U.S. officials fear ISIS has reached American soil. Security services are taking preventative action to stop potential terrorist attacks.
On Sunday, the FBI issued the strongest warning to date about possible attacks by the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group against the military inside the U.S., ABC News reports.
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a joint intelligence bulletin strongly urging those who serve in uniform to scrub their social media accounts of evidence of their service in the U.S. armed forces. Officials fear such content may draw the attention of “violent extremists” who are seeking to target American men and women in uniform on U.S. soil.
“The FBI and DHS recommend that current and former members of the military review their online social media accounts for any information that might serve to attract the attention of ISIL [ISIS] and its supporters,” the bulletin sent to law enforcement agencies said, advising that troops “routinely exercise operational security in their interactions online,” ABC News revealed.
“The FBI recently received reporting indicating individuals overseas are spotting and assessing like-minded individuals who are willing and capable of conducting attacks against current and former U.S.-based members of the United States military,” the bulletin added.
ISIS Copycat Terror Attacks in the U.S.?
Security officials expressed fears that the October 2014 terror attack in Canada, in which a terrorist fatally shot a soldier standing guard at the National War Memorial in Ottawa before attacking the Canadian Parliament building, will serve as a model for future ISIS attacks in the U.S.
ABC News reports that servicemen have told them that they have wiped their social accounts of any sign of their service to avoid becoming a target.
Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby told ABC News:
“We certainly do know that they [ISIS] monitor social media,” Kirby said. “I think there’s a general understanding here that his is an environment that this particular enemy has proven adept at using and we don’t want to give them any more advantage than they’re already trying to gain.”
In late September, ISIS spokesman Abu Mohammad al-Adnani called on Muslims in the U.S. and Europe to attack members of the military: “Do not ask for anyone’s advice and do not seek anyone’s verdict. Kill the disbeliever whether he is civilian or military, for they have the same ruling. Both of them are disbelievers. Both of them are considered to be waging war.”
ISIS has specifically set its targets on U.S. servicemen after the U.S. launched an attack on ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
Tell us in the comments below: Do YOU think American servicemen and servicewomen should be forced to hide from ISIS by concealing their identity in their social media accounts?
Author: United with Israel Staff
(With files from ABC News)