by yesterday’s bombings in Turkey’s Ataturk Airport that has left more than 40 people dead.
“It’s another manifestation of the failure of the president’s total lack of strategy or policy towards [the Islamic State] and as long as they have a terrorist geographic base, attacks will continue,” McCain told the Washington Examiner. “That doesn’t come from John McCain, that comes from the director of the CIA.”
McCain was referencing testimony from CIA Director John Brennan this month where he warned that battlefield successes against the Islamic State have not affected the group’s ability to carry out attacks.
“Despite all of our progress against ISIL on the battlefield and in the financial realm, our efforts have not reduced the group’s terrorism capability and global reach,” Brennan told Congress.
Tuesday’s attack in the international terminal of Turkey’s largest airport involved three bombers, all of whom died in the attack, and also left more than 200 people wounded.
Turkey’s Prime Minister Binali Tildirim said he suspects the Islamic State is behind the bombings and McCain said “every indication” is that the attack was linked to the Islamic State in some way.
“We’re not positive but 90 percent sure,” the Arizona Republican said.
But Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, warned against jumping to conclusions less than a day after the attack as information continues to trickle in.
“There’s still many questions. Was it controlled, directed, or like incidents of self-inspiration or self-directed terrorism? The other issue is the relative sophistication of the attack, a diversion, then another attack, so there was some planning,” he said. “I think all of this has to be considered.”
