Dozens Under Watch in the US Out of Fear of Paris Copycat Attack
Dozens Under Watch in the US Out of Fear of Paris Copycat Attack
- By PIERRE THOMAS
- MIKE LEVINE
- Nov 19, 2015, 5:19 PM ET
http://a.abcnews.go.com/images/US/ap..._12x5_1600.jpgPablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Photo
WATCH FBI Director James Comey, Attorney General Loretta Lynch Hold Joint News BriefingDozens of suspected radicals in the United States are under "tight surveillance" because law enforcement officials fear they might try to pull off a copycat version of the Paris attacks after being exposed to ISIS propaganda, according to FBI Director James Comey.
The radicals have been under watch for months, but there are now fears that they might try to imitate last week's attack in Paris, which killed 129, Comey said.
"We are making sure we apply additional scrutiny to anybody who might be tempted to be a copycat, and so we’ve gone through all of our caseload to try and assess which are the ones that might pose a risk of trying to copy what happened in Paris and make sure that we’re staying on them like a blanket," Comey said.
Still, Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Comey sought to reassure the American public today, telling reporters that they are not aware of any credible threats of a “Paris-type attack” to the homeland.
ISIS has threatened to attack New York and Washington, D.C., in new videos released this week, but the threats were not specific.
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Comey said there was no evidence the Paris attackers had connections in the U.S. He said the biggest threats to the U.S. from ISIS were “troubled souls in America” who may be inspired by the militant group to cause harm and destruction.
Lynch pointed out that the FBI has arrested at least 70 people in the U.S. on charges related to violent extremism since 2013.
“Counterterrorism is what you pay us to do," Comey said. “Tell us what you saw and then go on living your lives...that is channeling fear into something healthy, which is awareness of your surroundings, and not something disabling.”
Both officials addressed the increased level of anxiety that has arisen since the Paris attacks.
“Our highest priority will remain the safety of all Americans,” Lynch said. “We are operating around the clock to disrupt any plot.”
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