WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) sent a letter to Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Attorney General Merrick Garland following reports of a potential ISIS threat to the Northern Virginia area. In this letter, Congressman Wittman calls for the full force of the U.S. government’s federal law enforcement and intelligence capabilities, as appropriate, to bolster local law enforcement’s efforts to secure the peace and public spaces and prevent any disruption or attack by terrorist organizations that seek to harm innocent civilians.
To read Congressman Wittman’s full letter, read below or click here.
October 30, 2021
The Honorable Avril Haines
Director of National Intelligence
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Washington, D.C. 20511
The Honorable Merrick B. Garland
Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20530
Dear Director Haines and Attorney General Garland:
I write to express my concerns surrounding the reported potential ISIS threat to the Northern Virginia area. As you are aware, perpetuating fear and violence by striking the United States’ homeland has long been a major goal of the terrorist organization known as ISIS. Times of mass public gatherings—such as the festivities surrounding Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas—provide an ideal opportunity for disruption of American life by malicious actors.
In Northern Virginia, local law enforcement has already begun to significantly increase their presence in public areas to harden potential targets, prevent malfeasance, and, if necessary, provide rapid response. However, despite the tremendous work these law enforcement officers are doing, they are naturally limited in manpower and intelligence gathering capacities due to the size of their force and the scope of the threat.
As such, I request you provide the full force of the U.S. government’s federal law enforcement and intelligence capabilities, as appropriate, to bolster local law enforcement’s efforts to secure the peace and public spaces and prevent any disruption or attack by terrorist organizations that seek to harm innocent civilians. Swift and decisive action is required as allowing terrorist organizations to even entertain the thought that attacking American civilians in our homeland is a possibility invites further antagonism and opens the door to repeated incidents. We must rip out the roots of this aggression before its insidious vines are allowed to mature.
I appreciate your attention to this matter and, given the time-sensitive nature of this request, stand by to assist in connecting the federal and state agencies as necessary.
Sincerely,
Robert J. Wittman
Member of Congress
