Former CIA Director and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said “ISIS has the potential to conduct a Paris type attack” in America.
Appearing on MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” on Thursday, Panetta said because “and because of that capability, because of that clear and present danger, I think we have a responsibility to do everything we can to defeat that enemy.”
“Mark my words, I think ISIS has the potential to conduct a Paris type attack in this country,” Panetta said.
Mitchell replied, “You think that they are that operational?”
“I think they are that operational,” Panetta claimed. “I think we saw what they did in Paris. We saw what happened in San Bernardino. We know they are in touch with a number of potential lone wolves in this country. The FBI has made that clear.”
“I don’t think we ought to underestimate the potential for ISIS to conduct another attack in this country, and that’s the concern. We’ve got to deal with that danger,” Panetta argued. “We don’t have time to kind of sit by and hope that somehow these issues will resolve themselves. We have got to make sure that we do everything necessary to protect this country.”