Former CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell said Monday that the federal alert about a possible terror attack in the U.S. during the Fourth of July weekend was “nothing routine.”
“These kind of warnings go out routinely but there is nothing routine about this particular one to me. This one really resonates with me,” Mr. Morell said on “CBS This Morning.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re sitting here a week from today talking about an attack over the weekend in the United States,” he said. “That’s how serious this is.”
The Department of Homeland Security and FBI issued a bulletin Friday putting local law enforcement agencies across the country on heightened alert for an attack during the holiday weekend, though no specific or credible threat was identified.
The alert followed a spate of terror attacks that hit Kuwait, Tunisia and France.
Mr. Morell said he was more concerned than usual about the alert for two reasons:
First, he cited growing number of people in the United States who align themselves with the terrorist army know as Islamic State, also known by the acronyms ISIS and ISIL.
Secondly, he pointed to the Islamic State’s “call to arms” for attacks during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began June 17 and ends July 17.
“I’m worried about this one,” he said.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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