Top Republican congressional officials have asked US security agencies to change course, it has been suggested, under new President Donald Trump.
The reason for this, they stated, is to more effectively counter threats from terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State and Al Qaeda.
The House Homeland Security Committee released a threat assessment, highlighting the New Year's Eve attack in New Orleans that killed fourteen people, as well as the June 2024 detention of eight Tajik citizens suspected of being affiliated with the Islamic State.
"The red warning light is on. The terrorist attack in New Orleans is a stark reminder that terrorist threats are present in America. Foreign terrorist organizations and jihadist networks abroad are dedicated to recruiting and radicalizing individuals on American soil," said Republican committee chairman Mark Green.
His comments are reminiscent of warnings by former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray, issued immediately after the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel in early October 2023.
Officials believe the act inspired terrorist groups around the world.
"Never before have so many threats been present at the same time," Ray said at the time.
He also indicated that the FBI is increasingly concerned about the possibility of coordinated terrorist attacks on the United States, similar to the Islamic State's attack on a concert hall in Moscow in March 2024.
Also, the FBI indicated on Wednesday that there have been no improvements since then that would alleviate fears.
"We have repeatedly indicated in recent years that the United States is in an environment of heightened threats. This was demonstrated by the attack on New Year's Eve in New Orleans," the FBI said in a response to Voice of America.
The Department of Homeland Security's 2025 assessment, published in 2024, contained similar warnings.
"The United States will be in an environment of heightened risk from terrorism through 2025," the document states.
It has also been noted that the greatest danger comes from individuals who are not necessarily connected to terrorist organizations and groups.
"The threat will continue to be posed by individuals or small cells inspired by a mix of racial, religious, gender, or anti-government approaches and sentiments," the Department of Homeland Security's assessment stated.
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green blamed the increased threats on the administration of former President Joe Biden.
"Terrorist groups have been emboldened by national security mistakes over the last four years," he pointed out.
The document, titled "Overview of Terrorist Threats," lists more than fifty cases of terrorism in thirty US states since April 2021. It also notes 187 terrorism-related arrests, attacks, and plots in Western Europe since the beginning of 2023.
Democrats, on the other hand, expressed disappointment, claiming that the comments of their Republican colleagues were not supported by the actions of the committee behind the report.
"It's a little confusing," said one of them, who spoke to Voice of America on condition of anonymity.
"Why didn't they hold hearings on foreign terrorism and domestic violent extremism?" the official asked.
Meanwhile, a newly released report by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) indicates that, despite reasons for concern about the terrorist organizations Islamic State and Al Qaeda, threats within the United States do not appear to be intensifying.
"Long-term trends suggest that jihadist terrorism in the United States is not growing. Organizations like the Islamic State and al-Qaeda have inspired, rather than been involved in, attacks in the United States. The mortality rate from jihadist terrorist attacks has also decreased compared to when the Islamic State caliphate was at its peak," the non-governmental organization said.
The CSIS report stated that an average of 38 attacks or plots were recorded annually in the United States between 2020 and 2023.
However, in the first eleven months of 2024, there were only 21.
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