CIA Director William Burns speaks during a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on Capitol Hill on April 14, 2021 in Washington, DC. The committee is hearing testimony on worldwide threats to national security. (Photo by Graeme Jennings-Pool/Getty Images)
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UPDATED 2:05 PM PT – Wednesday, April 14, 2021
CIA Director William Burns said ISIS and Al-Qaeda are no longer considered the most dangerous transnational terror groups. He made the assertion in the Intelligence Community’s Annual Threat Assessment report released Tuesday night.
CIA Director Burns: AQ and ISIS lack the capability to attack the homeland and are no longer the most dangerous transnational terror groups.
— Ken Dilanian (@KenDilanianNBC) April 14, 2021
Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines backed up that assessment during her testimony before the Senate Intel Committee Wednesday. Haines added, while ISIS and Al-Qaeda still wish to attack the U.S., neither have the capacity to do so.
“So with regard to global terrorism, ISIS and Al-Qaeda remain the most pressing threats to US interests overseas as was noted,” Haines said. “These groups seek to conduct attacks inside the United States, but sustained counter terrorism pressure has broadly degraded their capabilities.”
In the meantime, Haines said China, Iran, North Korea and Russia now pose the biggest threats. She stated all four have “demonstrated the capability and intent to advance their interests at the expense of the united states and its allies.”
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