New report shows extent of Islamist danger, says Ribal Al-Assad

McCaul: 60 ISIS Terrorist Plots Against Western Targets; 18 of Them in USA

CNS NEWS

Far from being "contained," radical Islamic terrorists operating in Syria are "expanding globally and plotting aggressively," Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul told Congress on Wednesday.

"ISIS is now responsible for more than 60 terrorist plots against Western targets, including 18 in the United States," McCaul said.

"Here at home, we have arrested more than 70 ISIS supporters over the last year. That's on average more than one per week, and the FBI says it has nearly 1,000 ISIS-related investigations in all 50 states. If this is not a war, then I don't know what is.”

McCaul spoke at a joint hearing with the House Foreign Affairs Committee on "The Rise of Radicalism."

Commenting on the news, Ribal Al-Assad said that the international community needed to act quickly and cohesively to tackle the threat of Islamic extremism.

“This frightening report shows the extent of the threat posed by Islamic State,” he said. “It should wake people up to the danger we are facing.

“But I would hasten to add that although Islamic State is a huge danger, it is not the root of the problem. It is only the symptom of a much wider ideological corruption.

“There are hundreds of Islamic extremist groups across the world which share the same poisonous ideology as the Islamic State, which has as its goal the creation of a world-wide Islamic caliphate under Sharia law .

“We must remember that it is this ideology which is the underlying root of the problem of Islamic extremism, and so it is this ideology that we must ultimately aim to destroy.

“If we focus too intently on brand names like Islamic State, we will lose sight of the bigger picture. We must not allow this to happen. We must go after all those who share the same perverted ideology, and bring to justice all of those who promote it and incite religious and sectarian hatred. We must hold all of the countries that support it to account. Only in this way will we achieve victory."