CIA chief says attack in Turkey should serve as a warning to the U.S.

(Image credit: Evy Mages/Getty Images)

last updated 30 June 2016

CIA Director John Brennan is warning Americans that a deadly attack like the one Tuesday at an airport in Istanbul could soon happen in the United States.

No group has claimed responsibility yet for the attack, which left 42 people dead, but it has the hallmarks of an Islamic State operation. "I am worried from the standpoint of an intelligence professional who looks at the capabilities of Daesh … and their determination to kill as many people as possible and to carry out attacks abroad," he told Yahoo! News, using an acronym for ISIS. "I'd be surprised if Daesh is not trying to carry out that kind of attack in the United States." While the terrorists in San Bernardino and Orlando were inspired by ISIS, the group did not direct them to attack inside the U.S., and Brennan credits effective homeland security for preventing attacks plotted by ISIS.

Brennan said one reason why it looks like ISIS was behind the Istanbul attack is the fact the group often uses suicide vests during operations. "It's not that difficult to actually construct and fabricate a suicide vest … so if you have a determined enemy and individuals who are not concerned about escape, that they are going into it with a sense that they are going to die, that really does complicate your strategy in terms of preventing attacks," he said. Read more about why Brennan believes ISIS is targeting Turkey and how setbacks on the battlefield are driving militants to more attacks at Yahoo! News.