FBI director Christopher Wray has reiterated part of an FBI statement that the US domestic security agency does not have “specific and credible intelligence indicating a threat to the United States stemming from the Hamas attacks in Israel”.
Speaking from prepared remarks at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in San Diego, Wray acknowledged an increase in domestic threats due to the “heightened environment”, calling for increased vigilance and requesting that police continue to share intelligence.
“History has been witness to antisemitic and other forms of violent extremism for far too long,” he said. “Whether that be from foreign terrorist organizations, or those inspired by them, or domestic violent extremists motivated by their own racial animus, the targeting of a community because of their faith is completely unacceptable.”
In his remarks on Saturday, Wray offered “heartfelt condolences to the people of Israel, and share the outrage I know we all feel at the sheer brutality and disregard for innocent lives there”.
He added that the FBI is “committed to continue confronting those threats – both here in the United States and overseas”. The FBI director’s remarks were first reported by Politico.
In a post on the FBI’s website last week, the agency said that while it did not have “specific and credible intelligence indicating a threat”, it was “closely monitoring unfolding events” and would “not hesitate to adjust our security posture, as appropriate”.
The agency also said FBI personnel had been working “to locate and identify” Americans impacted by the violence in Israel. About two dozen US or dual US-Israeli citizens are believed to be among hundreds of people killed or missing from last Saturday’s Hamas attack.
“Reports of deceased, injured, or unaccounted for Americans are being treated with the utmost urgency and aggressively investigated,” the agency added.
