CIA Director John Brennan warned the United States should be wary of an attack similar to the one that killed dozens of people in Turkey’s Ataturk airport on Tuesday.
“I am worried from the standpoint of an intelligence professional who looks at the capabilities of Daesh … and their determination to kill as many as people as possible and to carry out attacks abroad,” Brennan told Yahoo News, using the Arabic name of the Islamic State terror group.
Brennan did note that there does not have to be a direct Islamic State attack on the U.S. because of strong homeland security and intelligence. However, he believes the terror group is doing what it can to get through those defenses.
“You look at what happened in the Turkish airport, these were suicide vests. It’s not that difficult to actually construct and fabricate a suicide vest … so if you have a determined enemy and individuals who are not concerned about escape, that they are going into it with a sense that they are going to die, that really does complicate your strategy in terms of preventing attacks,” Carter explained.
He added, “I’d be surprised if Daesh is not trying to carry out that kind of attack in the United States.”
The terror group has not, however, claimed responsibility for the Tuesday attack. As of Wednesday morning, 41 people were killed and more than 200 were injured.
The Islamic State also has the ability to inspire people to commit acts of terrorism even without direct control. Brennan noted that the last two terror attacks in the U.S., in San Bernardino and Orlando, were Islamic State-inspired attacks.
