New York Republican Rep. Peter King, chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, announced Tuesday that he will convene a hearing next week on the potential threat of a revenge terrorist attack for the killing of Osama bin Laden.
“Since the first of May, the national conversation has revolved around details emerging from the killing of Bin Laden by U.S. Special Operations Forces,” said King. “At this hearing, the Committee will examine the near-term and long-term consequences and benefits to the security of our homeland resulting from the successful killing of Al Qaeda’s founder and top leader.”
Witnesses will include Peter Bergen of the New America Foundation, Frances Townsend, counterterrorism adviser to President George W. Bush, and Evan F. Kohlmann of Flashpoint Partners founder.
King came under fire in March for his hearings on the radicalization of American Muslims.
“While the removal of Bin Laden from the battlefield is certainly a victory in our war against Al Qaeda and its affiliates, it also means increased risk of retaliatory attacks against America by Bin Laden supporters, just as we have seen recently in Pakistan,” said King.