ISIS-K, the Central Asian branch of ISIS, carried out a deadly attack at a concert hall in Moscow last month. eagerly wants to attack the U.S., according to two former U.S. Central Command leaders.
Retired Gen. Frank McKenzie, former head of CENTCOM, stated that the group is very keen on attacking the U.S. and that the Biden administration should take their threats seriously.
Gen. McKenzie told ABC News that the threat from ISIS-K has been increasing since U.S. forces left Afghanistan, which relieved pressure on the group.
He also mentioned the attack in Moscow as a sign that similar attempts can be expected against the U.S., its partners, and other countries abroad.
Retired Army Maj. Gen. Mark Quantock, who supervised intelligence operations for CENTCOM, told USA Today that the U.S. is the top target for ISIS-K. “They clearly would like to strike the homeland, but their challenge is penetrating our security, which has proven to be quite resilient in recent years,” Quantock said. Established in 2014, ISIS-K aims to establish a caliphate across Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan and is known for its extreme brutality.
After the Moscow attack, experts have cautioned that ISIS-K, which previously focused on attacks in Afghanistan, has been increasing the size and scope of its attacks.
Gen. Michael Kurilla, the current leader of U.S. Central Command, warned Congress that ISIS-K was rapidly developing its ability to carry out attacks in Europe and Asia and could potentially target U.S. and Western interests outside Afghanistan within six months.
McKenzie, who led CENTCOM during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, has consistently argued that the U.S. should have retained a small troop presence in Afghanistan for surveillance and targeted strikes.
He mentioned that keeping pressure on ISIS-K in their own territory makes it difficult for them to carry out attacks, but without this pressure, they are free to strengthen and plan.
ISIS-K, the Central Asian offshoot of the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group that carried out the deadly Moscow concert hall attack last month, badly wants to target the United States, two former U.S. Central Command leaders are warning. Retired Gen. Frank McKenzie, former CENTCOM head, said Sunday that the group has a “strong desire” to…
“If you can keep pressure on them … in their homeland and their base, it makes it hard for them to conduct these types of attacks,” he said, referring to ISIS-K. “Unfortunately, we no longer place that pressure on them, so they’re free to gain strength, they’re free to plan, they’re free to coordinate.”
