US terror threat concerns amid 'Day of Jihad' call to take to the streets

13 October 2023 , 02:42

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Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) talks about the Hamas attack on Israel during a news conference in the Rayburn Room at the U.S. Capitol (Image: Getty Images)

Security chiefs have addressed increasing fears of a domestic US terror threat following a call from Hamas to mobilize for a 'Day of Jihad' on Friday 13.

Former Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal has called for protests to take place across the world in support of the Palestinians. In pre-recorded television address, Meshaal, who currently heads Hamas's diaspora office, said: "We must head to the squares and streets of the Arab and Islamic world on Friday.

"Tribes of Jordan, sons of Jordan, brothers and sisters of Jordan...This is a moment of truth and the borders are close to you, you all know your responsibility. To all scholars who teach jihad... to all who teach and learn, this is a moment for the application (of theories)." Meshaal's referred to the mobilization call as the "the Friday of Al-Aqsa flood" adding that protests would send a "message of rage to Zionists and to America"

READ MORE: Day of Jihad LIVE: Hamas leader calls for global jihad on Friday 13th October

Now leader of the Hamas diaspora, Meshaal's added: "I address the countries neighboring [Israel] – Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt. I appeal to all of the people, the men and women there – both on the official and popular level. Your duty is greater than that of others because you are the closest to Palestine."

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The call for mobilisation has led to security officials across the USissuing statements as the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and Justice Department continue to monitor the foreign and domestic situation. Counterterrorism officials on Thursday said there was no credible or specific intelligence pointing to a current threat - however, intelligence officials were still assessing the potential impact inside the United States of a Hamas call for protests in the next few days.

Khaled Meshaal Former chief of Hamas calls for a global 'Day of Jihad' on Friday 13th in a televised statement (@TVPertiwi_MY/Twitter)

Christopher A. Wray, told the New York Times: "We’re also aware of information on the internet about a Hamas call for action or demonstrations and we’re working to confirm whether there’s any validity to that information. We cannot and do not discount the possibility that Hamas, or other foreign terrorist organizations, could exploit the conflict to call on their supporters to conduct attacks here on our own soil."

Monitoring threats levels involves sifting through online rhetoric as well as continual searches for information that could indicate a specific plan, such as details about a time and place. Counterterrorism officials have also contacted thousands of state and local law enforcement officers and religious leaders across the US to discuss potential impact of the attacks.

US President Joe Biden speaks at a roundtable with Jewish community leaders in the Indian Treaty Room of the White House (AFP via Getty Images)

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security have also warned how "some violent extremists have used times of heightened tensions to incite violence against religious minorities, targeting both Jewish and Muslim Americans".

Attorney General Merrick Garland also said he had met with the President and his national security team, adding "As always, we remain focused on the threat terrorism poses to our country. Today, I briefed President Biden and his national security team on the Justice Department’s dedication of critical resources to monitor the potential threat of terrorism here at home.”

In a joint statement, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security said: "The FBI and DHS are actively monitoring the situation in Israel and any implications these horrific terrorist attacks pose to the domestic threat environment. As with any potential threats to the United States, we will coordinate with our partners to ensure they have the resources and information necessary to keep our communities safe.

A Palestinian man stands at destruction as people inspect the damage following overnight Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City (Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock)

"While we continue to collect and analyze intelligence from a variety of sources, we do not currently have specific intelligence reflecting additional attack planning against the United States stemming from the HAMAS attacks in Israel. However, foreign terrorist organizations and their supporters remain committed to attacking the United States within and beyond our borders. In recent years, there have been several events and incidents in the United States that were purportedly motivated, at least in part, by the conflict between Israel and HAMAS.

"These have included the targeting of individuals, houses of worship, and institutions associated with the Jewish and Muslim faiths with acts of physical assault, vandalism, or harassment. Anti-Semitism permeates many violent extremist ideologies and serves as a primary driver for attacks by a diverse set of violent extremists who pose a persistent threat to Jewish communities and institutions in the United States and abroad."

Abigail O'Leary