Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton has warned that global terror organizations pose an evolving threat to the United States, primarily through their ability to recruit and radicalize individuals online.
Clayton pointed to an attempted bombing in New York City earlier this year as an example of how modern extremists no longer require distant foreign training camps to carry out attacks. Instead, he stated, "Today, they recruit their agents online. They attempt to radicalize them online."
His remarks come as the United Nations estimates al Qaeda's global network has grown significantly since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Clayton emphasized that terrorists recruit and train differently now compared to 25 years ago.
"Just this year, we had two radicalized men from Pennsylvania travel to New York to try and detonate a bomb outside Gracie Mansion," Clayton said, referring to an incident on March 7. "Thanks to the NYPD, who just like in 9/11 ran to the fire, no one was killed." Federal prosecutors described the two men as supporters of ISIS who had consumed radical content online. They allegedly traveled from Pennsylvania to Manhattan with two explosive devices and attempted to detonate them near protesters and police outside the official residence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Clayton also addressed security gaps identified in a recent House Intelligence Committee report, noting that communication among intelligence and law enforcement agencies has improved substantially since 9/11. "What I can tell you is that the women and men of the intelligence community, working domestically with law enforcement, working overseas with our partners, are committed every day to closing those gaps and identifying evolving threats," he stated.
He reassured the public that numerous threats on American soil have been thwarted. "There have been, and again, the American people should know this, there have been many threats on our soil that have been thwarted," Clayton added.
