DNI Clayton Warns 25,000 al Qaeda Fighters Fuel Online U.S. Recruitment Threat
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 12
DNI Clayton Warns 25,000 al Qaeda Fighters Fuel Online U.S. Recruitment Threat
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 12
Summary
Jay Clayton said global terror groups now pose a growing U.S. threat by recruiting and radicalizing operatives online rather than relying on overseas training camps.
25,000 potential al Qaeda fighters worldwide — about 50 times the network's estimated size on Sept. 11, 2001 — underscore how the threat has expanded even as tactics have shifted.
March 7's attempted Gracie Mansion bombing illustrated that shift: prosecutors say two Pennsylvania men inspired by ISIS brought two explosive devices to Manhattan after consuming extremist content online.
Clayton said intelligence sharing with law enforcement has improved significantly since 9/11, and he added that many threats on U.S. soil have already been thwarted.