The FBI expresses concerns regarding the potential of an orchestrated assault in the United States akin to the tragic incident at a Russian concert hall last month. The bureau’s director intends to convey this apprehension to a House of Representatives panel on Thursday.
During a budget hearing, Christopher Wray, the director of the FBI, is poised to inform lawmakers, “Reflecting on my law enforcement career, I struggle to recall a time when the threats to our public safety and national security were as heightened as they are now. However, that is the reality as I address you today.”
The attack on a concert hall in suburban Moscow on March 22 claimed the lives of at least 144 people, marking it as Russia’s deadliest incident in two decades. While a faction of the Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility, Russian President Vladimir Putin, without presenting evidence, has attempted to attribute blame to Ukraine.
American officials have harbored concerns regarding the potential of an assault carried out by an individual or a small group inspired by the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. However, the FBI’s apprehension has escalated towards the possibility of a more coordinated attack post the concert tragedy in Russia, as Wray plans to elucidate during his testimony.
Wray will underscore the mounting concern about the likelihood of a coordinated attack within the homeland, drawing parallels to the ISIS-K attack witnessed at the Russian Concert Hall a couple of weeks prior.
Additionally, Wray intends to urge lawmakers to renew a U.S. surveillance program scheduled to expire this month, emphasizing its indispensable role in countering U.S. adversaries. However, a modest overhaul of the program faced obstruction in the House on Wednesday, amid concerns from members of both parties who deemed it insufficient in curbing the government’s surveillance powers.
“It’s imperative for securing our nation, and we’re running out of time,” Wray plans to stress to lawmakers.
